Hey, frat boys! How many times can you use the word "gentleman" in an article on improving your sw8 frat's image on campus?
"Our pledge process tries to teach some of these values through the True Gentlemen, as well as many old-fashioned principles of etiquette [such as] proper table settings [and] walking on the street side with a girl," [Sam] Beutler [07] said. "It's also about presenting yourself well, which we try and uphold in events such as football tailgates, where all our brothers are dressed in coat and tie."Here's the thing: I don't want us to go back to the "good" old days. "Gentleman" is a word reeking of offensive/oppressive class and gender role stereotypes - if you want to revamp your image, how about doing it in an actually progressive way?
Needless to say, I'm not holding my breath. Looks like fraternities will continue to be flagrant institutionalizations of masculinity and male privilege...and they're damn proud of it.
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12 comments:
Well that was the stupidest post ever, anonymous. No need to elaborate.
So true, I never even thought about that... the word gentleman totally goes against the idea they're trying to put out. - Laura
I'm sick of these frat boys aspiring to be "gentlemen" and to treat everyone with some level of respect. Can't we replace them all with real progressives, like ex-Taliban officials?
I'm glad that SOMEONE on campus has recognized the evils of SAE. I don't think Yale should harbor these misogynists.
Ewww, fraternities. Eww, sororities.
I love that Beutler uses the word 'gentlemen' and in the next breath talks about protecting "girls".
And dressing in coats and ties for a football tailgate. In all honesty: tailgates, football, "girl", frats, "old-fashioned", that quote disgusts me in so many ways that aren't the fault of that frat.
Does the Yale football team actually still have cheerleaders?
Is anyone not anonymous anymore? Did I miss that memo?
-onymous
I agree - gentleman brings up a image of the 19th century not the 21st
Molly D.
You are criticizing college age males for aspiring to be gentlemen... perhaps you need a new cause.
Hey Feminists!
It's nice that you can approach these issues with such well informed and unbiased perspective. Although in addition to your extensive background research, you might have gone so far as to look at the paragraph before Beutler's quote which read, "'True Gentlemen' has been the credo of his fraternity since its founding in 1856 and is the single most important aspect of the fraternity nationwide. The philosophy emphasizes the ideal of individual behavior as well as a consciousness of the feelings of others, he said."
It's obvious that "gentleman" is a "word reeking of offensive/oppressive class and gender role stereotypes." Just look at any dictionary and you'll get something like "A well-mannered and considerate man with high standards of proper behavior."
I particularly appreciate your effort to gain a full understanding of "The True Genleman." You so accurately define the 150 year old creed, as an "effort to revamp your image." Would google really have been that hard... http://www.saedepauw.com/truegentleman.php
thanks for another hypocritical criticism. your post shows much more ignorance than the quotes of those you are critqueing
After such a heated debate, I have only one inquiry...
Which one of you lovely ladies wants to wash my clothes and fix me a sandwich?
anonymous at 4:39... very insightful
alright thats it...down on your knees ladies
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