Scream Queens: Sorority Girl Stereotypes
Are you ready to scream murder?
Help! I’m getting murdered! October is a spooky month because Halloween is now approaching. It is time for the gruesome and deadly mystery shows to air.
One of the shows that is kicking off this time in the year is Scream Queens.
Scream Queens has just premiered and a total of five episodes have aired so far. The show was created by the one and only, Ryan Murphy. Brad Fulchuk and Ian Brennan also helped with the creation of the show. There are many notable actors and actresses in this series that people will love watching. Two of the big stars are Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts.
The show is set on a sorority and the crazy things that have happened in that sorority. The sorority is called Kappa Kappa Tau and it is a very notable sorority at the university. Strange things have happened there and murders are taking place, but who is the murderer? Figuring that out is what everyone is trying to do. A few of the sorority sisters have been murdered already along with some of the girls that were pledging. The murderer is shown in the show, but the murderer is wearing a devil’s costume so no one knows who it is. Stay tuned to get the latest updates so you can solve this murder mystery! The show airs on Fox every Tuesday at 9/8c.
The Ideal Sorority Girls/Homes
One thing that the show depicts very well, is the stereotypes that come with being a sorority girl. Most people think that all girls that are in a sorority must be very beautiful, mean, and party animals. There is also the idea that sorority girls must be very popular and probably rich. Some more stereotypes that come with being a sorority girl include them having nice things. For example: nice cars, expensive purses, extravagant jewelry, name brand clothes, amazing shoes, and honestly the list goes on and on.
Everyone has the idea that sorority girls are sometimes untouchable because they are made out to be like goddesses. Can this really be true? Chanel (Emma Roberts) is all of that in one. She is gorgeous, has nice clothes, great shoes, and is even the leader of the sorority. Sonya (Ariana Grande) is also another stereotypical sorority girl in the show. She is also very beautiful and seems to have it all in life. Sonya is normally referred to as Chanel number two by Chanel. Actually, Chanel calls all her sorority sisters, Chanels’. Chanel is like a goddess to people around her and so she named her sorority sisters after her, but gives them a number and the number is used to distinguish each one of them.
In the show, the girls that are in the Kappa Kappa Tau Sorority are very beautiful and come off as very untouchable. They are popular and have the best outfits on all the time. The girls represent all the stereotypes there are that one can possibly think of that would ideally represent sorority girls. They are mean and only accept girls that are just like them in order to hold up their image. Chanel who is the leader in the sorority even killed the housemaid and instead of going to the police, she had her sorority sisters throw her in a freezer. These girls are off the charts and you do not want to get involved with them at all. Even there sorority house is very extravagant. Most people also have the idea that all sorority homes must be extremely nice. Well, the show depicts that very well because the home is huge and is decorated with very luxurious furniture. One only imagines that that is how every home must look like, but is that really the case?
The show also does a good show at showing the girls interacting with people around them that are not in their sorority. Stereotypically, sorority girls are bratty and not nice to anyone other than their sisters. In the show, you are definitely able to see that trait play out. The girls are mean to people around them and prior to the death of the housemaid, none of them were ever nice to her. They were always rude to her. Chanel has a boyfriend in the show and she doesn’t even treat him in a kind way. She is demanding and very rude as well to her boyfriend, but also to everyone. These girls are even mean to each other so the show actually out does itself and goes beyond the stereotype by making the girls become bratty with one another. These girls never have a kind interaction with anyone and even with each other.
Real Life Sororities
In real life, the ideas or stereotypes that we have about sorority girls, are just that. They are just ideas or stereotypes. The type of sorority girls that Scream Queens depicts do not exist at all. Not all sorority girls are mean or kill people and throw them in freezers. Some of them are actually very nice and not rude at all like the girls in Scream Queens.
Not all of the girls are rich or have amazing outfits on all the time like in the show. You most definitely do not see sorority girls walking around campus in heels as you would see in the show. Along with that, not all of the girls have nice cars or expensive belongings in general. The show does depict that aspect with some of the new girls that are allowed to pledge. In the show, Kappa Kappa Tau is forced to allow everyone to pledge for their sorority because before the sorority had restrictions on who was allowed to pledge. We see normal girls come in that do not have all these glamorous things that the others do. For example: Zayday (Keke Palmer), who is just a very smart girl and doesn’t have the most extravagant things. Then there is, Hester (Lea Michele), a girl with scoliosis that would love to be popular and maybe get a makeover.
