Will Ferrell In Favor Of Getting Rid Of Fraternities Altogether?
Will Ferrell — funny man, all-around good dude, and notable alumnus of the Delta Tau Delta chapter of Southern Cal — has an opinion on the fraternity system that won’t be well-received around here.
While in Austin for South By Southwest to promote his new movie “Get Hard,” Ferrell sat down with The New York Times to discuss a few topics. Racism in fraternities, being a hot-button topic as of late, came up. Ferrell was asked if he believes joining a fraternity was “still a worthy consideration” for young men. The exchange is below.
Q.
Will, we are fraternity brothers of Delta Tau Delta, albeit different chapters and years. The recent awful situation with SAE has brought out the “frat haters” in droves. Could you comment on your own fraternity experience and why (or why not) fraternity membership is still a worthy consideration for a college student? — Stephen Browning,
SeattleA.
The incident in Oklahoma, that is a real argument for getting rid of the system altogether, in my opinion, even having been through a fraternity. Because when you break it down, it really is about creating cliques and clubs and being exclusionary. Fraternities were started as academic societies that were supposed to have a philanthropic arm to them. And when it’s governed by those kind of rules, then they’re still beneficial. But you gotta be careful. I was lucky in that the one I was in, we were really kind of the anti-fraternity fraternity. We were considered good enough to get the exchanges with the good sororities. We couldn’t get anyone to vote on anything, but if you needed 40 guys to show up and build a 20-foot-tall papier-mâchéversion of the Matterhorn, we were there and ready. But we didn’t take it too seriously. It was just about having fun. But I think it’s an interesting dilemma for universities these days.
Say it ain’t so, Randy Graves.
“Anyway, we were having this slave auction fundraiser…” Such a funny skit..
[via The New York Times]
hillary’s a bitch, linda’s a bitch.
10 years ago at 10:11 amJust a publicity move. Dude is FaF.
10 years ago at 10:13 amI think he’s saying that Fraternities just need to return to their roots. People perceive us as members of a bunch of racist alcoholics, and he thinks that Fraternities need to go back to being scholars and leaders.
10 years ago at 10:13 amThanks Morgan Freeman. Enjoy your new freckle.
10 years ago at 10:15 amWhat does this even mean?
10 years ago at 10:28 amIt’s from an episode of South Park. Everytime Morgan Freeman shows up and explains something in an obvious way with his golden voice, he gets a new freckle.
10 years ago at 10:35 am
10 years ago at 10:38 amI don’t get it, but somehow it still made me laugh. Well done
10 years ago at 10:35 amAmen. If we want the public to start seeing us as more asset than liability, we need to start holding ourselves accountable and aiming for higher standards among members.
10 years ago at 1:00 pmSAE has it’s roots in racism and alcoholism.
10 years ago at 1:48 pmPike has its roots in buttchugging.
10 years ago at 5:00 pmAnd spiking punch bowls
10 years ago at 6:39 pmSo make fun of SAE and get shit on, but make fun of Pike and everyone is on your side?
10 years ago at 11:43 pmYes.
10 years ago at 1:25 amCorrect me if I’m wrong on this, but a decent portion of fraternities were founded pre-War of Northern Aggression. Ergo, would it not make sense that some fraternities from that period (especially the historically Southern ones) were composed of slave owners and the like? I’m not condoning racism, but what you want is also not true “roots,” because it’s watered down politically correct bullshit. Sadly we can’t do anything besides watered down, politically correct bullshit anymore.
10 years ago at 9:06 pmI agree that those might have been the reason for the initial gathering, I don’t think those are true Fraternities roots. They were meant to be exclusive groups that all shared similar values. By roots I don’t mean why they decided to create the organization, but rather what they hoped to achieve as members of the organization, which I truly believe was to create better men.
10 years ago at 9:25 pmYou are not incorrect, but in your own argument, you describe that they “shared similar values.” If there was a chapter of slave owners, I’d bet money that one of those common value was racism. We do strive to improve ourselves through our respective organizations (as we should), but the campus involvement is pro bono work; we are not obligated to do it, although we generally have to to stay relevant. What we are obligated to do is keep the spirit of the those that came before us alive, and not bend to the pressures of the uninitiated. As soon as we let geeds control our course, we have betrayed the very essence of our shared bond.
10 years ago at 10:46 pm“War of Northern Aggression.” Sorry about your parents being first cousins.
10 years ago at 3:46 am(Insert generic joke depicting any Southerner with views on American history you don’t agree with as an ignorant hillbilly that obviously fucks his sister.) I’m sure you’re quite a progressive, open-minded ass hat.
10 years ago at 9:14 amHow about you go back to Mexico and leave US history to real Americans, bitch boy? My moms family immigrated (legally) in the 1800s, my dad’s dad’s family had to leave Europe (again, legally) in the 1940s because he killed so many Russians in the Winter War he had to flee the Red Wave. So no, not related at all. Come at me again, peasant.
10 years ago at 8:56 pmWe need to start bidding kids that aren’t like that. Sure come to college and party but realize that this organization is more than partying. Make sure the kids you bid understand that. And if your fraternity is just partying you’re part of the problem and you need to reevaluate your credentials and realize what those letters actually stand for.
10 years ago at 10:11 pmWhich is getting tougher because thanks to movies, TV, etc., fewer and fewer kids coming into college are rushing for the right reasons. It’s tough to pick guys good for the organizations when none of the options look promising.
10 years ago at 9:19 amThen form them into the right people. If they aren’t drop them.
10 years ago at 9:41 amHas he even seen Old School??
10 years ago at 11:05 pmFrank the Tank would not tolerate this.
10 years ago at 10:14 amNot all fraternities are the same. Geeds just hate us ’cause they ain’t us
10 years ago at 10:16 amThere is no conceivable action that would make me feel colleges would be better off without fraternities.
10 years ago at 10:18 amWill Ferrell just went from being my favorite actor to least liked actor so fast…
10 years ago at 10:20 amGood for you bud
10 years ago at 12:32 pmShut your mouths. Both of you.
10 years ago at 3:31 amThat’s a very diplomatic answer. He simultaneously supported his fraternity experience while bashing for how he believes the fraternity system has changed. I feel as though he is forgetting his past and trying to flow with public opinion. That’s some weak shit
10 years ago at 10:22 amI don’t know why everyone thinks he’s such a “good dude” I’ve only heard bad things about him from people that have meet him personally..
10 years ago at 10:23 amHe’s just saying frats shouldn’t be filled with brainless, self involved assholes. I agree with his opinion, he basically said what that, “Turning the Page” article was about last week. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, Free Willy.
10 years ago at 10:25 amIt was called “Flip the Script,” but yeah.
10 years ago at 11:24 am