Mean-girl fashion and beauty rules at Cornell sorority: No 'mustaches' or 'muffin tops'

When I was a sophomore in college, I had a friend in one of the school's more popular sororities who was always encouraging me to join. "What would I have to do?" I'd ask. "Well, just, like, wear and say whatever we want during pledge week...mostly just getting really drunk, doing stupid stuff with frat guys and wearing pins on your underwear that you'd show us if we asked. After that, it's pretty easy."

This was never acceptable to me-even for a week. Though I think many of
those young women were nice and they had fun, the rules of their sorority just seemed too humiliating and oppressive. (Pins on my underwear? No, thanks.) They were not, however, anywhere near as petty, cruel, and God-awful rude as the strict six-page style guide recently put out by Cornell University's Pi Beta Phi sorority.

The document, which is meant to be followed by all Pi Beta Phi pledges during Rush Week and was recently leaked to several online outlets (we're a little late to the party on this one), reveals the kind of oppressive, elitist fashion advice that's your basic "Mean Girls" nightmare. It includes restrictions on everything from types of brands ("No American Apparel leggings") and price points, to heel height and pants length ("No cropped pants. Ugh.") There are also loads of grooming demands, makeup requirements, and a non-negotiable set of laws about accessories, which the wannabe Pi Beta Phis "must" wear. Some of the more outrageous advice:

Clothes and accessories
No watches with timers or any kind of Indiglo light are allowed. ("I will have the time to keep you informed, so unless your watch is a piece of jewelry, you don't need it. Put on a bangle.")
Pi Phi members should not wear satin unless they weigh under 130 pounds or the piece is from Dolce & Gabbana or Betsey Johnson (Ed note: Betsey Johnson as the epitome of class? Ha-ha-ha!)
No "frumpy" clothes or "muffin top."
"Booties ok if you can pull them off, aka probably not."
On jewelry: "I won't tolerate any gross plastic shizzzz. I love things on wrists and I demand earrings if your ears are pierced."
Makeup and grooming
No chapped lips or mustaches.
"Blush is not optional."
Hair must be "freshly colored."
"You best have a mani/pedi when you get to Ithaca."

It's hard to know what's the saddest part of this story: The idea that young women would willingly comply with these rather restrictive, pretentious, and sheep-like rules (and even seek out this sort of social environment and find it highly desirable) or the fact that this movie-parody bitchiness exists in the first place. From a fashion standpoint, by pushing the notion that everyone should look the same, and by stripping the act of getting dressed of all imagination, personality, and creativity, the author of this "guide" is not just being catty and exclusive, but she's also perpetuating an outdated definition of what it is to be stylish-one that is wrong-headed, boring, and makes people feel left out and bad about themselves. It's not anything new, but in this day and age, it's just not anywhere near where women-young or old-should be.

UPDATE: The university is taking the entire situation in stride. When contacted by Shine, Blaine Friedlander, assistant director of the Cornell press office, suggested that the style guide really wasn't so bad and pointed out that the First Amendment protects Pi Phi sorority, even if it was. Therefore, Cornell's policy regarding a memo like this is simple: "Freedom of speech. If Cornell were to tell anybody on this campus what they can and can't say, that would send a chill up the spine of every Cornellian." He added, "If you read them carefully, they are suggestions on how to dress. It's suggestion and direction. Obviously, if somebody tells me I have to wear a black tie to an event I don't necessarily have to."

Female Blogger Weight-Shames Cheerleader—Why Are Women So Mean?

By now, you've heard about CBS Houston sports blogger Claire Crawford criticizing Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleader Kelsey Williams' weight in the blog post heard 'round the world.

More on Yahoo! Shine: Sorority Girl Email Writer 'Resigns' from Delta Gamma

Last week, blogger Crawford wrote, "The Rockets looked terrible in Game 1, but some say they weren’t the only bad-looking people on the court. We’re not trying to be ugly. We are just discussing what men like in women, specifically NBA cheerleaders. This pretty blonde has been criticized by some folks in OKC for having “pudginess” around her waistline. But if she’s comfortable wearing that tiny
outfit and dancing for NBA fans, then good for her. Besides…not every man likes women to be toothpick skinny. In fact, I’d say most men prefer a little extra meat on her bones. Am I right? What do you think? Is this chick “too chunky” to be a cheerleader? Either way, I wish she had a little more up on top, if you know what I mean… We think she’s beautiful. What do you think?" Crawford followed up with a poll asking readers whether Williams should tone up (You can see a screenshot of the post here).

