.Sunday, November 27, 2005 ' 8:52 PM Y
The Thing Called Prom (Extracted from
Uberture)
The magazines celebrate it. The movies glorify and romanticise it. Your friends keep gushing about it. And although you’re excited on some level, you can’t see it as they seem to know it. Well, here’s a lifeline for you; a guide to this strange thing called Prom, the great expectations, stereotypes materialised and the cold reality of it all.
Forget everything you’ve learnt about Prom through the movies. Whatever those US-imports have stereotyped and portrayed are lies. If you have never ever been involved in a Prom before, and organizing committee members do not count, then you actually have no idea what it’s all about. Whether you’re a Non-Believer in the magic of Prom (“Prom is pure hype, I’m not going”) or a Conformist (“Prom is going to be so much fun!”), the first thing you should know is that NOTHING you think you will encounter will actually happen.
Great Expectations
I’ll admit that it is hard not to have expectations for Prom. I thought that it was everything back in my day. I was hyping it up so much because I really did want my Prom to mean something to me. But guess what? I know people who haven’t died from a lack of a Prom Night to close the year. I believe that Prom is something everyone looks forward to, and I’m not saying you should not, but one should keep it light. Do not fall into the trap of attaching sentimental tags to something that is not really what everyone else wants it to be. The trouble with this is that it causes one to do stupid things one might regret for a long time e.g. wasting too much money on clothes you will probably never wear again. Here are some of the reasons people give to hype up their minds for Prom, you have been warned.
1. You will see your friends dressed up to the nines for the first time since whenever.
This sounds reasonable from the outset, but believe me, there is nothing so fantastic about it. Most people spend tons of cash in an attempt to dress up, and although there will be a few exceptions that will definitely surprise you, you will hardly even remember what they wore that night.
One should definitely dress up (read on for tips), but not spend too much time and money on the outfit. Just head down to Prom with an open mind, invest (using the money saved from reading this article and avoiding expensive clothes) in a digital camera and remember to take shots with ‘The Worst Dressed People of 04’. This will provide infinite hours of entertainment for both your faculty mates and/or bunkmates in the coming year.
2. It is going to be the “Last Great Opportunity” to (a) go up to that guy/girl they have been eyeing all year long and (b) most people won’t admit this, but it’s crossed their mind: to win sudden widespread popularity because one looks so damn good (suddenly).
(a) Many people have actually caught too many romance teenage movies. They think that prom is marked by the some magical significance which diffuses mental barriers that the other person had set up against going out with them in the first place. The love interest will just admit to them that the feeling has always been mutual and an awkward romantic moment will sweep both into appearing at Prom together. One word: delusional. The reality of it is that if you hadn’t scored from the start, there’s no point trying now. I know how much fun it can be to goad oneself into approaching that Girl, but if you can’t handle the rejection, don’t bother. Please refrain from emulating some “Can’t Hardly Wait” letter gimmick confessing your undying love. It’s all fine and dandy in the movies, but no one goes after the geeky stranger: they go home wondering who’s the stalker.
(b) You’d like to think that if you put in enough effort into looking good for Prom it would actually matter. Wrong. Once again, if it hadn’t already been established by most of your student cohort that you were good-looking, gorgeous, friendly or charismatic, there’s not much sense in wasting your brain cells harbouring the hopes of sudden mass popularity. It will not happen overnight. No cool people you know will rush up to be your friend. This may prove incorrect if you were a real repulsive duckling in school and you appeared at Prom with an Extreme Makeover, but what are the chances of one having thousands of dollars? On the night of your graduation, bear this in mind: just stick with your friends, nothing drastic is worth your reputation.
Stereotypes Materialised
In this section, a few of the kinds of people you will see on your Prom Night. They will be unique in character, but not in the way they will be dressed. Most of them are the ones you should take photos with, as many of them will be the source of your future entertainment.
The Glam Queen is the coolest girl in the school (or at least in your opinion). She will appear not overly dressed, with just enough (or no) make-up to titillate the senses, but nothing more. She will not be found in a Daniel Yam gown. She will probably not even wear a gown, but would look equally stunning. The chances of her appearing on stage as Prom Queen is close to zero.
The Over-Enthused Bunny is the girl who appeared at my prom in a little pink dress that appeared to have a fringe of fur at the hem of the skirt. This was coupled with a piece of cloth connected from her middle finger to the end of the skirt: what purpose this served I have no idea. Such a whimsical character will certainly appear at any prom; just look out for the person with an over-enthusiastic reaction to taking photographs (with anyone).
The Durian King is the name of the Prom Ah-bengs. You do not have to search consciously for this one, you might be one yourself. Or you could look out for the gelled Esplanade sticking out of his head. He’s the guy who has enough money to buy a suit to wear, but not enough fashion sense to make it work. The reasoning for this is simple: flared out collars and sleeves are not cool. Why look like every other guy in the ballroom, if you can wear a nice tie (which catches attention) and look sharp in a full suit? To make matters worse, the Durian King adds 77th Street kind of accessories to his already un-cool garb.
The Pre(p)-Schooler is the guy (or girl) who decks herself out with the latest in prep school fashion, appearing in preppy woollen sweaters and pale-coloured pants, most likely with a rebellious zany hairstyle or something he/she appears in school with everyday. Needs a certain everyday scholar charm to pull off, but it might work for those who really want to stand out.
The Pseudo-Rock Star is someone who thinks he’s got what it takes to be a full-time punk. He’s the one wearing the vintage T-shirt, recently-purchased Levi’s Jeans and finished with a suit jacket. Matching accessories would be the silver wallet chain and the sunglasses. Sneakers by Converse. Piece of advice: Lose the shades, you might blind yourself. This is an average look, barely used because most are Durian Kings or that they do not know how to dress the part properly.
The Suits are not a rock band. They are the ones who dress the part and look comfortable in their clothes. They wear their ties with pride, and have immaculately clean black suits. They do not appear in anything else except black or white and no other types of jackets will do. They will not do blue leather jackets. Suits can be bought off the rack at several places, such as Domanchi, x2 or Zara.
Closing Time
One thing I have never figured out is why organisers always think of including a final dance. It might certainly be cute in teenage movies where people have to confess their undying teen love all the time, but in the Asian context of Singaporean students, it won’t happen. No one is going to bother about dancing with badly chosen music and their teachers looking on. Therefore, remember to have a Party Plan figured out and an After-Party venue settled. Most people go clubbing after their proms, and it is not too bad an idea. You do not have to get drunk or become stupid, but letting loose is recommended. Do not be fooled into thinking that going back to the hotel and getting high on alcohol is fun. One will only end up with the knowledge of how one’s friend acts whilst under the influence of alcohol. On the other hand, heading to a club (along with the rest of most of the school) will give you the opportunity to witness all sorts of scandals occurring. Those harbouring the expectations mentioned before will seek one another out, leading to all sorts of drama.
Many would find it meaningful to attach special significance to Prom, adding a dash of finality, a little sprinkle of hopeless romanticism and a whole lot of expectation. You now know better, so go out and conquer with your opened eyes, have fun knowing that you are now protected from all the senseless barbaric hyping up of Prom Night. Good luck and good hunting.