As far as the housing goes, that as well is also just an idea or stereotype. The home in the show that the Kappa Kappa Tau girls live in is definitely a home that you do not see at a university. Not all of the sorority homes are extravagant or even nice looking. Some of them need fixtures and are very outdated and not modern like the home shown in the show. In some cases, the girls do not live in their sorority house like they do in the show. That is another idea that people have and it is that all girls live together when they join their sorority, but that is not true. Sometimes the homes are just used for them to hang out or have events and no one lives in them.
Is The Real Thing Too Boring?
Why would the creators of the show stick to portraying the stereotypes of sorority girls? The answer for this question can be very simple. People love stereotypes more because they are much more entertaining than the actual thing. Watching the stereotypical sorority on tv is much better than watching what a real sorority is actually like. A real life sorority can be boring to watch on tv because they do not have the qualities that a fake one on tv would. There is much more entertainment when your ideas of what sorority girls are like are being portrayed on tv. People want to watch something that is not real and that they do not see often in real life because it is a whole new world for them.
Do not believe everything you see on tv because some things are just hyped up more to help entertain you. When watching Scream Queens, you most definitely do not want to believe that sorority girls are just like the ones on the show. The girls on the show are definitely there just to entertain you and nothing more. They want things to get out of hand and to some extent make you wish that you were part of something like that, but then you stop watching the show and you know that you would never join something like that. You definitely do not want any problems with the law because these girls are going to be getting into some serious mess as the season progresses.
Get In On This Series Hit!
So far the show has been amazing and is highly recommended to watch. If you were familiar with Glee, you will see a familiar face around. Lea Michele is on the show as her name has been mentioned already and she was a Glee favorite for many. You can find her at the Kappa Kappa Tau Sorority home to see if she is being a nice girl or causing some of the trouble. Whatever it is, you’ll have to stay tuned to find out. Could Lea Michele be the murderer? She can be, but I guess we’ll all have to find out.
The show is comical so watch Scream Queens and be ready to scream with laughter! You won’t regret it!
What do you think? Leave a comment.
The killer was obvious, although the twist to set up a second series was a pleasant surprise.
It doesn’t try to emulate the 1996 film which is good.
Huge fan of Scream franchise forever.
I have watched a few episodes of this show and so far I have not been impressed. I thought since Ryan Murphy (additionally the producer of “American Horror Story”) was producing this show, then it would be just as good as “American Horror Story”. I was wrong. I think the stereotypes with the Sorority are too much, and the show itself is a bit campy.
The show is pretty good I think. It’s more like a satire of a horror movie that’s why they use so many stereotypes.
I agree that the use of stereotypes plays into the satirical, humorous aspect of the show. The use of stereotypes, while not always politically correct, does establish a basic understanding of a character very quickly, which makes it easier to satirize them or their situation.
It will never hold a candle to the movie series which brought back the slasher genre for a newer generation.
Wasn’t sure what to expect but ended up loving it.
As far as I know, the TV show isn’t supposed to have any relation to the “Scream” movie franchise. I think people may be confusing Scream Queens with the summer TV show “Scream” which was the one based on the 90s films.
Saw the commercials, it looked interesting. Thanks for the rundown on what to expect.
I think that horror has to operate on some degree of stereotyping, it is essentially built in to the fabric of the gothic. It is always interesting to see how far creators/writers take the stereotypes and how well they handle them. I agree that Scream Queens uses these old stereotypes but they are at least attempting to modernize them and bring in issues that are relevant. Nice article.
I think the stereotypes of the show are played out so well has to do with the excess of each typical sorority personality. The comedy comes from the absurdity of every Kappa, pledge or “high-class” sister. The best commentary is typically rooted in the ridiculous, so it is only fitting the idea is used for serious topics; as well as taking T-Swift down a peg.
