Doing my prom again, in all its cheesy splendor
An 80s prom party with big hair, mullets -- but no mohawks
By Leslie King
CNN Headline News
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(CNN) -- "I have this girlfriend who didn't go to her prom, and every once in a while, she gets this really terrible feeling - - you know, like something is missing. She checks her purse, and then she checks her keys. She counts her kids, she goes crazy, and then she realizes that nothing is missing. She decided it was side effects from skipping the prom."
-Iona from "Pretty In Pink"
Everyone I know has a prom horror story -- everyone. Prom is one of the seminal social events in high school, and with that much buildup, things are bound to go wrong. And even though you may want to go back to the bod you had in high school, you probably don't want to relive that fateful night of corsages, cheap champagne, ridiculous taffeta dresses, and huge 80's hair. Or do you...?
What if you could relive the prom... not as a high school reunion, but with the friends you have now and without the drama?
Two friends of my husband and I have proposed that very experiment for a joint birthday party. It's going to be a prom -- complete with D.J., disco ball and disastrous retro 80's fashion with two hundred of their closest friends. I can't wait!
The E-vite asked us to request our favorite cheesy prom tunes to boogie down to at the big event. I saw some O.M.D. and Thompson Twins tunes in the play list. The lovable geek Duckie, from "Pretty in Pink," would be so proud!
So what to wear? The answer is ... I don't know yet. I thought I might have some horrible bridesmaid's dress that would fit the bill, but they're just not quite horrible enough.
To really make it work, I think I'm gonna have to go retro. I may hold off on hunting down the Madonna fingerless lace gloves, but if I run across them, I may not be able to resist that extra touch.
And my date you ask? Think Rick Springfield for inspiration (except blond). We're gonna try to find a tux with a thin lapel and push the sleeves up, and finish it off with some bolero-type tie. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get my husband's hair into an 80's mullet yet. I may need to call on that good ol' Dippity-Do gel.
No matter what happens, it can't possibly contain more anguish than the real thing. My prom nightmare: I was in the 10th grade and it was my first prom. I was going with a bunch of friends in a Winnebago (which our parents have no idea about) and a date who's not my boyfriend (but wanted to be).
My date shows up at my house (where both parents are anxiously poised to take pics of "the first prom") with a brand new mohawk.
Oh yeah, the prom picture from that year is a winnner.
Now granted, I was just starting my Goth phase, so my hair was pretty out there too, but did ya have to bust out the mohawk on THAT night of all nights? The night that I'm trying to convince my dad that it's really OK for his 15-year-old daughter to stay out all night? I couldn't get out the door fast enough.
Wish me luck and stay tuned... Andie, Duckie and Blaine will be back in the next posting for the post-prom review.
