Total Frat Move, it is the go to website on anything fraternity related. It is the largest greek collaboration beside the IFC itself. So why is TFM not the site that greek life needs right now? Essentially it is embracing the negative stereotypes that greeks are being labeled with today. It suggests that being in a fraternity is being an alcoholic that doesn't care about school, doesn't get a girlfriend but only hooks up, is superior to non-greeks, while always wearing boat shoes. TFM is setting these attitudes as the standard fraternity way, which is not the case. Being in a fraternity can be more things than just how they portray it. Being frat doesn't mean you have to act like a douche.
The site give the impression that the best of greek life is getting blackout drunk and hooking up with as many girls as possible. Im not saying this is wrong, but stop trying to convince men that this is what they want. We should not encourage the sense of entitlement that TFM says we have. Yes, being in a fraternity is great. Yes, we probably are going to benefit from being in it and have many connections in the business world because of it. Should we belittle people because they are not greek? No, that isn't the best idea. Yet GDI shaming is shown as normal. Lets not give people a reason to hate us. There is no reason for us to have a superiority complex just because we are in a fraternity.
What I am really worried about is the ideas that the next generation of fraternity men will have of greek life. These high schoolers and current rushes who do not have a great idea what greek life is really like. One of the only outlets that they can get an idea is TFM. TFM provides only a narrow view of what it is like to be a fraternity man, and these views are not that great. In turn these guys are modeling themselves after what they think will make them fit in, and this clearly is not the template that they need to follow. Yes, most guys who use the website aren't trying to be your TFM fratstar, they take TFM with a few grains of salt and model themselves in other ways. However these new an upcoming fraternity men will have a skewed perception of what greek life really is and should be and many will take the site seriously.
Im not saying to do away with TFM, I think there is plenty of great and hilarious things on there. Is it bad to dress really fratty, hook up, and drink a lot ? No, Im just saying that the attitudes on this site should not be the desired or standard attitudes for fraternity men. TFM needs to calm down with the over the top "fratstar" attitudes. Some people are very impressionable, such as these upcoming rushies, lets try not to let them think that being a douche is normal and treating women like crap is cool. Some people will take you seriously.
Here is a few quotes on the website that models these attitudes.
"Slampiece wanted to be Facebook official so I listed her as an Activity. TFM"
"Asking your summer professor about his open container policy in class. TFM"
"Blatantly wiping your hand on your shirt after shaking a GDI’s hand. TFM"
"Always asking her if she finished. Never actually caring. TFM."
"Having box seats but drinking like you're with the riffraff in the nosebleeds. TFM"
"The other side of my bed doesn’t have a night stand to remind her that this bedroom has a one night stand policy. TFM"
"Convincing her you’re “not like the other guys” when, in fact, you are quite similar to the other guys. TFM."
Some come on TFM, stop making people think that being a terrible person is what being a fraternity man should be.
