h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did not go to my Prom and could not be happier about it. People complain and moan about being dragged to formal occasions they don't want to go to (a reunion or anniversary they don't really care about) and all the hassles that go with. Given how people react to going to a formal event commemorating something they only have passing interest in, imagine how they'd feel going to something that commemorates absolutely *nothing*. This, folks, is a prom. They have a separate commencement ceremony for celebrating graduation, and many people have graduation parties, so this is obviously not what prom is. What is prom? (In my high school, the prom, juggernaut of the social season that it way, apparently gained enough momentum that it became some sort of gestalt organism composed of the people attending, so the 'the' in front of 'prom' was dropped.) Best as I can tell, a chance to spend $400 dollars (give or take $100) to see the same people you see every day at the lunch table, only to be wearing fancier clothes while eating fancier food. Thanks, but I stopped playing dress-up when I entered grade school, so I'll pass. Unless, of course, you're involved in some sort of serious romance (as serious as any high school romance gets, anyway), in which case it is a near institutionalized way of setting a romantic mood and hopefully 'getting some.' (Was the last song of the night Barry White? I'll have to inquire) Sort of makes you wonder if you didn't miss a nudge and a wink when the health teacher was giving the abstinence speech the week prior.

In the fifties, the last song would have been by Johnny Mathis. My dissent is to the 'all the guy has to do'. First asking someone is HUGE. Second, it looks to me like a heck of a lot of guys rent stretch limos and all kinds of absurdity. I think the prior figure of $400 is way low for a lot of kids. And all for high school which almost NO one who goes on to college will look back on much at all. On the other hand, if the 'getting some' hopes pay off, and the female half of the couple elects to carry the results to term, the Prom might well be looked back upon with rather a lot of emotion - not least because it is the last care-free evening she may have for the the next 20 years or so...

Nowadays, the last song is an unmusical pile of soundwaves clashing with tremendous amplitude against all surfaces in the ballroom. But that's all the "songs" they play. Being a guy, I have to disagree with the contention that this event requires some great effort. I spent approximately no effort until hours before the event started, went to dinner, spent three hours at the dance cracking jokes in a group of non-dancing people, and tormenting a chaperone (who is at other times the coach of the quiz team). I then went home and went to sleep. As for asking, we skipped that step entirely and proceeded to make plans the day before during lunch. It was not stressful, difficult, or anything of that nature.

Amen Bubbles! I'm a high school senior now- I don't have a girlfriend nor plan to get one (I'm joining the Army- no time for a girlfriend). My friends and I are all a planning on going to the prom alone- we're gonna steel somebody else's dates and have a liitle "fun".
(laughing insidiously)

sounds good

Pointedly it's just as exciting to skip getting a girlfriend/boyfriend, skip getting drunk/pregnant, and spend the whole night staying up playing random games on the internet, which I find deeply self-satisfying.

o my god. proms are SO gay. ive got one coming up at my high school. there's no way i'm going. they play music by gareth gates and atomic kitten.. that kind of music kills me! if i did go, i'd turn up in jeans, drink all the drink, then leave. there's no way i'd wear a dress. i HATE dresses! when people wear bright pink sparkly dresses with a co-sage and high heals.. it makes me CRINGE! it's just batty if you ask me...