It is officially May, and as the flowers start blooming there is something sweet in the air…time for prom and wedding season. Both events revolve around finding the perfect dress, whether it is pure white or bright purple with sequins, and it has me thinking about the ridiculous yet popular show on TLC “Say Yes to the Dress”
This TV staple set in New York, has been entertaining viewers, albeit mostly females, since 2007. There have been many successful spinoffs, including one set in Atlanta, Georgia. It features anxious brides on their emotional quest for their fairytale gown. Many of these women act like petulant children who believe it is their parent’s duty to pay thousands of dollars to look like a princess. There is sure to be epic breakdowns and fights between the bride to be and her bridesmaids which change a simple dress fitting into something resembling an episode of Jerry Springer.
Why do so many people get addicted to this show? It must be the odd charm of reality television, or that the lavish wedding boutique is something of a dream store that we all wish we could roam around in. Regardless this show is a macrocosm for the world of prom for high school students. Girls spend hours at malls and stores in hot, horribly lit dressing rooms and their frustration rises as the pile of discarded dresses grows. All of this pressure for a dress they will most likely wear once in their lives. Why is it so important?
Finding “the’ dress is the main objective for prom, after of course choosing a hairstyle, nails, jewelry, shoes and makeup. Although (hopefully) the dresses do not fit the 1,000-40,000 price range of the show, there are many who will spend all they have saved from a part time job…or ask mom and dad to chip in to afford the confections of taffeta and satin.
Shows like “Say Yes to the Dress” glamorize the search for a dress and focuses on the materialistic side. Would anyone pay attention if the wedding gowns were not so beautiful and expensive? Would anyone pay attention if there wasn’t any drama on the show? Maybe this is misleading and a bad influence.
Yet it is understandable that every girl deserves to feel like a princess for one night (or maybe a few more). Watching TLC and going crazy about a prom dress isn’t wrong, but obsessing and acting like people on reality TV is.