Frat House
One of the things I have noticed about aggressively macho environments is how spectacularly unsuccessful they are at attracting women. When I was at University in the UK, I remember watching the members of the Rugby team stand around in a circle, chugging beer till they regurgitated and then drinking the vomit, as a dare. Girls wretched at the sight of them and fled, and yet these people considered themselves successful in terms of their sexual prowess, rather like builders who whistle at passing skirts with zero chance of reciprocated approval.
If a wolf whistle is still a signal to other guys that you are a player while it is universally unsuccessful in terms of attracting the opposite sex, then
stereotypical Frat-Boy antics are actually about attracting men rather than women. Despite the logic of this argument, which is re-enforced by the evidence in this fascinating documentary, it is Taboo to suggest to adherants. Perhaps the strength of this taboo indicates that Fraternities are indeed a window into primitive culture, without having to travel very far.
59 min 8 sec Oct 29, 2007