After recently modeling in a prom fashion show at Bloomingdales, I was reminded of just how ridiculous tuxedos really are. For James Bond they always gave an impeccable touch of style, but for me they just seem to restrict my breathing. Beyond the tuxedos and expensive dresses, preparations for prom get downright irritating. It all starts with that thing that shy guys and anxious girls strive for, a date. 

Traditionally it has always been the males’ job to procure a date, which is harder than it sounds. It is not just an issue of picking a friend that one would like to go with, but strategizing and organizing with all of your other male friends. Everyone has a preconceived notion of whom they would like to go with, so the males must all meet and make sure that they aren’t angled for the same female. In some cases when neither male wants to choose a different date, they remedy the impasse with a mature and sophisticated method, like fighting. Even after all of this effort has been made, there is no guarantee that the female will agree to go. For naturally the females too have been meeting and divvying up dates with the occasional catfight breaking out. If their selection isn’t in sync with the males’ selection, mass confusion breaks out.

Even if one has no trouble securing a date there are endless arrangements to trifle with that will leave one in a tizzy, and since prom is a sexist sham of an enterprise, all these annoyances seem to fall upon the male. While prom is supposed to fun, and it is, the loss of hundreds of dollars in a single night is a cause for alarm. Tuxedos can run up to $150, and you can’t even keep them when you’re done. Paying for a limo requires another $200 from your pocket, and we haven’t even talked about dinner, flowers and tickets. Occasionally males have the great fortune of going with a young lady who understands this money issue and picks up the tickets for them, but these young women are in the minority. 

While I wouldn’t say that the "tradition" of prom should be scrapped, I am against the huge and unacceptable commercialization of the whole deal. Companies jack up prices claiming they are "special prom rates" and everyone is flustered and rushed to out-dress and out-class the previous year’s prom scene. If we all just took prom a little less seriously and didn’t buy into all of the hype of being extravagant, prom could be a very relaxing and memorable time. So the next time you’re tempted to harass someone for not wanting to go to the prom, stack all the cash you will be spending on prom in a small mound on your kitchen table, and resist the urge to weep.