Proms. An American import too far?

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  • About three weeks ago just as the schools were about to break up, my area now go through a annual ritual that involves lots of wasting money and angst, I'm talking about proms.

    I first noticed this American import existed here about four years ago when a 16 year old neighbour stepped into a stretched limo and when I enquired with his parents what all that was about, I was told, "he's going to his prom." This now seems to be the norm, at least in my area.

    One of my new neighbours had her prom recently. They spent a fortune on it and just like on American tv, it seemed to involve all friends, family, aunts uncles etc and lots of food. I thought, blimey, talk about overkill and then the limo came, actually it was more of a stretched tank. The whole thing must have cost them thousands and they had caterers too dishing out the food to all the kiddies.

    Perhaps I'm just getting a bit old and not getting "down" with the yoof, but when I left school, I left, there was no fuss about it, apart from eggs and flour.;)

    Does anyone else now experience these proms in their area? Why do we always have to follow American customs all the time?

  • As someone who doesn't hold American culture in such high esteem and revere the American way of life like some do, I do sometimes shake my head at some of the attempts by some British people who crave the American way as if it is something special.

  • It's not that it's doing any harm, I just don't see the need to emulate everything they do all the time. We used to have own culture once upon a time.

    Problem is it seems to be considered un_pc to be patriotic if you are British let alone show any signs of having a British culture.

  • We have this where I am too, H. It's called the final year Farewell. Girls carry on about the dress they will wear as though they were getting married. (Another utterly lunatic and expensive event but not on topic.) The Farewell (prom) is a ghastly show of wealth and makes poorer kids feel like crap. It is ostentatious and absurd. Many have been killed on the night over the years by drunken young drivers.

    I agree with Thor above about Halloween. The "American pumpkin holiday" I once heard a British character say on an American comedy series.

    And don't forget the zombie festival craze. We have had them stumbling through the streets dressed as rotting corpses here too. That, I think, takes the biscuit. <X

  • We have this where I am too, H. It's called the final year Farewell

    But has your country always had that, or is it something recent?

    Next, the UK will follow through and do the proms "properly". The Americans actually have two proms, but we don't seem to have cottoned onto that yet in the UK.

    What is odd is the 16 year old who was going to her prom and having the expensive party, wasn't saying "farewell" to school. Education is now compulsory until 18, so she's got another two years of school or training courses left. Perhaps that's when the second prom will be.

  • Perhaps that's when the second prom will be.

    I've seen it in the redtops that there's a trend for a prom on leaving primary schools. That's around 11 years old.:rolleyes:

    I can understand some kind of party and celebration but there are those who will go right over the top and spend silly money.

  • But has your country always had that, or is it something recent?

    Been there a long while. But got more and more materialistic and extravagant until it became a kind of Beverley Hills dress competition. It's a reflection of the incumbent materialism. I used to have a boutique and the one nice thing about the Farewell was the fact that one sold a dress or two for the occasion. Most had them specially designed and made. Huge expense, along with hairdo and makeup and shoes, plus boyfriend suit and hired car. Poor kids made their own. Some just bought nice dresses they liked in the shops. The wankers were the culprits for taking the farewell to extravagant heights.

  • From what I've seen, we're not at the extravagant"stage yet, not quite, but it will quickly go there.

    I'm probably just being a grump here and perhaps there always was some kind of "prom" but as my school years were dominated by constant teacher strikes both in primary and secondly school, my generation never got a chance of having such events.

  • The button has just been pressed on my back, and steam is now coming out of my ears. I don't hate America, I don't hate Americans either, but I do hate their imports. Prom nights are expensive and pointless, trick and treating should be made illegal, and all Americanisms should be diluted in acid. I am just wondering when we will start celebrating the 5th of July, and thanks giving ?

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • Well when I was at primary school we did used to kind of celebrate harvest festival around about October time if my memory serves me correctly, which in a sense is a form of thanksgiving or at least the British equivalent or should I say "was" not sure its done anymore as its probably considered un-pc just for being a "British thing".

  • Oh, yes, Harvest Festival was alive and well when I was a child too. My mother used to help at the church with this and I remember the smell of vegetables donated for the poor in the front of the church. It was a kindness festival, really. No one is very kind any more and they all eat bloody sushi and weird salads now.

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