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Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)
33. I'd argue the poor are "preyed upon" only if they are ignorant.
Tue May 15, 2012, 05:51 PM
May 2012

If they aren't ignorant and they do see how much it is going to cost them compared to the value versus household income then they choose poorly. So maybe "stupid" would be the proper diagnosis, though for personal reasons I would choose the gentler, "less than sound financial decision."

just sayin'

Huh? What? How? That's crazy. n/t pnwmom May 2012 #1
VISA prom poll is bullshit, as it turns out, so, it's not possible --to answer your question :) CreekDog May 2012 #50
Okay, thanks. I've had a couple teens go to prom, and this made no sense at all. pnwmom May 2012 #55
Thank you. Getting tired of all the poor-bashing. n/t DLevine May 2012 #80
Thanks for doing the homework for the rest of us. Scuba May 2012 #82
Thank you. Starry Messenger May 2012 #98
Exactly! In case people were wondering why I was so cranky about some errors in a poll/article CreekDog May 2012 #104
I like it when you are cranky! Starry Messenger May 2012 #111
Visa Stats Are Indeed Bogus, Yet No Retraction? Shaping Youth May 2012 #118
you should bug David Lazarus, he posted it on LA Times and is ostensibly a consumer reporter CreekDog May 2012 #119
Not surprised HockeyMom May 2012 #2
This is pretty much the case I think Lilyeye May 2012 #16
The other thing that isn't taken into account Horse with no Name May 2012 #19
Or perhaps poor personal habits contribute to low income Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #27
Wait, wages have been flat for nearly 40 years but EFerrari May 2012 #56
Why are you spouting this RW nonsense on a Progressive site? Odin2005 May 2012 #68
It's not RW and it's not nonsense. Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #87
"perhaps poor personal habits contribute to low income" obamanut2012 May 2012 #91
Yeah, and--? Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #92
well a lack of opportunity and low paying jobs would've give you any income to save CreekDog May 2012 #105
I seriously doubt that is the end-all explanation for low income Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #112
Mittens would agree with you 100%. n/t DLevine May 2012 #81
"perhaps poor personal habits contribute to low income" obamanut2012 May 2012 #90
I did my daughter's hair and no way would I have let her go to a tanning salon. Ever. pnwmom May 2012 #77
What we did--we had prom parties that started the morning of prom Horse with no Name May 2012 #86
I'm guessing the "full blown prom experience" may be regional, too. pnwmom May 2012 #95
My hobby is doing it on the cheap Horse with no Name May 2012 #114
That's second nature for me, too. pnwmom May 2012 #115
I respectfully disagree maggiesfarmer May 2012 #30
I didn't go to my Prom either almost 50 years ago HockeyMom May 2012 #38
Yep, and that's probably the high point of the kid's social life. trof May 2012 #40
Poor money management skills... Cave_Johnson May 2012 #42
Familiar sentiment. Hmm. Kingofalldems May 2012 #116
Anybody who goes into debt to pay nearly $3000 toward prom is nuts. WI_DEM May 2012 #3
It makes perfect sense Horse with no Name May 2012 #4
It makes sense to me - I think a lot of families hedgehog May 2012 #5
I don't think so cali May 2012 #17
My evidence is only anecdotal, hedgehog May 2012 #47
Yeah ive seen it too Forward2012 May 2012 #53
Our values are so fucked up cali May 2012 #6
"Prey on the poor"? Nye Bevan May 2012 #22
as in push expensive crap and try to convince people that this is vital to their children's happines cali May 2012 #23
And poor people are too stupid to realize they can do without these things? 4th law of robotics May 2012 #26
I'd argue the poor are "preyed upon" only if they are ignorant. Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #33
the people polling the poor people are stupid, the poor people themselves are not CreekDog May 2012 #52
That makes much more sense 4th law of robotics May 2012 #103
It's like buying a diamond wedding ring. Try being engaged and telling your fiancee' no diamond ring Zalatix May 2012 #73
If you and your fiance are both making at or below the poverty level 4th law of robotics May 2012 #101
I didn't get a diamond. Still got married. AngryAmish May 2012 #108
No, but kids may be. NYC Liberal May 2012 #75
Kids generally are pretty stupid 4th law of robotics May 2012 #102
A big start is to turn off the idiot box exboyfil May 2012 #29
They come to the schools Forward2012 May 2012 #58
the poll is bogus and has been corrected by other news stories --why are we so quick to believe it? CreekDog May 2012 #51
It's another opportunity to bash the poor Tsiyu May 2012 #66
What amazes me malthaussen May 2012 #94
one of the reasons I've read DU for so long is that some of the responses examine OP stories CreekDog May 2012 #106
