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Family Events...
A wholesome prom
night isn’t just a Disney movie
By Marybeth Hicks
Tomorrow night, I’m Prom Mom.
I’ve been down this road a couple of times before, but only with
daughters. Come Friday night, rather than apply make up and wield a
curling iron, I’ll have to explain how to put the studs in a starched,
pleated white shirt and tweak the waistband on a pair of adjustable
rental trousers.
There will be no outbursts about unwelcome zits. No wailing that I used
too much hairspray on an updo that is “too poufey” and no arguments
about the intensity of pink as I suggest a shade of lip-gloss.
Instead, my self-assured high school junior will appear in the kitchen,
make a comment about the propensity of paten leather shoes to promote
excessive foot sweating, and ask me if his jacket should be buttoned or
unbuttoned.
I’ll button him up, tell him he looks as “sharp as a tack” and send him
off to pick up his date.
Reason number 3,427 why boys are easier than girls.
After meeting their parents at a local park for the obligatory photo
op, my son and his friends will set off for that quintessential rite of
passage: The American high school prom. Almost sounds like a Disney
movie, doesn’t it?
But life isn’t like a Disney movie — or is it?
A couple of weeks ago, Disney’s latest theatrical release hit big
screens across the country. “Prom” is billed as a coming-of-age movie
that portrays all the exaggerated highs and lows of senior year, but
does so without the grit of a film such as “Breakfast Club” or “Sixteen
Candles” — movies some consider the gold standard for the genre.
So what’s wrong with Disney’s “Prom”? According to some reviewers, it’s
simply too wholesome.
I’ll type that again for emphasis: Too wholesome.
Disney created the film to appeal to high schoolers, especially teen
girls. Though they’re trying to attract older students, anything with
the name “Disney” on it will appeal to children and tweens, too. And
the film’s PG rating gives parents the green light to let pre-teens see
it.
But without the sex, drugs, alcohol abuse and high-risk pranks, this
depiction of American teens is said to be “wildly unrealistic” and
downright boring. One reviewer even complained that without such plot
twists, the television version of this film won’t even need to be
censored, and this the writer decried as a bad thing.
My question is, what’s so bad about a movie that portrays wholesomeness
in teens? Today’s media seems to be nearly obsessed with the sexual
exploits and experimentation of teens, not to mention their vulgarity
and coarseness, such that it’s almost impossible to find positive
images of American teenagers.
That’s not fair and it’s certainly not helpful! Children and teens need
to see positive stories that depict wholesomeness and innocence in
adolescence. They crave reassurance that their good behavior is
actually normal. And most of all, they deserve media content that
doesn’t degrade and exploit them.
Despite what the jaded and cynical creators of popular media assume
about America’s teens, it’s still possible to enjoy healthy, wholesome
high school experiences. Millions of teens do, my son included!
Speaking of which, it’s time to charge the camera so I can get a few
pictures of him in a tuxedo.
Thanks for reading and sharing Family Events!
Take good care until next week,
Marybeth
Editor’s Note: Kudos,
Maybeth!!
Question of the Week: Across the country, high schools urge parents to
keep prom plans and costs in check, yet many parents permit co-ed
sleepovers, hotel bashes, limousines and post-prom parties that last
the entire weekend, not just one night. What’s your take on prom? Is
our culture changing the meaning and significance of this tradition?
What can parents do to make it a positive and appropriate experience
for their teens? Post answers on our Family Events Facebook Page.
Read this week’s column, see last week’s question and answer this
week’s question at Family Events
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