Now that a date for Prom has been set- May 14th, everyone can start scrambling for their dresses and suits, their corsages and boutonnieres and their “prom-posals.” We can all hurry for tickets for a completely pointless party that isn’t worth the effort put in.
I’ll be honest- I’m not the type of person who cares about looking like royalty and dancing the night away. I don’t even like going out for a night with my friends. If given the option, I’d rather be staying home, and that’s exactly what I will be doing on Prom night. For a lot of people, Prom is the one night a year that they can dress up and pretend to be a prince or a princess, but for me, Prom feels like a huge waste of time and money. When you don’t know how to dance and don’t have a date, what’s the point of even going to Prom? The dresses and suits cost a lot of money, especially if you need to get them tailored specifically to fit you. Many retailers look forward to prom season just because formal wear is a massive source of revenue, and they can jack up the prices to make even more money. Plus, needing to get something like that tailored is not only a huge pain, but it can also cost you an arm and a leg.
A lot of people say something along the lines of “I don’t go to dance, I just go to hang out with my friends.” But in the modern age, it’s easier than ever to arrange time to hang out with your friends outside of school, in ways that cost significantly less money. This is especially easy for high school juniors and seniors, because a lot of students start getting their driver’s licenses and can practically go wherever they want. Even more so, you can do that without sinking $400 on a ballgown you’re only going to wear once.
Another thing people like to claim is “it’s a night to remember,” “you should go for the experience,” or “you only get one Prom.” While I don’t disagree that it would be memorable, I argue that for some, it wouldn’t be enjoyable. You might remember it, sure, but you’d remember it as the time you awkwardly stood around a dance floor with a bunch of people you don’t know crowding around you. The Prom atmosphere isn’t for everyone- some prefer to spend the night at home, or at a restaurant, or literally anywhere else. As for “you only get one prom,” a lot of people only get one chance to do a lot of things. If you had one chance to jump off a cliff, would you do it?
Prom can be fun, and if you want to dress up like royalty for a night and get jealous that someone else won the arbitrary Cutest Couple contest (aka Prom king and queen,) sure, go. Some people don’t want that though. It’s not for everyone, and the amount that it costs just isn’t worth it.