In 'Sorority Forever,' sisterhood can be scary

Madison (Mikaela Hoover), left, Julie (Jessica Rose) and Taryn (Taryn Southern) star in "Sorority Forever." (Credit: TheWB.com)

It's a pop-culture staple to hate on sororities, and yesterday, the first episode of "Sorority Forever" premiered on TheWB.com (and also on MySpace thanks to a deal TheWB.com just announced). Now voyeuristic sorority dread has a home on the Web.  Episodes will air every weekday until the finale on Halloween. Yes, spooky things are happening to the sexy sisters of Phi Chi Kappa, a "house" that keeps its members under constant video surveillance, subjects them to weigh-ins and sports an ominous red door in the basement.

But the pledges are, of course, psyched to be chosen for this so-called "alpha sorority" --  except for the pretty, sullen Julie, played by Jessica Rose of "lonelygirl15" fame. Julie is being pressured to join by her older sister, Natalie, and for some reason their mother is insisting too. "You have no choice," Natalie tells Julie in the opening scene. "Phi Chi Kappa will change your life."

As a production, "Sorority Girls" looks polished and technically disciplined. The first 10 episodes are all less than three minutes, and not a millisecond seems wasted.

With this show, produced by McG (better known for candy-colored movies such as "Charlie's Angels") and made by Big Fantastic, the team who made the hit-or-miss (mostly miss) "Prom Queen" and "Foreign Body," you can see the outlines of the Web series genre beginning to solidify. Story-wise "Sorority Forever" is made of the same basic upscale soap opera stuff as a TV show such as "Gossip Girl," along with the mystery that drives a show such as "Heroes." But the scenes are all bite-sized. So it's sort of like M&Ms to a TV show's Hershey Bar.

The show's big idea -- to take all the usual sorority stuff and give it a sinister underside -- is far from original, but it's sturdy. You'll be a member of Phi Chi "forever," Julie is told -- with a hint that "forever" might be longer than it sounds. The president, Bridget, is clearly a scary, scary control freak under her perfect smile, the hazing is slightly more cruel than necessary and everything about the sorority radiates hostility under the guise of sisterhood. The girls are humiliated if they're over a certain weight. ("Hit the gym -- nobody likes a fat girl," Bridget barks.) Bridget and her "assistant" spy on them. There's a fraternity nearby that also seems to know a lot about what's going on in the house... oh, and there's that red door in the basement -- menacing music plays when the camera goes near it.

As Julie, Rose conveys the same innocence and wary stillness she did with lonelygirl's Bree. The rest of the cast has a standard plasticky-actress look, all suspiciously skinny-armed yet large-breasted, with avid looks on their faces. Rose comes across as a purer grade of beef, and her Julie, we soon learn, even has actual educational goals and political awareness. 

You're creeped out by the people you're supposed to be creeped out by, root for the people you're supposed to root for, worry about the people you're supposed to worry about. It's guilty-pleasure fun. I don't even mind that the mystery at the heart of Phi Chi Kappa seems fairly obvious by episode five. I wonder, however, about the one-episode-a-day formula. There are good things about being compact, but one M&M at a time doesn't quite take the edge off.

-- Maria Russo

Comments

[JMH]

