Reply #148: I agree with you that proms are silly consumerist wastes of money especially for poor kids.

[Gormy Cuss]

I also know that to some it's a way of feeling like they belong, that they have a place at the table for just that one night and that gives them hope that some day they could really belong.

I say this as someone who knew at 15 that proms a)were something that I couldn't afford and b)a lot of money to spend on a stupid dance. This was back in the Dark Ages when proms were relatively cheap. I thumbed my nose at the idea but I bought into other dumb high school consumerisms like yearbooks and class rings, the latter being the worst use of babysitting income ever, but it was important to me at the time. It meant that I belonged.