Lowkey dances, rush bag hauls, summer tans, and so many costumes that, at this point, you’re kind of surprised that there are that many sorority house themes out there. If you have been anywhere near TikTok the past week, then you probably have experienced the rise of what is the platform’s newest holiday: #BamaRushTok.
But, even if you haven’t fallen into that niche yet (though if you haven’t, are you even on TikTok?), you likely have now as rumors are rapidly spiraling on social media that there might be a Bama Rush HBOMax documentary that will uncover University of Alabama’s rush process. The rumors quickly emerged as potential new members were caught wearing wires, microphones, and even secret cameras inside the sorority houses during recruitment.
However, it is unclear what an HBOMax TV show about Bama Rush would be like, and HBOMax has already been accused of trying to tell the story in a negative light — yet, it is still unknown if a Bama Rush HBOMax documentary is even happening at all, as HBOMax has not announced anything yet nor commented on the rumors.
Read on to learn more about what we know so far about the rumors.
How did the Bama Rush HBOMax Documentary rumors start?
TikTok creator Nick Watts initiated the conversation and dove into the documentary buzz by saying that there have been “moles” set up on University of Alabama’s campus to find out information about all the sororities involved in University of Alabama’s recruitment process. “[It’s so] they can f*** them over later. There might be some bad s***, because, you know, Greek Life is not the most squeaky clean thing you could do.”
His explanation is backed up by an alleged post on the University of Alabama Sorority Recruitment Parents Q & A Facebook group, which reads, “Touching on warning your girls to be careful – HBOMax is filming a documentary – going to be set up in the public sidewalks and streets and have planted approximately 20 PNM (potential new members) who will be wired. Have no idea who these wired girls will be.”
On GreekRank, a Greek life-oriented website and forum, the process of how the girls are chosen for interviews has also been questioned in a post. It has even been speculated that HBOMax producers are looking through sorority followings on social media and even inviting them over DM to be in the documentary.
“I know an active [sorority member] that signed a contract to be in the show. Will she get in trouble? She’s getting paid 5K,” said one of the replies on GreekRank.
How do TikTok creators and sorority members feel about the rumors?
The rumors of the HBOMax Bama Rush documentary have been followed with criticism: “How are we as a society allowing this?”, goes one TikTok user.
Amanda Evans, who is going through the rush process at University of Alabama, shares in a video that she thinks it’s going to be really hard to film the girls in a negative light based on her experience. “Every single girl has been so nice so far,” she explains, while adding a remark directly aimed to HBOMax: “You can’t make us into Dance Moms!”
Still, as debates of classism and misogyny fizzle along with the popularity of Bama Rush, the perfect combination for a juicy documentary series seems to still be in its course — Bama Rush provides the perfect entertainment to TikTok viewers, with everything from the best bid day outfits to wondering whether their favorite potential new members will end up joining a sorority or not (we stan Grant Sikes).
Her Campus reached out to HBOMax for comment and have not heard back at the time of publication.