University of Alabama sorority deletes recruitment video after criticism for lacking diversity and objectifying women

A sorority at the University of Alabama has deleted a viral video along with all of their social media pages after receiving sharp criticism for their new recruitment video.

The Alpha Phi, Beta Mu Chapter video gained 500,000 YouTube views and was first criticized by an op-ed on AL.com, which said that the video is “worse for women than Donald Trump,” claiming that it lacked any diversity and objectified women.

“It’s a parade of white girls and blonde hair dye, coordinated clothing, bikinis and daisy dukes, glitter and kisses, bouncing bodies, euphoric hand-holding and hugging, gratuitous booty shots, and matching aviator sunglasses.”
“It’s all so racially and aesthetically homogeneous and forced, so hyper-feminine, so reductive and objectifying, so Stepford Wives: College Edition. It’s all so… unempowering.”

Deborah Lane, Associate Vice President for University Relations issued a statement on Sunday regarding the video, which has since been removed by the sorority.

“This video is not reflective of UA’s expectations for student organizations to be responsible digital citizens. It is important for student organizations to remember what is posted on social media makes a difference, today and tomorrow, on how they are viewed and perceived," said

The university also sent out a press release on Saturday boasting that 2,261 women received bids from 16 sororities, stating that 214 were minorities, a number which increased by 13 percent, apparently sororities at UA are more diverse than the video let on.

"Of the total number of women who accepted bids, 214 were minorities, a number that increased by nearly 13 percent. And, the number of African American students who received bids increased by 19 percent, to 25."