More on Yahoo! Bullying eyed in death of 12-year-old Pennsylvania student

The tirade was posted just days after Delta Gamma sister Rebecca Martinson stepped down from her sorority at the University of Maryland because of her profanity-laced email calling her sisters “boring", “weird,” “mentally slow” and “stupid.” Of course, these two incidents are hardly isolated. In 2009, conservative pundit Laura Ingraham commented that Meghan McCain was “too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World.” And in 2012, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson told Du Jour magazine that women use pregnancy "as an excuse to let their bodies go" and that  many clients come to her with "disaster bodies." Celebrities aren't immune to weight critique either— Kim Kardashian has been routinely blasted for her pregnancy weight and in July, Kate Upton was described by Skinny Gurl blogger as having "huge thighs, NO waist, big fat floppy boobs [and] terrible body definition."
Where's the sisterhood? "There are a few reasons why a woman would criticize another woman's weight," says Paul Hokemeyer, Ph.D., a New York City based licensed marriage and family therapist. "Unfortunately, weight seems to be our culture's accepted form of criticism, Because weight is often perceived as something people can 'control', some think they have license to judge people for it."
Hokemeyer adds, "It's also easy to be mean behind a computer. Blogging is also a one-dimensional experience that doesn't force a person to deal with the consequences of their behavior because the writer doesn't look their target in the eye or observe body language or general social cues that may stop them from being mean in real life."
And finally, Hokemeyer says Crawford may have blogged about Williams' so-called flaws as a way to boost her own self-esteem. "Sometimes when people feel insecure about their body they try to thrust that insecurity on someone else to make themselves feel better," he says.
Aside from being just plain offensive, Crawford's post was the ultimate backhanded compliment. She got her message across (Williams isn't attractive) but also deflected personal responsibility by writing that "some folks" have criticized the cheerleader's weight. Then, she gives Williams phoney encouragement ("If she's comfortable wearing that tiny outfit, then good for her!") and mentions that most men prefer a "little extra meat" on a woman. She wraps up by writing, "I wish she had a little more up on top, if you know what I mean" but that she is beautiful. Okaaay.
Williams could not be reached for comment but on Wednesday she tweeted, "'To be womanly always, discouraged never" and later added, "We wouldn't know what blessings were if we didn't go through trials. Thank you to everyone for the compassion and love today. I'm in awe."
More on Yahoo! Shine:
Mean-girl fashion and beauty rules at Cornell sorority: No 'mustaches' or 'muffin tops'
How to Handle a Mean Girl at Work
I Want My Daughter to Be a Mean Girl

Rays reporter Kelly Nash takes an impressively dangerous Fenway Park self-portrait

Instagram: knashsports
Everybody wants a selfie these days, a self-portrait in some dramatic location. Kelly Nash, a Tampa Bay
Rays reporter for Sun Sports, decided to show the folks back home where she was working, and picked an ideal moment during batting practice to snap the photo.
Nash noted that her producer had called out "heads up!" a few times as home run balls rained down around her. "But none of those balls actually fell close to me," Nash said, "so I took my chances turning my back on batting practice for a picture." Once she looked at it, she realized just how close she'd come to getting beaned.
Later, on Twitter, Nash revealed that she had a DVD copy of "Angels in the Outfield" in her handbag. Coincidence, or good luck charm?
We can understand if you're a bit skeptical about this photo, which seems just a bit too perfect. But Nash has drawn interest from "Good Morning America" this week to talk about the photo, so it's either legit, she's doubling down on the deception, or there's a big reality-show reveal in the works.
(Note: our own Dave Brown reached out to a member of the Rays' public relations staff, which indicated that the photo was not altered "to his knowledge." The idea of doctoring the photo hadn't even occurred to the Rays until Yahoo! Sports suggested it, which is kind of sweet and also makes us feel a bit like we spoiled Christmas for them.)
No matter what, let's just enjoy the photo. And if you want to throw baseballs at people taking selfies, well, we can't endorse that, but it would certainly be a logical extension of this photo.