It’s all Greek to me.
Five reasons I love ABC Family’s Greek:
1. It’s surprisingly accurate about college life. True, I have absolutely no experience with the fraternity/sorority scene, but a lot of the other details ring true. The whiteboards, the cinderblock walls, that mysterious creature known as an “RA” (or as Rusty calls him, “rah”). And occasionally, characters will even discuss schoolwork!
2. Consequence-free sex and alcohol! Shockingly, young people have sex and drink alcohol without getting pregnant or running over small children. And the characters drink a lot. Just like college!
3. A relatively diverse cast. Well, it’s no America’s Next Top Model, but compared to Gossip Girl or 90210, Greek actually includes characters of color AND gives them plotlines! And feelings! Most notable is Calvin, the black gay Omega Chi brother. Calvin is depicted as, well, a person with actual relationships, not a swishy stereotype. Progressive, especially considering ABC Family still airs The 700 Club. (Well, they’re contractually obligated to, but that’s a whole different story.)
4. Best portrayal of college life on television… There’s never really been a successful TV show about college. Okay, Felicity did alright, but she still traveled back in time at the end of the final season. Undeclared was promising, but didn’t quite capture the magic of its freaky and geeky predeccesor. And the move to college is a classic “jump the shark” moment for so many teen TV shows (too many examples to list). But, as Greek shows, college is perfect for TV! You have all these people with different backgrounds and competing interests thrown into a single college campus. And, most importantly, they’re all young and hot!
5. And in film? While college may have been underrepresented on the small screen, there is a fine and storied tradition of the college sex comedy, from Animal House to House Bunny. And Greek both honors and subverts this genre. Between the comical hijinks and scantily clad sorority girls, Greek actually manages to add depth to the winking stereotypes. Plus, the characters drink at Dobbler’s (re: Say Anything), their dean is Ferris Bueller’s best friend, and the Zeta Beta’s chapter consultant is none other than Brian Krakow’s dumped World Happiness Dance date. Oh, and it’s got one half of Clark and Michael, Kelsey Grammer’s daughter, Lonelygirl15, and that incredibly hot guy from the fatally flawed Quarterlife.
Greek has heart, and although it is cheesy at times, it completely captures that special time between high school and the adult world. And until Ashleigh casts a spell that sends Casey back in time to choose between Cappie and Evan, well, I’m proud to call myself a geek for Greek.