Why the need to say, "Who doesn't love to hate sororities?" Why not say, "Who doesn't love to hate (fill in a group or minority of your choice). The venomous attacks by the media and press on fraternities, sororities, "jocks", cheerleaders, preppies, and WASPs increases the violence against a group of people. This kind of trash reporting and the negative blogs are a grossly inaccurate generalization of a very fine and outstanding group of young people and older adults. This ignorant stereotyping of an entire group of individuals would be met by demonstrations and demands for public apologies by any other minority or organization. Make no mistake; the Greeks are a much-maligned minority. Because of the wide publicity for a few, tens of thousands are maligned. As with any group stereotype, there is some truth, that a few young individual's mistakes and lack of judgment perpetuates this cheap generalization. For generalizations, are they all true? That Blacks are lazy? Jews are cheap?, Latinos steal?, Italians are all members of the Mob? By the way, many the above groups are also members; do the press and media attack them? Imagine the outrage if any other groups were shown in such a vulgar manner. The Greek community performs tremendous service, and the alumni keep donating to colleges and other philanthropies. I strongly encourage the members and families connected with Greek Letter Organizations to boycott the programs and sponsors of these shows, including Law and Order, CSI, and others who continue these insulting portrayals. It is time to stand up and take action! Write, be vocal and let the media and sponsors know why we are making our decisions to pull our support from them. I am a member of a GLO, and some of my friends, and family are members of Pi Phi, "Phi Chi"? which is considered an "Alpha sorority" on campuses. They are also thinly disguised as the evil, "Pi's" in Revenge of the Nerds. This sorority, and many others, have beautiful, intelligent, kind, and wonderful women. My fiancé is fraternity alum, and is an understanding, strong, and considerate man. The media has no right to dehumanize a group and make them the target of such hatred and bigotry. No other group is so vilified anywhere as fraternity and sorority people, and this is totally unwarranted and undeserved.
PS. Also, enough with the female, "dumb blonde" jokes. Hair color doesn't make the a joke any funnier than one based on skin color. Portraying blondes as stupid, malicious, or morally loose, does nothing for young girl's self-esteem.
Isn't our society above this bashing and targeting women?

[JMH]

Thank you for editing your article and being less hateful towards the Greeks. This supports a change for the better in our society.
After extensive research into the Columbine shootings, my associates and I discovered the murderers first intended victims were the "preppies, cheerleaders, jocks, and "socials". They had been swayed to see these young people as objects instead of humans. The shooters felt justified in killing "symbols" instead of real, innocent people who loved and were loved.
Thank you for being more responsible in your journalism; it makes a difference.

[Sarah Kait]

Wow. To the first person who totally freaked out. Okay.. its a show. It is a drama
and it is enjoyable. You don't have to go all crazy boycott!!! Teens and women in general enjoy watching this kind of stuff. It is not saying that all sororities and fraternities are just like this. It is not illustrating that they are all horribly bad! Its a freakin show! I believe is somewhat predictable but I believe it might take a turn from what we think is going to happen. The writers wouldn't be that stupid to just put in a clip in episode 5 that tells you whats going to happen at the end. There will be a twist. And we probably havn't seen anything yet. ;]

[wow that's all i gotta say!]

someone (*cough cough the first person cough*) just took this alittle far don't you think? boycotting shows like csi and law and order because there's afew stereotypes possibly implied. attacking shows that potray sororites in a negative way. going bolistic about stereotypes and dumb blonde jokes.

i'm sorry to the first person, sure there's some truth to whoever he/she was saying with stereotypes affecting the way some people think about themselves... but's its no need to make it sound like the world is in the middle of a major crisis or conspiracy plot about minorites or certain groups of people!!!! i mean it sorta ranks right up there, to me at least, with people saying the world is gonna end and aliens will take over the world. take a chill pill number 1!!! has anyone informed you that it's a fictional typical show?

it's just a show!!! do i have to say that any slower? yes it's typical, sorta predictable and all that- but things are just getting started. there are questions unanswered like what's up with the door, is there a twist to this, who dates who, what's up with the camera surveillence,etc- it's got people's attention. it is not a secret conspiracy plot- it's just a show for all it's worth!

[Proud Pi Phi]

I am a sorority girl, Pi Beta Phi to be exact, and I in no way feel insulted by this show. Actually, I watch it everyday, and enjoy it. I know it perpetuates the stereotypes, but so does almost any show, and who doesn't like to poke a little fun at themselves every once and awhile. I think people need to feel a little less insulted at insignificant things and focus on what is important to them. Who cares so much about what other people think?