Is “frat” a term powerful enough to forgive misogyny?
Much of the content published by the “Total Frat Move” website seems to say yes. College fraternities are meant to be communities founded on academic success, charity, and brotherhood. In addition to the serious stuff, though, fraternities are meant to foster a good time for their members—or a wild time according to virtually every American movie ever made.
Women, in the opinion of “Total Frat Move” and its supporters, are a significant part of that good time; however, their presence should be a strictly physical one. The women featured on the website are seen and not heard, and when they are seen, very little clothing is involved. The “TFM Babe of the Day” column is the primary source of female-centric news on the site. Needless to say, the column is not a wordy one. Pictures of college girls in bikinis comprise every “Babe of the Day” entry. No information on the girl besides her name and university are given.
The other section devoted to women is “Rush Boobs.” Photos of breasts (and occasionally butts) that don the Greek letters of various fraternities are featured on a weekly basis. “If your fraternity’s letters aren’t written across a big pair of honkers or a nice ass, does it even exist?” is the phrase TFM chose to accompany the week’s myriad nudes.
It can be argued that the irreverent, shallow nature of the site is meant to be comical; the men behind Total Frat Move have more respect for women than they advertise online, right? One article, titled “50 Ways to Be the Perfect College Girlfriend,” proves otherwise, revealing just how unfunny the website can be.
“Look good naked.” “Lie about how many people you’ve had sex with.” “Have an attractive mother. Trust me, it’s important.” These are only 3 of the 50 undeniably misogynistic “ways” on the list. Ways 46-50 revolve solely around blowjobs.
Just because the frat club is for men doesn’t mean it should be against women. The portrayal of women on Total Frat Move’s site is beyond demeaning; it’s destructive to female progresss. The thought of young men across the country—men who will soon graduate and dominate U.S. offices and workplaces—being de-sensitized to sexism is an alarming one. Women are good for sex and almost nothing else in the painfully myopic view of Total Frat Move’s contributors.
The site’s readers, writers, sponsors, and creators are real people, making up the masculine half of earth’s population. What they fail to recognize, though, is how real their female counterparts are. Women warrant more than the superficial glance the men of Total Frat Move are willing to grant them. Every “Babe of the Week” can’t be neatly summed up by sexy photos; surprisingly enough, she’s a human being with much more to offer than male pleasure.
When we’re objectified and belittled by the male community, it doesn’t simply hurt our movement—it hurts us. Behind every bikini is a real person; though she may not be the “Perfect College Girlfriend,” she deserves the respect which human decency requires. The frat community doesn’t have to include women, but it better start seeing us clearly.