“Duke University May Not Be Keen On Its Portrayal in Season Three of the White Lotus, But Its Students Seem To Share A Different Sentiment About the Show. On Feb. 16, HBO Viewers Were introduced to the ratliff family, a quintet of dramatized north carolinians whom seem plagued by a Century-Long rivalry-that”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
On Feb. 16, HBO Viewers Were introduced to the Ratliff Family, A quintet of Dramatized North Carolinians who seem platsy-vong rivers-that of duke, theater of dukes, theater of dukers, the ato-un. North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As matriarch victoria ratliff (Parker Posey) Explans in the Premiere, “I Was Also A [UNC] Tar Heel, But [husband] Timothy Went to Duke. [Son] Saxon graduted duke. [Son] Lachlan, Our Yongest, Just Got Accepted to Both. So, you can Imagine i a whole Thing. ” While The Resort Staff and Vacupationalrs Were Actually Unaware of the Competitiveness Lying Between Duke and Unc, IT’s A Theme That Remened A Prominent Storyline for The Ratlifs, And One.
Nayeli Chowdhury, A Duke Doctoral Physical Therapy Student, Told The Hollywood Reporter that “there were wasfinitely a level of exciterement with my friends and People in the Program” whon her school was introduced in the hbo show’s First Episode. “I was excited to hear about it, and it was nic to hear about the duke [and] UNC RIVALRY, SINCE AND KNOW IT SO WELL, ”she added.
As the episodes released, Blue Devil Sophomore Olivia Prusky Found It “Sucher Interesting” that Her School ‘Image Was Sled Acrossersater Ratliff, A Fictional Duke Alumni, Contemplates Suicide and Holds A Gun to His Head While Wearing A T-Shirt with The School’s Logo.
The Moment Birthed a Slew of Memes, MOSTLY CENTED AROUND DUKE’S FATE IN THE NACAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR. One X Post Elicited A Grave Respense, Garnering More 3 Million Views, Prompting Duke to Release An Official Statement in a Direct Reply to A Social Post Conmning.
In a statement shared with ThrFrank TRAMBLE, DUKE’S VP Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs, SAID “DUKE UNIVERSITY DID NOT APPROV The White Lotus”While Condemning the Show’s“ Imagery That Is Troubling, Does Not Reflect Our Values or Who We Are, and Simplaly Goes Too Far. ”
After Watching Episode Six, Duke Sophomore Alex Berkman Said, He ImmediaTely Knew The Image Wound Be Repurped Into An online Joke.
“My FIRST REACTION, OUTSIDE OF IT BEING A PRETTY HORRIFYING SCENE, WAS, ‘WELL, THIS IS GOING to TURN INTO A PRETTY FUNNY MEME,’ ‘HE admitted. “This is going to be used as a Number of Memes, Let’s Say, If Duke Goes On To To Lose in the Final Four,“ WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED SATURDAY NIGHT.
After duke lost is Final Four Game Against of the Houston Cougars, A Slew of Memes of the Graphic Scene Circulated Online – A Move Both Chowdhury and Berkman Saw Coming. “We Knew We wound See That Picture A Bunch of Times,“ Chowdhury Added. “We Just Knew It Wound Be Talked About.”
Just as the White Lotus Guests Misunderstood the Weight of the Rivalry Between Duke and UNC to North Carolina Natives, The Series Creator’s Likely Didn’t Mean to Birtth A Problematic Meme. Still, prusky dosn’t Think The Show Taints Her School’s Image.
“I THINK THAT OUR REPUTATION STANDS ON ITS OWN,“ She SAID. “I THINK DUKE IS KNOWN FOR BEING INTELLECTUALLY [and] Culturally Diverse, and I Think That Reputation We’ve Built Over Time Has Its Own Foundations and Legs. ”
While Seeing Your University Represented in One of the MOST POPULAR TV SHOWS CAN BE JARRING, The SCHOOL’S RESPONSE TO THE SUICIDAL IDEATION SCENE ALSO DOOK some of the Students ABACK. “IT WAS DEFINITELY SURPRISING to See The University’s Respons,“ Prusky SAID. “IT WAS SOMETING I DIDN’T REALLY EXPECT.” While The College Issued A Public Respense Opposing The Controversial White Lotus SCENE, BERKMAN, CHOWDHURY AND PRUSKY DO NOT RECALL DUKE DIRECTLY REACHING OUT to Students with Resources.
Berkman Believes that while the show dealt with “Very Sensitive Material,” The University Releasing ITS STATEMENT “BR[ought] More Attcture to Duke Than they Probably would have wanted. ” He added, “the statement dosn’t actualally do anything. … I Think Duke Was So Conceerned that It Was Going to Give Us A Bad Reputation, that’s Whoa Released A Statement. ”
On the Flipside, Duke Alum and Entertainment Lawyer Merlyne Jean-Louis Thinks the School “Absolutely Had to Say Something” to Protect Their “Very Strong Brand.” Despite the Eyes Their Response Drew, Jean-Louis Noted that She Doesn’t “Think Duke Is Going to Actual Take Legal Action Against The Producers of White Lotus or hbo ”and that Rather Put Out A Public Statement“ To Cover Their Bases for the Brand. ”
“People Have Been Saying That Duke Could HAVE USED [their statement] For Different Purposes, But I’M Sure that Duke Council Spoke to The Powers-Tat-Be at Duke and Came Up with The Best Strategy For that, ”She Added.
Even Thought Duke Lost Out in Ital Four Match and the University Isn’s The White LotusIT CERTAINLY HASN’T SWAYED THEIR LOYAL BLUE DEVILS.
“To me, i never that Serious,” Berkman Concluded. “IT’s Television-It’s Really High-Quality Television.”