A video from the University of Alabama’s Alpha Phi sorority chapter, founded in 1872, has caused so much uproar that, after receiving over 700,000 views on YouTube, it has been yanked from the internet.
The four-minute video shows the sorority’s 72 members wearing bikinis and short shorts, running across the football field, jumping in a lake, and blowing handfuls of glitter, ABC News reports. The video, which seems to be professionally shot, is filmed to the Seven Lions song “Strangers” and makes no reference to academics or individuality. It also shows a lack of diversity in the sorority and objectifies women, according to some viewers.
Not long after its release on August 7, the University of Alabama denounced Alpha Phi’s recruitment video, titled “ Alabama Alpha Phi 2015 ,” saying it “is not reflective of UA’s expectations for student organizations to be responsible digital citizens,” according to the New York Daily News .
“It is important for student organizations to remember what is posted on social media makes a difference, today and tomorrow, on how they are viewed and perceived,” Deborah Lane, the associate president for university relations, said in a statement.
Alabama sorority deletes viral video showcasing almost zero diversity (VIDEO) http://t.co/jpbjL7V3wa pic.twitter.com/uvddkKY5Gv
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) August 17, 2015
One op-ed article on AL.com slammed the video , calling it “worse for women than Donald Trump.”
“These young women, with all their flouncing and hair-flipping, are making it so terribly difficult for anyone to take them seriously, now or in the future,” A.L. Bailey wrote. “The video lacks any mention of core ideals or service and philanthropy efforts. It lacks substance but boasts bodies. It’s the kind of thing that subconsciously educates young men on how to perceive, and subsequently treat, women in their lives. It’s the kind of thing I never want my young daughters to see or emulate.”
In case you want to watch the Bama sorority recruiting video, here it is http://t.co/W5lnZIOnHi pic.twitter.com/9Ke9rqLNrf
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) August 17, 2015
Since their video went viral, the University of Alabama’s Alpha Phi chapter has deleted its Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr pages. The homepage of the chapter’s website is the only thing that remains online. According to Us Weekly , 2,261 women were offered bids to the sorority this year, making it the highest pledge class in the university’s history.
Alabama sorority Alpha Phi yanks recruitment video after Internet uproar: http://t.co/RmDdU8PAvP pic.twitter.com/WZeEQ2UwWO
— ABC News (@ABC) August 17, 2015
According to a previous report by the Inquisitr , many of the other recruitment videos from the University of Alabama have the same themes as the Alpha Phi video. However, this one particularly seemed to be more sexualized than the others, making it a target for negative attention and criticism .
What do you think about Alpha Phi’s recruitment video? Should it have been taken down? Leave your comments below.
[Photo via YouTube]
