Every Tart in Tuscaloosa

Ladies, step right up and tell us why we should accept you into our special little society. We’re unpacking two traditions in which young women make their debut in a new chapter of their lives and work to prove their worth on this new stage: Bama Rush and Debutante Balls.From the Bridgertons to the Darnells, women across the centuries have endured these elaborate hazing rituals, hoping to bag either a duke or a Phi Mu bid. How did these traditions come to be? How do they exist today? Is there any chance they are problematic?Plus: We prove that we are good people, Anneliese gives an ankle recovery update, and Ellie shares how an armpit fetishist drove her to quit ballroom dance.