Despite a monstrous backlash against the Atlanta-based reality show "Sorority Sisters," VH1 is not backing down and cancelling it.
The show features nine Atlanta women in their 20s and 30s who all have ties to different sororities. In the first episode, several of them argue, bicker and throw shade in classic "Real Housewives"/"Love and Hip Hop" style.
The network released this statement:
"We are definitely hearing the conversation around 'Sorority Sisters' and are taking the concerns of our viewers into account. Currently there are no changes planned for the series. The show seems to be connecting with an audience. The season premiere was seen by 1.3 million total viewers and was the #1 non-sports cable show in its time period among women 18-49."
The ratings for the debut this past Monday weren't half bad, as the network noted, but the show only held 54 percent of its lead-in "Love and Hip Hop." That retention for a new show isn't particularly good.
VH1 has 10 episodes of "Sorority Sisters" in the can, with the second episode scheduled to air Monday at 9 p.m.. The show's future will depend on a combination of ratings and advertising pressure. (Several offended viewers have been pressuring advertisers to pull their support of the show and many have.)
If ratings drop significantly and/or advertisers flee in big numbers, VH1 will have no choice but to kill it.
A petition protesting the show has garnered 75,000 names as of Dec. 19.
The primary issue my colleague Ernie Suggs had in this essay with the show is these drama-laden women are representing proud sororities and not showing them in a particularly positive light. The show also feels derivative and predictable to a fault.
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