I am in a fraternity. My best college friends from college were in that fraternity with me. I never got ass raped with a tennis raquet (seriously, what the fuck? If that's the real standard in all fraternities, I can't imagine those would last long on a national scale, but whatever.) or any ass rape, or encourage ass rape, rape of any kind, heard of any ass raping, etc. My fraternity experience was very positive. I went to a small school, but ours was a national fraternity. Yes, I was hazed and did some hazing, usually verbal abuse or menial tasks. I think about the worst hazing thing I remember we did was standing on a balcony, getting pledges to walk back and forth below, and throwing water balloons at them, yelling "Pull!" The brothers were drunk, though, so some starting getting filled with sour milk and other gross things - no piss that I remember. And, talking with other people over the years, that sort of thing and drinking contests that came close to forced alcohol poisoning were more typical hazing events. That shit with the tennis racket is ridiculous. (Not saying any hazing is okay - with more adult perspective after the fact, there was a lot wrong about that stuff; just, nothing I know of or participated in was anywhere close to tennis racket ass rape.)
I agree with you, I've been thinking about this lately too. I think the general mood is more like a nerdy hipsterish vibe. Frats are an easy target. No one is demonstrating how awesome they are by ripping on them and saying how they'd never do that and that they are too individualistic/non-brosef for that. Frats serve a purpose. College is suppose to be about having fun, a lot of people have a lot of fun in frats. The parties are as hedonistic and crazy and you can imagine. I don't see that as a bad thing. The hazing thing is over the top yea, but pretty much any group ran by teenagers/early 20 year olds is going to involve hazing. I was hazed in my hockey teams in high school, hell me and my college friends peer supported each other into doing some really stupid things, but the hazing is a bit different. Both my brothers and my sister were in a frat. Its not all bad. Almost all my brothers good friends were in the same frat as him. From what he said the biggest downside is the internal politicking and general bitchiness. I didn't join a frat because where I went to school they weren't that big of a deal. What I've learned lately about this board is that don't ever call Game of Thrones a nerd show (it is), and don't ever say you don't go to the movies or bars by yourself otherwise your an insecure coward.
Was in a frat, and most of you have no idea of what you're talking about. One of the best decisions Ive made and wouldn't trade it for any other college experience. Then again I'm sure it was fun drinking in dorms on weekends...