Who doesn’t love a good recruitment video? For girls, recruitment videos typically consist of slow motion running around in cute outfits hugging each other and holding up their letters. Maybe throw in some adventurous clips with sparklers and flowers for good measure. When girls who are rushing see this, they are attracted to the sorority. But fraternities have to attract guys in a different way. Recently there has been a large amount of fraternities using girls as promotional objects in their rush process. This past fall at James Madison University, Phi Gamma Delta pledges were given a list of “dorm hotties” that they had to bring to the party that night. Girls were ranked out of ten and their room number was listed as well. The end of the list read “we will do whatever we can to try to get you guys laid”.
In October, Rachel Friedman, a sophomore at UC San Diego, was asked to take a topless picture without her face and to write “Rush SAE” across her chest for the picture. She posted the messages and took action to put an end to the degrading requests. This trend doesn’t stop there. Even the popular Total Frat Move website has a page dedicated to what they call “rush boobs”. The page goes up to three years back. They write, “Since the dawn of the internet, fraternity members have been convincing girls to write ‘Rush (Insert Fraternity Here)’ on their boobs for promotional purposes.”Â
At the University of Massachusetts, an anonymous girl came submitted her story about being asked for pictures as well. A guy in the fraternity used the excuse that they were friends and that she should do this for him AS HIS FRIEND. When she said no, he asked if any of her other friends would do it instead. While these frats have since apologized and done their best to explain, it’s still a problem that women need to be aware of. It’s not flattering to be asked to do this, it’s insulting and offensive.
Yet in the news, we mainly see the practices of sororities being criticized. While yes, some can be objectifying and lacking diversity, we should be focusing more attention on bringing women up and preventing them from just becoming a pair of rush boobs.