I have just posted the following on my crew's (20-strong group of schoolfriends, really, and there are very few non-gangsta words to describe that dynamic) forum, on a topic in which we plot to fulfill our friend Lizzie's dreams of becoming Prom Queen and generally break the system. Well, it's not quite that drastic. On being discouraged from challenging the status quo by the most socially versatile of us, I posted the following, and I thought I'd put it up here in case anyone had thoughts on school social caste systems and the whole Prom Queen/Prom King malarkey.
Well, we 'triumphed' this morning, anyway - Pippa is the 11C nomination for Prom Queen, proving that group voting does work.
And Ben is 11C most attractive male X]
Aw, come on, Sam, I realise it's unlikely, but can't we have a little bit of a prod at the system before we go? If they resent it, then all badness for them. We're not doing anything wrong, we're just daring to try and win something which anyone can physically win, but the same kind of person always does. It's a little like To Kill a Mockingbird, only no-ones going to die on an electric chair, and we're not black, we're just... I dunno, what are we? We've fallen into this crowd by accident because we didn't fit anywhere else, or we fell out with the clique we immediately belonged to, or maybe we just like the people. We're mostly either here because we're slightly socially awkward, funny looking, quirky in our tastes in music/dress/interests/sexual proclivities, or formed a relationship or strong friendship with someone who this applies to and got sucked into the group dynamic. That's why we are what we are. We have people plenty attractive enough to be Best Looking Male/Best Looking Female. When someone couldn't decide who to vote for as Prom Queen, Rhiannon said to put down someone they thought deserved it, someone nice, funny, friendly, awesome. I assume that carries over to Prom King, in which case pretty much anyone of us has the qualities which the prom monarchy is supposedly decided on.
Yes, it is part of prom that the 'populars' (because, Sam, as much of a creepy us-and-them attitude as it is, there is a definite social divide and simply calling them 'the others' does not suffice) are the ones who win the prizes, the ones who get all the attention, the ones who organise it, the ones who the night is for, and some unspoken rule means that there is a substantial group of people made to feel like they mugged someone for their outfit on the way in and they shouldn't really be there, but it doesn't have to be like that. If one of us wins (which, with group voting, could happen, seeing as how it seems that everybody else votes for different people so the vote gets pretty spread out), then it would be a mini-triumph for us as a whole, and if they feel that we have broken a rule of prom, then what the hell are they going to do? Acting resentful will make them look evil. Feeling resentful will make them bitch about it to other people, but in amongst that someone might bring up the point that, really, nothing occurred that shouldn't have occurred. Most of them, as I'm sure you would agree, are human. Would they really be able to feel that, say, Lizzie winning Prom Queen was an insult and not end up questioning themselves as to why they felt that and what the hell was wrong with the whole thing anyway and why did it matter?
It's a small thing, but it'd say a lot. They talk about us as a whole, and they don't say nice things, and I know because I've heard some of them. Don't feel guilty for stealing. Get revenge without hurting anyone, and come back to 6th form in September all ungloating and serene and any unpleasantness will blow over. And we'll all live happily ever after. But then, that's how all the theoretical situations that I set up end...
This is assuming we win by group voting. Which we could.
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