School Proms

[Julia9054]

My son and about 20 of his friends arrived on a tractor and huge trailer covered in bunting and complete with a 3 piece rock band! I think the actual prom (glorified school disco held in the school hall) was a bit of a let down after that.

 

[swee'pea99]

Vulgar displays of parental one-upmanship that teach their kids that what matters in life is how much more than the other guy you can squander. Nauseating.

 

[perplexed]

 

[perplexed]

This was recently for sale, if there were any parents in coastal towns wanting unique prom transport...

 

[Drago]

Vulgar displays of parental one-upmanship that teach their kids that what matters in life is how much more than the other guy you can squander. Nauseating.

I must concur. Another piece of Americana blindly adopted by the gullible.

Why are we adopting culture from a country that has none?

 

[DaveReading]

A local School had to turn down a request for a helicopter landing

Arriving by helicopter is so passé.

 

[Sandra6]

I hate proms! Hate them. Hate hate hate!!!
Yeah, that's right I'm not a fan.
When no1 son was leaving school they were just becoming "a thing" but eldest is a punk, so he and his punk friends went and got wasted in a friend's dad's field.
no 1 daughter was heavily invested in the whole idea. We made her pay for her own ticket, and I bought her a dress for £25 A friend did her hair and make up and someone else's dad dropped them off in a normal car. Two years later, to mark the end of sixth form, they had another prom. AND a "leaver's day" when they had to dress up -but not in the same dress, obviously . Fortunately she had a job by then and was left to do as she pleased.
Second son turned his nose up at the very idea of prom - as did daughter 2, who celebrated leaver's day with me in a very nice bar drinking mocktails and eating nachos.
I'm currently being bombarded with pictures on facebook of very grown up looking young girls draping themselves around trussed up boys and parents alternating between cooing over how proud they are and bemoaning the cost. If you want to spend £800 on a dress for your daughter, then go right ahead, but if you actually don't then, well, just don't. It's not compulsory! Nothing bad will happen if the little darling doesn't get exactly what they want.
£800 on a prom dress?! What's the wedding going to cost?!

 

[Paulus]

When I was a kid proms didn't exist in this country

Nor at my school, although I did leave 42 years ago.

 

[hopless500]

Nor at my school, although I did leave 42 years ago.

A good decade before me

 

[tyred]

I remember my "Debs" very well, mid 1990s before hired limos became normal. I did it in style, hired tux, borrowed my cousin's rustbucket ancient Cortina to pick my date up (the GL model with fake wood trim - I know how to impress a girl). I always remember it was a horrible wet windy night in November and the passengers side window came out of it's runner and dropped into the door when she opened it to flick out a cigarette butt making for a damp and draughty journey and I got my hired suit soaked while I tried to retrieve and the window in the rain in the hotel carpark. I never had no more dates with her for some reason.

 

[Winnershsaint]

I work in a school and have done for over 35 years and seen the march of of the Prom from non-existent to it becoming the social event of the school year for Year 11's. Much less so for the Year 13s. Going to the Prom isn't a given. We operate a Prom Passport which involves students behaving in school and making progress towards their achievement targets. It works with virtually no fixed term exclusions in Year 11 and improving exam results. I like the idea that they don't get something for nothing.
They do have a funny side though, the spray tan. Girls turning up various shades of orange/brown having overdone it is hilarious.

 

[marknotgeorge]

The first I heard about proms was when my ex's eldest daughter reached year 11. In my day, there was just the odd school disco which I never heard about, presumably because I was the wierd kid at school, although there were a couple of sixth-form parties at school where alcohol was allowed. I wonder if they still do that?

 

[Drago]

Perhaps we could adopt a few more American customs. Perhaps Jocks beating nerds, friendly fire and burning crucifixes on ones front garden will soon be de rigueur.

Despite their faults I like America and Americans, and even lived and worked their for a spell, but this blind adoption of what is essentially a pithing contest does grate on me somewhat.

 

[Julia9054]

Vulgar displays of parental one-upmanship that teach their kids that what matters in life is how much more than the other guy you can squander. Nauseating.

Blimey! Bit of a killjoy aren't you? It's just a party and doesn't have to cost a fortune. Just because it's not what you or I did. Traditions change.

 

[MarkF]

My 2 lads sailed through their prom nights and enjoyed them immensely, as all the boys appeared to do. My daughter though, wow! She got caught up in a sinister world of female double dealing, back stabbing and machiavellian plotting. This appears to be an annual prom theme with girls at our local school.