Greek life is a college tradition that seems alien to those unfamiliar with it. The network of fraternities and sororities that sprawl across so many campuses has become a cultural touchstone. They've been documented in films like Animal House, received hundreds of negative headlines, and even become the focus of social media fascination. From the good to the bad to the downright ugly, Greek life has long been in the public eye.
But in the world of sororities in particular, there is no school like the University of Alabama. Rush week is an institution onto itself at Alabama. There are cases of women only going to Alabama for the sororities and even more examples of women transferring just weeks into their freshman year because they didn't get in. All that is about to be put on display in a new HBO documentary. As the trailer says, "Greek life is everything at Alabama."
"Bama Rush" Trailer Reveals The Truth About Sororities
At first, the trailer for new HBO documentary Bama Rush appears to be your run-of-the-mill "niche fascination" documentary. It sets its locale, the University of Alabama, and its premise, exploring the intricate rituals of "rush week". This is done through the eyes, and cameras, of four young women hoping to join one of the campus' many sororities. But then the tone begins to shift. HBO begins to introduce us to the darker side of the film. We start to learn about the insecurities harbored by our "protagonists", showing the ways they are both drawn to, and could be exploited by, the sorority system. That transitions into the fight to be in a "top house". That ranking is determined by which house the frat boys have deemed the hottest.
And then comes the kicker. The documentary not only covers Greek life but the paranoia and suspicion about the documentary itself. Greek life has always walked on a razor's edge, often falling into infamy. However, as one echoing voice can be heard in the trailer, "This documentary could be the end of Greek life as we know it." Get ready to be thrust into the deep and dark world of sorority rushing when Bama Rush debuts on May 23.
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