And why isn't there a reality show on this yet? TV producers are slipping these days! Initech May 2012 #7
There was a quincereana one and there is a sweet sixteen focused reality show Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #10
Those are way different than a prom. Initech May 2012 #21
A 15 and even a sweet 16 makes sense to me in a way prom doesn't. EFerrari May 2012 #62
Probably about right. My daughter's dress alone was around $350 and hers wasnt in the stevenleser May 2012 #8
As mentioned a few times already Capt. Obvious May 2012 #9
...and they wonder why they don't have a pot to piss in. badtoworse May 2012 #11
but the teenager has the memories. Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #13
It stuns me how many people dont get it. Solomon May 2012 #49
I went to one prom and one homecoming, yet have soooooooo many other great blueamy66 May 2012 #100
Did they include the graduation trip to Europe a rich kid gets? JoePhilly May 2012 #12
I spent about $100 on my prom jaysunb May 2012 #14
I paid maybe $30 TlalocW May 2012 #41
What would you even spend that kind of money on? XemaSab May 2012 #15
$100 not enough for decent hotel room in LA. Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #18
And $200 is def not top dollar for shoes, sad to say. nt stevenleser May 2012 #25
If you're living in LA and earning 30K you *really* don't need to be spending money 4th law of robotics May 2012 #35
Neither of my kids got a hotel room. pnwmom May 2012 #76
makeup, dinner, corsages, jewelry, tips, pictures, tans, and an entire Horse with no Name May 2012 #20
I'm not paying $800 for something that is Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #36
Is it even possible to spend $100 on nails?! EFerrari May 2012 #60
Holy Crap! blueamy66 May 2012 #83
It's a BS number Xema CreekDog May 2012 #107
Well yes XemaSab May 2012 #109
I can buy that... belcffub May 2012 #24
I have no problem believing that. maggiesfarmer May 2012 #34
I worked at a firm that pushed on us heavily to sign up for automatic deductions for United way. Liberal_in_LA May 2012 #39
$2,635 of $30,000 is about 9% of their total income 4th law of robotics May 2012 #28
Since when did it become "prom" and not "the prom"? In my day, we went to "the prom." jenmito May 2012 #31
The schools aren't helping matters when they book top-dollar venues for the prom. qb May 2012 #32
True. My kid's prom Mariana May 2012 #45
I wonder whether reality TV has anything to do with this renate May 2012 #37
A fool and his money... nt Speck Tater May 2012 #43
My limo was a Ford Tempo. I wore a borrowed dress. Kids need to ratchet this shit down TwilightGardener May 2012 #44
It's up to Mom and Dad to put the credit cards away Mariana May 2012 #74
took the words right outta my mouth blueamy66 May 2012 #99
I think we paid $150 YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #46
If anyone cares, I can demonstrate that this is false. cthulu2016 May 2012 #48
As you can see in this thread, not many care. Pithlet May 2012 #54
No kidding. n/t` EFerrari May 2012 #59
how about it! no thinking needed lunasun May 2012 #63
It sounded fake Tallulah May 2012 #61
Yup, your instincts and analysis are correct --poll is BS, only 119 included CreekDog May 2012 #69
Many paid for prom dresses with welfare checks, which they naturally picked up in a Cadillac n/t DefenseLawyer May 2012 #89
OMG. If my parents and or I were going to spend that treestar May 2012 #57
Maybe prom is more important in low-income families? I dunno - TBF May 2012 #64
It's not. The poll is stupid and bogus. And it undermines help for the poor... CreekDog May 2012 #71
Thanks for your response - TBF May 2012 #84
I question any poll done by VISA. HiPointDem May 2012 #65
I'm not suprised, sadly. Odin2005 May 2012 #67
LOL. This reminds me of a story from when I was a kid RZM May 2012 #70
I had a leather skirt when I was a poor college student. Mariana May 2012 #78
What is the moral of your story? Poor people can't manage money? obamanut2012 May 2012 #93
My personal experience with my daughter last year: LibDemAlways May 2012 #72
That's because most of these families live in rural communities where football is the only game. Selatius May 2012 #79
But... the prom is the most important night of your life!!! LeftinOH May 2012 #85
My lucrative Pizza Hut job was able to pay for a kickass Miami Vice white tux DefenseLawyer May 2012 #88
I had a friend who bought her daughter a $600 dress for prom cherish44 May 2012 #96
Count me among those who will never pay 842.00 for a prom never mind 2635.00!!!!/nt NotThisTime May 2012 #97
Low income people often make poor financial decisions. cigsandcoffee May 2012 #110
I thought denigrating poor people was a job for republicans. DLevine May 2012 #113
Prom. California. 1963. MineralMan May 2012 #117
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