Prom was raised up and immortalized in film and television, and exported across the world like so many McDonald’s restaurant franchises.
In either case, prom is deeply, unabashedly American. It’s a regressive, heteronormative tradition rooted in conformity and consumerism with a long history of racism, classism, and homophobia. A rite of passage not to be missed.įor others, prom just sucks. The social culmination of their waning teenage adolescence.
For some, it’s the greatest night of their young lives. Here’s a look at its history, as told by photos in Shutterstock’s Editorial Collection.
