7 Of The Worst Things Hollywood Gets Wrong About Being In A Sorority

The reality: One of the crowning scenes of "The House Bunny" was their Aztec party where they sacrificed Emma Stone in a volcano of jello -- which was crazy and unrealistic enough on its own. 

But here's the thing: sororities don't throw insane parties (though they might attend them at the fraternity house down the street). The National Panhellenic Conference that governs the country's 26 main sororities prohibits alcohol in chapter houses for a number of rumoured reasons, the most practical of which is that insuring a dry house is much cheaper than one where raucous parties regularly occur, but that's besides the point. Sororities don't host parties. 

The reality: Nearly every sorority movie ("The House Bunny," "Legally Blonde," and the "Greek" TV series included) perpetuate the ditz stereotype in at least one character. And yes, there are plenty of people who speak in a tone and with a vocabulary that many associate with cluelessness. But here's the thing, these people exist everywhere, in every group of people you may find on a college campus. 

In fact, sororities hold academic standards to which each sister must adhere or face restrictions on social and other events. Houses require study hours for sisters and new members and most also offer academic mentoring and tutoring between older and younger sisters. 

The reality: Of course, most movies about sororities include incredibly beautiful people. But that's because most movies have casts of incredibly beautiful people, that's a Hollywood issue. As for real sororities, not everyone is tall, tan, and blonde. At their core, sororities are about women supporting each other and that extends to inner and outer beauty no matter your body's appearance, hair color or nationality. 

The reality: A myriad of sorority movies tend to center around the idea that one sorority is out to "take down" another. But aside from friendly competition in campus events like Lip Syncs or Sigma Chi Derby Days, sororities understand that the Greek System works best on campus when every house supports one another. Each house also has a representative serve on the school's Panhellenic Council to address issues for the Greek 

The reality: "Scream Queens" is a great example of sorority girls who are bitchy and unconcerned with anyone but themselves. Again, this is undoubtedly a quality that exists in humans, but there is no larger concentration of these people in sororities than anywhere else. Women within sororities form truly lifelong bonds with their sisters and the organizations themselves promote philanthropic events that houses take very seriously. 

The reality: I wish I could say there were no sororities that haze anymore, but there are plenty of well-documented examples that prove the complete opposite. However, I do feel confident in saying that hazing is no longer the norm in Greek Life. 

The reality: Yes, many girls in sororities enjoy partying, drinking and sex as much as any young woman has the right to. But college is also a time rife with partying, drinking and sex, for sorority sisters and everyone else. And honestly, huge open fraternity parties are generally populated by people who aren't a part of Greek Life at all. Fraternities and sororities hold their own lower-key mixers with only one fraternity and one sorority which are much more enjoyable parties where you actually get to know the brothers and spend time with your sisters.