Spring Fling . Midnight in Paris . Romeo & Juliet ’s Ball . Whatever your student council want to call it , a prom is a promenade . But no matter the name and no matter the yr , teenager ’ headache , anxiety , and ill have always been the same . Just peruse these grievances from the days of yore .
Shopping is stressful and takes forever.
“ After visiting almost every dress store in the neighbourhood we were shopworn and discouraged from so much walk and not seeing just what I require … Another harrowing experience occurred when I went to the Loop shopping for shoes and other accessories . I could n’t see what I desire and terminate up making several trips so as to get all my leverage . ”
— Diane Lundberg in “ Prom Is the Glamor Event of School Life : But Getting Ready Puts Teen in a Tizzy,”Chicago Daily Tribune , June 26 , 1957 .
And it’s all so expensive!
“ In addition to the monetary value of the tickets , a son must rent a dinner jacket ( $ 10-$15 ) , purchase a bouquet ( $ 6-$12 ) , go to at least one night club ( $ 15-$20 ) , ride in a horse - drawn baby carriage in Central Park ( $ 6 ) , and spend money on taxi fare ( $ 5-$10 ) and breakfast ( $ 2-$4 ) . The entire lower limit , therefore , hunt down from about $ 44-$67 , plus tickets . ”
— Martin Tolchin in “ High School Graduates Big Evening is Worry and Expense for Parents,”The New York Times , June 4 , 1960 .
A girl just can’t go alone.
“ … no group of gamey - school miss would ever consider going to an all - school dance without dates . The business of making sure that they will be dated for a school day dance is , for a phone number of girl on the less popular side , a major bodily function during the schoolhouse hours . ”
— Carroll C. Hall in “ High School Chaperon : ‘ A Sultan to the Realm of Death Addressed , ’ ” The Clearing House , January 1950 .
Nobody wants to chaperone.
“ If the teacher is weak enough to buckle under to the invitation ( and not pass on it up to the Dean , who has to be there anyway ) , he or she is in for an evening of analyse , schematic neglect . An even of utter boredom . ”
Parents (and teachers) just don’t understand.
Mrs. Clifford Jenkins , the Chief Executive of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers , said , “ The prom has become an excuse for continuing a party in all directions on an adult level . I detest to think that any occasion which catch high school day boy and girls together has to be thrive to an grownup level in purchase order to be desirable . ”
— From “ U.S. pedagogue Are Divided on the Value of ‘ Prom’,”Chronicle Tribune , May 30 , 1961 .
Eva H. Grant , the editor - in - chief of theNational Parent - Teacher , the prescribed cartridge holder of the National Council of Parents and Teachers , said , “ Are chic advanced Nox nightspot the place for teenagers to go ? Are n’t we giving our children too much too before long ? ”
Curfews are downright cruel.
“ My parent are quite strict with me and I just ca n’t get anywhere with them … All the kids in our class go somewhere after the prom … You ca n’t get home much before 1:30 or 2 … and my mother and father say I ’ve got to be home by 1 o’clock or else I ca n’t go at all . I do n’t want to tell the boy I go with I have to go home flop after the prom … ”
— A Brookline little girl to Elizabeth Watts in “ After - Prom Problem : One principal sum evoke ‘ Stay Through the Prom , ’ ” Daily Boston Globe , January 28 , 1949 .
Everyone is pretty clueless …
“ Dear Miss Woodward : If a male child asks a girl to a promenade and she does n’t have a gown , is it up to him to see that she has one so as to go ? And if a fille asks a boy , must she buy her own corsage ? ” one student write in to editorialist Elizabeth Woodward , to which Woodward answer , “ It ’s entirely up to a girl to see that she has the proper wearing apparel to weary on all affair . If a boy asks her to a prom , she should buy her own dress or borrow one if necessary . And if she ca n’t dig up the proper getup , it ’s too bad . She ca n’t go . ”
— From “ Your First Prom Sometimes evoke Perplexing Questions , ” Daily Boston Globe , April 5 , 1955 .
… Especially boys—they need everything spelled out for them.
“ You ’ve bribe your dictation and have your eye on a small , delectable blond you ’d wish to be your day of the month for the big eve . Do you:[a ] Play hard to get and postpone take her till just a night or two before the big evening , so that she wo n’t feel too certain of herself?[b ] Give her at least a week or 10 day ’s observance , rather more , so that she ’ll be capable to get glamorous for the number one event?[c ] Put your bid in a calendar month in advance , just to check that she ’ll be ready , willing , and available?“You do n’t wish to dance and are no expert at moving your foot around , but decide to go to the prom anyway . Do you:[a ] terpsichore at least three times with your date , and see to it that she has other partner for the rest of the evening?[b ] Park your girl on the side lines and go off to unite the other big and brawnies who would rather talk baseball game and go out for a bullet than valse around again willingly?[c ] settle that you and your date will ‘ pose this one out ’ all evening long ? ”
— Sheila John Daly in “ Here ’s Gauge for valuation as a Prom Escort Daly , ” Chicago Daily Tribune , May 14 , 1950 .
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A variation of this write up die hard in 2015 ; it has been update for 2025 .
