Random little anecdote: A kid at my school got suspended for 2 weeks for calling the school librarian hot. This happened years ago and it was a big scandal lmao
Rosa: Wow, she is good at shushing.
Jake: I know. She's like a librarian.
Rosa: You mean like a sexy librarian?
Jake: No, a regular one!
One of my duties at work is IT Support for librarians in the State Penitentiaries. I have so much respect for librarians and their profession. They deserve more support from our governments. They are people making a difference.
Librarians are unironically the best people in any town.
My local ones hosted a masquerade ball, completely free of charge, poetry readings all night, drawing lessons, ballroom dancing, all catered with sandwiches, punch, and chips. Then, as if that wasn't enough, they brought out glasses of brandy and wine for everyone at the end.
Literally better than any club I've been to and it was just one of the things they do regularly.
What's an anti prom? Do you get your virginity certified on that day or something?
Yes, and you get your official golden DARE card!
For real though, prom can be an exclusionary, torturous experience, especially for kids who aren't cisgender, heterosexual, white, neurotypical, able-bodied, or financially comfortable. In very conservative areas, the rules around who can attend often include stipulations that dates must be opposite genders, and the dress code requires assigned-gender conformation. It's not unusual for prom to be held at a country club or other establishment with an exclusionary, bigoted past.
Anti-Prom is an effort to make something fun for the kids that those proms leave behind.
My parents told me about how when they were in school the single and gay kids had to form fake couples to attend prom because everyone was required to have a opposite-gender date. All of the fake couples split the moment they got in the door and passed the requirements and that was at least as far as the farce had to go.
I didn't attent my prom when I was in highschool. My girlfriend at the time couldn't make it and I didn't have any other friends right then so I knew it would be boring and I honestly don't regret it at all
If your 16 year old daughter wants to take an alcoholic 28 year old marine corporal to prom though, that's fine and good. Better get a chauffeur though he lost his driver's license like 3 DUIs back
I was under the impression Proms are organized by high schools but I feel like even in the USA the ACLU or something would've torn that kind of shit down - are they just privately organized events then?
It's...complicated. This is one of those Deep South things where after Brown v. Board schools couldn't formally host segregated proms, so they stopped hosting proms entirely and it became a purely student/parent organized affair (at least in some places). There would be a white prom and then a black prom for the high school. And this is legal because it's a private party. You can do whatever you want for a private party, including making it racially segregated. There's a documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman called Prom Night in Mississippi which is about the first integrated prom at a small Mississippi high school. It's a genuinely fascinating topic in part because of how it makes you think about the fundamental function of prom. I mean, why do proms even exist, what are their functional purposes, cultural antecedents, etc? A lot of how they operate and their purpose is tied to the history of debutante balls, which was a way of "presenting" women into society (which is to say they're ready to be married off in order to form deeper political and economic ties between wealthy families) but they've morphed into a signifier of a sexual "coming of age" of American teenagers. That's why so many movies have teenage characters trying to lose their virginity by prom, or even on prom night itself. In conclusion, prom represents a confluence of racial, gender, and class signifiers (and the innate prejudice associated with those who don't fit the expected mold for those things).
A wholesome thing sounds like:
The theme is Fairy Tales, so feel free to wear a crown. Everyone’s prom king and queen here! Semi-formal/Formal is recommended, but not required. There will be a DJ, free snacks, and a mini Instax photo booth. This event is free and open to high school students up to age 18 only. If your parents insist on attending, they will be banished to the library lobby. No younger/older siblings or friends. The door closes at 8:30 p.m. Once you leave the building, you will not be permitted back in. The Teen Anti Prom is a safe space for you to dance (or not) the night away, no matter your sexuality, gender identity, beliefs, or any other reason.
I've never met a librarian who didn't offer enthusiastic help when asked. I'm sure there are some cranky ones out there, but I can't think of a public facing job where the workers are as cheerful and helpful as librarians. It takes a certain temperament to devote your life to encouraging others to read books.
Legend has it that Nancy Pearl, the model for Archie McPhee's Librarian Action Figure, remembers the name of everyone she's met and their favorite book. A friend of mine has met her twice and that reputation held true.
Is this "we don't deserve X" a new internet fad? If so, I hate it.
Not sure how old this is, but last time April 12. was on a Friday was in 2019.
I always wished to work in a library in some capacity, hopefully I get a chance to in the future, volunteering would be nice too. I kinda saw them as the 'purveyors of knowledge' where they have a ton of goods available and all you need to give is some time and attention.
