Blowing kisses. Laughing. Twerking.
Looking at the recruitment video just released by the Alpha Phi chapter at the University of Alabama, you see a lot of the same thing - artificially white teeth and blonde hair. It's a chapter full of hot girls who want to attract more hot girls to be in their sorority. You see lacy bra straps and a tight black bathing suit that says "blessed". You see girls flirting with a football player, proving to anyone who watches that they can get any man they want. That in turn helps them get any woman they want.
But take a moment and look closer. What else do you see?
You see young women having the time of their lives.
You see young women who have learned to be confident enough to face the video camera and dance like no one is watching.
You see young women who are helping each other make the most of their college experience.
Yes, it's silly, and it glorifies a single, specific type of beauty: blonde, thin, big smile. As guest contributor, A.L. Bailey wrote in an op-ed for AL.com, "They’re selling themselves on looks alone, as a commodity. Sadly, commodities don’t tend to command much respect.”
He's not wrong in saying there are other ways to earn respect. But he is wrong in saying they're selling themselves on looks alone because they're selling a lot more than that. They're selling the opportunity to be a part of an organization of women who have fun, together. They're selling the possibility of finding lifelong friends to make these silly college memories with. Don't we all want that?
He continues his criticism of the video, asking, “Are they recruiting a diverse and talented group of young women embarking on a college education? Upon first or even fifth glance, probably not.”
This is the disturbing aspect of this op-ed because Bailey is judging these women on their looks alone. Just because a woman is blonde, she has no talent? Suddenly our beauty is our one defining feature? Yes the women of Alpha Phi are celebrating their beauty in this specific recruitment video, but that doesn't mean their organization should be limited to and judged by that one characteristic.
Furthermore, how can it be ignored that these are college women? These are women who worked hard in high school, achieved academic success, and then committed themselves to spend their next four years earning a degree to advance themselves professionally. Not a single one of those blonde, smiling women is lazy, or is depending on her beauty alone to get through life. The very fact that they are attending a university proves their dedication to intellectual curiosity and achievement. They just also happen to treasure silly moments with friends.
As for the diversity issue brought up in the op-ed, the University of Alabama officially stated, "Of the total number of women who accepted bids, 214 were minorities, a number that increased by nearly 13 percent. And, the number of African American students who received bids increased by 19 percent, to 25."
Yes, there is work to be done on that front. It is imperative that all organizations accept all kinds of people, and progress is being made, albeit at a slower pace than we would like. Ideally, Alpha Phi should have included more women of color in their video. That is clear. But we can't let one video discourage our efforts of acceptance, and as long as that progress keeps continuing, we have reason to celebrate those small victories.
So yes, critics of the Beta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi, that video contained a lot of skinny white blonde women who love glitter and house music. But as a society, we cannot disparage women for having fun and celebrating their friendships while also earning college degrees and breaking glass ceilings in their respective fields. These women are trailblazers and role models for pursuing higher education and also making time to support one another and be silly. We can only hope younger girls can watch this video and think, "I can get an education, make friends, support philanthropies, and kick ass, too."
