Anti-Frat Guy

Reflections:  Anti-Frat Guy

After watching the video, “Shit Frat Guys Say”, our group decided to make a parody video, “Shit Anti-Frat Guy Says” which basically consisted of Eric playing the role of the anti-frat guy and Daniel and I switching off between behind the camera as the Frat Guy who was generally confused and embarrassed by everything Eric did and said.  Daniel and I wore shorts, Sperries, and collared shirts and wore Ray Bans, while Eric wore a sweater and a scarf.  He drank Caprisun and did all his work ahead of time.  By showing himself to be the antithesis of what is considered “cool,” he played the role of the anti-frat guy.  I learned from the project how easy it is to be considered cool or popular. 

Unlike you would expect from a college, there are set ways of living and dressing that determine almost instantly whether someone is considered cool and whether someone is in a frat.  This fit Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity by showing people that we perform our gender and our persona through what we wear, how we talk, and what we do.  Anti-frat guy shows us that manliness and coolness can be performed.  Anti-frat guy shows the stereotypical frat guy to be one who dresses in polos, shorts, Ray Bans and Sperries while voting Republican and disrespecting women.  While it is funny to see the polar opposite of this, Anti Frat Guy, we also see how bizarre it is that the stereotypical frat guy performs his gender the way he does in order to be considered attractive to females.  I learned that fratiness is the cultural way to perform at USC if you want to fit in.  In many ways, at USC fratiness is intertwined with manliness and if you want to be considered manly, you have to perform these stereotypes whether or not you are in a frat.