If Everything’s Fratty, Nothing Is
What do we mean when we call a Will Ferrell movie, a Jack Johnson album, or a trucker hat "fratty"?
Like "hipster," the "frat" denomination uses interchangeable stereotypes to connote arrested development: College-age dudes in madras shorts, Ralph Lauren polos, flip-flops, puka shell necklaces, and backwards baseball caps, chugging 16 oz. cans of Natural Light while singing along to "Living on a Prayer"; sweaty Adonises engaging each other in homoerotic tests of strength and masculinity, then heading off to parties where they commit vicious acts of misogyny in order to affirm their heterosexuality; blue-blooded sophisticates, looking down their noses at the saps who can't afford to buy a trim set of friends; trust-fund stoners in perpetually dirty laundry, perpetually high, and perpetually lazy.
Writers swap these stereotypes in and out to fit their criticisms, which saves them from having to dig for adjectives with real value.
Yesterday, Slate's Jonah Weiner wrote about Fred Durst's "frat-bruiser psyche," which plays to the violence stereotype. Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt referenced the latent homophobia of fraternity life (the companion of misgony) when he wrote that Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen (neither of whom was in a fraternity, but whose works are frequently described as fratty) coined "every frat boy's favorite barroom query": "Do you know how I know you're gay?" Salon's Camille Paglia conjured up Bon Jovi and OAR when she accused President Barack Obama of leading "an oafish bunch of drunken frat boys" after he criticized Rush Limbaugh last month. And the Economist combined the image of a drugged-out loser with that of an aristocrat promoted beyond his merit when it published an article towards the end of George W. Bush's presidency titled, "The Frat Boy Ships Out."
There's plenty to get riled up about in these examples, and it's worth mentioning that what keeps "fratty" from joining the un-PC ranks of slutty, thuggish, and Jew-y–all terms that reduce entire identity groups into caricatures–is the pseudo-intellectual belief that all fraternities exist only to train the next generation of bigots, wife-beaters, and corporate ass-hats, and that it's OK to smear all fraternity men in the service of undermining the patriarchal institutions to which they belong.
The moral implications aside, the better reason to stop using "fratty" is that it stands for so many things that it ends up standing for nothing. Which means that if you use "fratty" when you really mean "homoerotic," you're either lazy, stupid, or hungry for vengeance against the guy who kicked you out of that smoker party your freshman year.
Mike Riggs is a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. At no point in his life has he worn a Puka shell necklace.
5:31 pm
Fratty
6:03 pm
Yeah, I'd pay more attention to this argument if it didn;t come from such a fratty mofo.
6:53 pm
Since Riggs bent over backwards dancing around this fact, I think one must ask whether Riggs himself was in a frat in college and whether this has any influence on his blanching at the overuse of the word fratty.
Incomplete journalistic disclosure? How very fratty!
7:30 pm
Dave--I am a member of a fraternity (Phi Sigma Kappa, notable alumni include Gay Talese, Jack Welch, John S. Knight, Red Skelton, Cheech Marin, and Tom Smothers). I'll add that disclosure to the bottom of my post in italics, if you like.
Just for kicks: What does it matter? If the argument doesn't stand on its own, couldn't you just have said as much? Or is dancing your way around ad hominem attacks easier?
7:59 pm
I rather liked the typology of frattitudes at the beginning of this article: distinguishing between prep-frat, rape-frat, trust-fund-frat, and stoner-frat is all useful. Considering that, then, we should all strive to be more precise in our frat-bashing. Wait, what? That's all stereotyping? And we don't like stereotyping?
8:05 pm
Will you at least concede that SOME fraternities DO (intentionally or not) "train the next generation of bigots, wife-beaters, and corporate ass-hats"? It seems you must, because it would be disingenuous at best to claim that these fraternity stereotypes were pulled out of thin air.
This leads me to ask, what IS the best way of undermining these particular patriarchal institutions to which they belong? Assuming you belong to one of "the good ones", surely we have a common goal in eliminating the chapters which, in your view, are sullying fraternities' image by perpetuating these negative stereotypes and/or behaviors.
In the interests of full disclosure, I myself have never been a member of a fraternity. I anticipate your response, Mr. Riggs.
P.S. I agree with the above commentators that you did leave out an important piece of information, luckily, it wasn't hard to figure out you are a Phi Sigma Kappa alumnus:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/5/428/a86
Regardless of my opinion regarding this article, I expected you to at least commit yourself to basic journalistic integrity.
8:06 pm
Oops, that's what I get for leaving a window open for too long.
8:30 pm
@L.S. Good luck with your fight against the madras wearers. I have no proven strategies for undermining patriarchal institutions. Now that you and Dave have forced me to own my conflict of interest, I should probably admit that I have no desire in undermining them either.
Also, I'm glad to see everyone is capable of engaging the argument I put forth.
8:40 pm
Can we please go back to bashing sororities? Hm?
8:43 pm
I was in a "social group" but grew tired of the homo-erotic bonding & date-raping, yet the easy access to drugs was a plus. Fraternities should be banned. Let young "men" learn on their own the piggish ways of their forefathers & fore-buggerers.
9:30 pm
Are frats an "identity group"? It seems to me that "smearing" fraternity members is more parallel to stereotyping of, say, Republicans or librarians or soccer fans than to "un-PC" attacks on women, blacks. or Jews. You weren't born into a frat.
12:16 am
I wasn't ad homineming you, Riggs. I just thought that, since you were offering your opinion on this topic, it wouldn't be fair for your readers to assume you were a disinterested observer, rather than a full-out warrior in the ongoing Frat Wars.