A side note: I’m starting to believe Hester isn’t the only killer; perhaps she is part of a homicidal hord. The title sequence suggests the same, and the creators of AHS, (who are on this project as well), are known for dicing the openers with clues.
Great guilt worthy TV show.
I might watch it… Not sure. They turned the Scream movie series into a, well, series… And that sucked. With this being said I cannot help but feel skeptical about Scream Queens because I dislike stereotypes, and I hate cliches even more, even if presented in a parodic kind of way the humour tends to be outdated and the plot predictable.
Perhaps it would have much much better if the creators of the show based the plot on a more realistic setting instead of trying to emulate the Mean Girls scenario over and over again…
I definitely agree that the show is dripping with stereotypes. Not only are the sororities and sorority girls exaggerated, but also the men are. They are seen as ruthless, dumb, sex-crazed hounds that take pride in their money and sex count. But that is precisely the point of the show. I believe the show is an experiment in excess and making fun of those stereotypes. I don’t think any normal person really believes that greek life really looks like this; Ryan Murphy is making fun of the harmful stereotypes played against women in greek life.
This series is a good example of writers who DON’T KNOW the genre they are writing in. . This could have been so much better and I really wanted this to be good, at least entertaining, but it gets worse every episode.
I’ve been wondering about this show, just haven’t had the time to check it out. I like that you chose an original idea for an article. Great read!
The base of the series is a satirical take on the horror genre. I enjoy that Scream Queens doesn’t take itself too seriously, having each character group on the show match the widespread stereotypes, not just the girls within the sorority. Nice perspective.
The original movie made me a horror fan.
A TV show by the incredible Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, Scream Queens, is a hit for the month of October. The stereotypes presented in this TV show are very interesting to see as a collge student. Although it’s cheesy compared to American Horror Story, but a step up from Glee, Scream Queens is actually a good TV show, and much more entertaining than the Kardashians. It would be nice to see Emma Roberts play something other than the Queen Bee mean girl, and to see Ariana Grande not be Ariana Grande with a different name, the actor choice for this show are very spot on and well chosen. A personal fan, I recommend Scream Queens as a guilty pleasure for at least the month of October. Get into the spirit!
I would disagree. This show followed sororities quite well. Buying your friends and casting everyone away is definitely the norm in college.
Then again stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. I may not have seen a sorority like this one, but I’ve seen bits here and there mixed up in different sororities. Minus the murder of course haha.
I hate watch this show every week. It’s starting to become interesting to me though, and some of the cast is outrageously funny! I’ll hate watch until the finale, as I did with Glee.
But who knows if I’ll give it a season 2.
I love the idea of the show. Is it the most original? No. Plays on stereotypes? Yes. But, this is largely network television and is almost a satire on our society. We like to be poked fun at, at the same time realizing that sometimes its not far from the truth.
I have watched a few episodes and have only been mildly impressed. It is one of those shows that you would watch if there was nothing else on television. Though there are some parts that are funny and intriguing, the stereotypes are very over dramatic. With a cast like Scream Queens has, and a producer like Ryan Murphy, I was expecting more.
I have watched a few episodes and have only been mildly impressed. It is one of those shows that you would watch if there was nothing else on television. Though there are some parts that are funny and intriguing, the stereotypes are very over dramatic. With a cast like Scream Queens has, and a producer like Ryan Murphy, I was expecting a show that was more impressive.
I love that you addressed the stereotypes of sorority girls in the media in this! Scream Queens is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, and I’m in a sorority at my college. You’re right, it’s nothing like in the show, but the inaccurate depiction doesn’t really bother me. Like you pointed out, Scream Queens comes off like a parody in most cases, and the show pokes fun at everyone, not just sorority girls. 🙂
Interesting take on the show. Just a note, would love to have seen more of your analysis, you gave a lot of summary (although that might just be my perception as someone who also watches the show). I think that the reason the sorority stereotype works in this show is that it is so clear the writers are aware they have made caricatures of those stereotypes, as they use it to drive a lot of the humor in the show. For example, Chanel’s overly-specify pumpkin spice latte order is so ridiculous, it is a great parody.
I personally really enjoy Scream Queens, and I love the way the writer of this article compared the way the show depicts sorority members to how they are in the real world.