It's amazing how much Economics dilutes the integrity and culture of society. While Prom is a billion dollar industry that helps our economy, millions of high school seniors spend hundreds of hours earning money to pay for a night that could easily be topped off by a fun day at the beach with your best friends. My prom takes place this Saturday, and sadly, I am going. It pains me that I had to spend 90$ on tailoring my dress and paying for the limo, and I'm not even spending that much and the only reason I choose to go is that my friends from school pressured me into it. Really though, why is that one night suuuuch a huge deal?
It's not like that's the last time we'll get to bump and grind for the rest of our lives, nor is prom more fun than a day at an amusement park or stand up comedy...it's just a dance, only you're supposed to wear fancier gowns. However, I do see the logic to it: American culture needed it's own sort of coming of age party.
You see, Latin-Americans have quinces, Filipinos have debuts, Jewish people have bar and batmitzfas (sp?), rich white people have cotillions, but what about the rest of America? You can have a collective coming of age type ceremony with all your schoolmates for just 600$ or so, which is a bargain compared to what people pay to through their own big parties. So I guess if you really care about all of that, prom might be worth it. As for me...I want my money and time back, so I can spend it on perhaps a vacation somewhere, or maybe even *gasp* donate it to a charity. ;)
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I totally get you on this one! People spend so much money on prom because they want to look the best and better than anyone else but in the end they don't realize that nobody cares what your wearing they just want to have fun. Now I do sound stupid because I know when my prom comes I'm going all out. I want the best dress and everything so maybe I can look back years from now with my kids and be like "I was the hottest thing at the party" and they would probably say EW but who cares. That's the one night where you can party with your friends for the last time together (if your a senior and moving far away for college).