Friday, February 5, 2010

Prom through the Ages

This series of posts (all indicated by Prom Through the Ages in the title) discuss the origin and history of the high school prom in the United States. This first entry relates the basic, general history while subsequent posts will take a look at each decade, beginning with the 50s.

'Prom', short for 'promenade' (a.k.a. the formal march of guests at the beginning of a ball or some other kind of formal event), first appeared as the name of the customary Senior Class ball when an Amherst student wrote of his attendance at Smith College's prom in 1894. Interestingly, Prom wouldn't really make High School big time until the 1930s and 40s - when it started to make the Yearbooks.

Prior to its Yearbook days, Prom was a relatively small affair. While pres
ent in the 20s, Prom was a relatively small, conservative affair. Historically, the 30s and 40s were also not fund-friendly enough for Prom to evolve. All that changed with the 50s.

Following World War II, the United States entered an economic boom period. Consistent with its new found affluence, the American High School population began to develop its Prom towards the more extravagant parties we experience today. The tradition of Prom Court began (Prom King and Queen) and the dinner-dance started to move from the Gym to a local hall or hotel. The infamous Prom Dress Search also began in this decade. These developments marked a transition in the tradition: suddenly, Prom wasn't 'just another dance (or 'sock hop'). It began to evolve into more of a milestone in high school.

Then came the 80s: high school milestone to Lifetime Milestone. Hollywood declared Prom the pinnacle of the high school experience through their teen movies, including: Pretty in Pink (1986), Karate Kid II (1986), Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), Valley Girl (1983) and Prom Night (1980). The 80s truly initiated the typical gripes about Prom: Who shall I go with? What should I wear? More famously, Prom Court became a mark of full-fledged royalty for a night - and even more so in the 90s.

The 90s continued the 80s tradition of the teenage movie. Some of the more popular works included Never Been Kissed (1999) starring Drew Barrymore, 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and She's All That (1999) - and yes, remaking Shakespeare and the Classics in the image of the Modern Day was a theme ( 10 Things I Hate About You was a take on "The Taming of the Shrew" while She's All That attempted to capture elements of "Pygmalion"). All three of these films placed significant value on who might be Prom Queen, although the most extreme case was She's All That. In that film, the male lead declared he might turn any girl into Prom Queen in a mere six weeks - in a bet, naturally. With all of the attention from Hollywood, Prom continued to develop as an American Institution. Today, I'm trying to capture the history of what has become a momentous event.

So, sparknotes version: Prom was a small-time, end-of-year banquet for students completing their college educations. Now, it's a high-charge, cultural event where anything goes. Its transition was facilitated by greater affluence among the American middle class and Hollywood's teen movies (although it should be noted that without money, Hollywood materials, and therefore its impact, would be less prevalent.)


the prom chair


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