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| Copyright colormagickid |
Prom season is upon us, and I don't think that today's teenagers have the faintest idea how rotten spoiled and lucky they are. I was watching a segment on Good Morning America not long ago about current prom trends - thousands of dollars being doled out on dresses, accessories, hair, makeup, and even tanning sessions all in preparation for an evening that will eventually become mostly forgettable. When one considers the usual return on investment for getting gussied up for prom night (i.e. a catered meal of dry chicken at the local country club and making out in the parking lot with the football captain or more likely, the team's unofficial water boy) you have to admit that it's a big waste of money.
Besides, the kids from my generation (the 80s/90s) and prior to that often didn't have it so lucky. How many of us, hoping for our first limo ride, was offered the old man's Oldsmobile for transportation instead? So here's a little picture book demonstrating the differences between today's proms and the proms of my high school years, with a little help from a really rad photo archive on Flickr:
Difference #1: We had to do our own hair.
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| Copyright MsLisaTM |
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| Copyright ronstarr64 |
As you can see, that was no small feat, my friends. Don't forget the 80s was the era of hair bands, A Flock of Seagulls and Duckie from Pretty in Pink. I'm willing to bet most of these kids' parents didn't have the extra dough to pay to have their head done, when an entire can of Aqua Net or that newly found invention, mousse, accomplished the job quite nicely.
Difference #2: We usually didn't wear a designer prom dress.
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| Copyright leanndra |
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| Copyright lobstar28 |
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| Copyright liberalmind1012 |
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| Copyright amykai2000 |
Some of us wore Jessica Mclintock Gunne Sax, but I don't know anyone who dropped over $500 or so on a gown whose sole purpose was to be worn once. In some cases a trusted mother or aunt would make the dress for us (emphasis on the word trusted.)
Difference #3: We weren't always so psyched about our dates.
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| Copyright ellynkocher |
Yikes. These folks look like they'd rather be at the dentist or the gynecologist. Sorry, kids, but the cold truth is we all can't take someone who looks like Don Johnson or Heather Locklear to the prom, so make the best of it.
Difference #4: The decorations/photo taking backdrops weren't always so hip.
Needs more plants, don't you think?
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| Copyright lobstar28 |
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| Copyright liberalmind1012 |
Nothing screams 80s like black and pink balloons!
Difference #5: We had awesome music.
Here, finally, is where I can say the proms of yesteryear trumped today's proms anytime. We had Huey Lewis and the News, INXS, Foreigner, and Hall and Oates. Today's kids are stuck shimmying to Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and that annoying girl who sings about fried egg...I mean, Friday. 'Nuff said, right?
P.S. All photos from Flickr.
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