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THEY TRIED IT: VH1 Set To Premiere "Sorority Sisters" Reality Show About Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations...

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Back in June, a sizzle reel hit the net about a new Atlanta-based reality show about women of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) giving an "inside look" into the "secret" world of National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations.  It was met with SERIOUS backlash, and was snatched offline.  But today, VH1 has announced a show called "Sorority Sisters', with the exact same premises, will premiere next week. 

 

Deets inside....

"Oh hell no."  That's the best response we could scrounge up when this press release ended up in our inbox.

Despite the sizzle real for a VERY similar show (it's unclear if the two are connected) catching tons of backlash online months ago, it seems VH1 is going forth with the concept of a reality show that goes "inside" the the world of historically black sororities.

We can pretty much bet plenty of coin that this won't go well or end well.  And yes, we cringed as this press release continuously used the word "soror" with likely zero concept of what it means.

So, coming December 15th on VH1 (the Holy Grail for ratchet tv), nine women, who are allegedly members of different black greek letter organizations, will attempt to become the organizations "representatives. (We don't know their names or affiliations yet in order to PROPERLY verify they are actual members). 

These women will attempt to offer an "inside glimpse" into the 100+ year old organizations.  While all of the Divine 9 organizations were founded on college campuses with upstanding principles such as community service, political and social action, leadership, academia and brother/sisterhood, we hesitate to believe these principles will be the focus of the show.

Not many historically black organizations, with hundreds of thousands of members worldwide (many of which are top, well-known leaders in society)  and with generally upstanding and respectable reputations, would be in favor of a reality show about THEIR organization...on what some may call a non-credible network.

And many folks feel this is a ratings-thirsty attempt to degrade and disavow all the good these organizations have done over a century, especially when it comes to Women's Suffrage and Civil Rights movements, which these organizations were at the FOREFRONT of.  People also may take issue with the fact that not one of the producers listed on the project, which is covering a well respected, integral and somewhat sensitive part of the black culture, are black themselves.

The press release reads: 

VH1 gives viewers a rare glimpse into the unique world of ATL Greek life with the series premiere of “Sorority Sisters”* on Monday, December 15 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Nine women, who continue to honor the traditions and legacies of their respective sororities and chapters, all agree on one main principle: sisterhood doesn’t end after graduation, it’s for life. For these friends and sisters (or ‘sorors’) from celebrated historically black colleges and universities in Atlanta, strong ties to their organizations lead to fierce rivalries, but through thick and thin, these women stand united and share an unbreakable bond.

“Sorority Sisters” follows the lives of women from four different sororities. Since these ‘sorors’ are pledges for life, they are expected to continue their community work long after graduation. From long-awaited reunions, to managing the men in their lives, for these line sisters, it’s homecoming all across the ATL. These ladies have a lot at stake – their aspirations, reputations, livelihoods, friendships, and families – and the legacies of their sororities. “Sorority Sisters” premieres December 15 at 9PM on VH1.

“Sorority Sisters” is executive produced by Robert Horowitz for Juma Entertainment, and Toby Barraud, Stefan Springman, Mala Chapple and Jeff Grogan serve as executive producers for Eastern TV. Susan Levison, Nina L. Diaz, Vivian Gomez, Ken Martinez, and Daniel Blau Rogge are executive producers for VH1.

*“Sorority Sisters” is not endorsed by or affiliated with any sororities.

And we all know VH1 shows are never as tame as the press releases like to make them out to be.

We do find it interesting that this press release went out only 5 days before the premiere, when usually press releases are sent out months in advance of a show's debut.  And they also released the news with not one promo pic or trailer.  Was this a strategic way to control how much the imminent backlash could affect the ratings?  Is the network fearful of getting the show shut down legally due to usage of Sorority and Fraternity names and likeness?

Time will tell.

We have also reached out to VH1 for clarification of whether this is the same show that the aforementioned controversial sizzle reel (now taken down) is based upon.  Interestingly, Mona Scott Young--who was featured in said reel--was behind that particular project.  We can only wonder if the heavy backlash associated with the sizzle reel is why her name is mysteriously missing from this official press release, if the two are even connected.  Her colleague though, Stefan Springman, is named in association with another company.

[UPDATE] The first sneak peek, which centers around the staged and stereotypical cattiness amongst organizations, has been uploaded to VH1's Youtube channel. Figures.

 


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