That said, I, like Bill, really liked your frat typeology. It definitely hit the nail on the head, from my own personal experience. Of course, as Bill also mentioned, this post was basically just a lot of stereotyping with a dollop of "Don't Sterotype!" at the end. But entertaining, nonetheless.
Also... Cheech Marin? Wow, you guys must be really proud.
9:11 am
@KCinDC Whip out yer sociology textbook--you don't need to be born into your identity group.
Leave middle-to-upper-class, politically moderate, white males alone!
9:24 am
Okay, maybe they're an identity group. The rest of my comment stands.
4:03 pm
You've never gone Puka?
5:20 pm
It would seem to me that all of you whom argue for correct journalistic practices fail to realize that this is a blog. There is no need for practice of correct journalism.I would like to address the fact that all you who like the " frat typeology" seem to forget about GDI typeology. Would it not equally unfiar to catergorize GDI's? Lazy, unmotivated, loaners, incapable of social interaction, who are so self invovled that they cant take time to give back to the community or let alone get involved on their college campus.
You can stereotype any group, that doesnt make it right. Being in a fraternity has nothing to do with any of the stereotypes. Being in a fraternity is about adopting a set of values and pledging to live by them everyday. Leadership,Scholarship, Loyalty, Self-support. These and others are the ideals by which fraternity men choose to live. Yes there are assholes out there that fit the stereotypes but don not penalize the rest of us for the mistakes of a few.
5:23 pm
I dont have a problem with GDI's i just made all that up for the sake of argument. I dont like stereotyping people but felt i should make one up for the sake of argument.
11:28 pm
And a GDI is....?
6:58 pm
A GDI would be a "God Damn Independent," Dave - The polar opposite of 'Frat'. One not unlike yourself, whose animosity and prejudice towards fraternal organizations is overwhelmingly obvious.
I'm curious, though - How does Riggs' disclosing of his Greek affiliation stand to validate or invalidate his observation about the social overuse of the descriptor "Fratty?" It's happening whether he's Greek or not.
Thanks for showing your cards, though - keep clapping your sweaty hands together when Riggs plays into the stereotypes that we all know and love. I'm sure your mustached bi-polar girlfriend / boyfriend will love to hear all about it later over some mediocre weed.
8:12 pm
Thanks for the clarification, Craig. I wasn't aware that there's an acronym for the vast majority of college students who go through academia completely unaware and unconcerned with your peoples' oh-so-fratty goings-on.
As for why I am being a stickler about Riggs' disclosure, I think City Desk readers have a right to know that the journalist decrying lexicological violence against frats here is also a former fratter himself. It's important to know that he's not criticizing an injustice committed against some fratty dudes to which he has no relation. Instead, Riggs is just whining about people nomenclaturally slamming him and his friends. Big difference, at least from a journalism standards point of view.
Oh, and also, I take issue with your characterization of my girlfriend. I seriously doubt she will "love to hear all about" this inane, pointless argument. She'll be too busy taking psych meds and shaving!
Now, back to that subpar reefer you mentioned...
2:08 pm
How insightful. The stereotypes in the beginning were entertaining because some were true to life from what I saw through being Greek. The remaining 91 percent of the article was completely worthless and I feel dumber
having read it. But hey I guess I'm dumb because I was in a "frat.". I'm 25 now,and I have a very good career. I have relationships from being Greek that have remained as fresh as they were 7 years ago. I did pay for my friends, and id do it again if I were offered the choice. I'm actually on my way to a pledge brothers wedding, which is he only reason i took the time to read this gdi article. I will get hammered drunk with the rest of my screw up friends who also probably have better career paths than you. I never get the opportunity to do this during my 60 hour work week to ensure my standard of living because as you pointed out earlier, I'm lazy. The homoerotic thing is hilarious. Classic gdi greek bashing. Why do non geeks always point this out? Because they themselves are insecure. Greek isn't for everyone and I have many friends who weren't and they aren't bitter towarda Greeks becuase they are secure with themselves. Stop being pissed off at life, write about something worth reading. Until then, you can come to a grillout at my place and I'll have all of my non Greek friends tie you up to a chair, and crush busch lights while they light your face up with my tennis ball machine.
12:33 pm
1. Puka shells are definitely not fratty.
2. Raping girls is in no way, shape, form, or fashion fratty. Men that are considered fratty are gentlemen.
2:10 am
Damn Proud!
6:30 pm
dude: no. you're an idiot. and fratty. frats (with notable exceptions for academic ones) pretty much DO all exist to PAY to make friends. insofar as other people manage to sort out friends and group homes etc unless they are the strange combination of social retrogrades, financially capable of meeting the frat requirements, and not interested in GROWTH (the development of enough confidence to try to meet your own friends and to really own success or failure instead of depending on your "brothers" to do it for you) as much as the idiocy of the frat system.
for you to compare "fratty" to the list of terms you did, shows that your truly incapable of critical thought. another good criterion for fratdom...
5:42 pm
I truly do not understand modern day fraternity hating. It just seems to make the perpetrtors so jealous sounding. Isn't the point of a fraternity to make friends, while at the same time meeting memebers of the opposite sex. At no point in any fraternity book does it say to rape, and commence in property destruction. Also, the "buying your friends" argument is one that needs some editing as well. It is the brothers of the fraternity theat decide on the next pledge class not the pledges themselves; how does that make automatically equate to "buying your friends" if you either don't know the other pledge brothers, and then become friends with them, or rush a fraternity with your friends that you made before the whole rush process?
4:16 pm
"Will Ferrell movie, a Jack Johnson album, or a trucker hat"
none of these things are fratty. in fact, northern fraternities aren't fratty.