Issue 08
LIKE THE EMMY’S…
By Meredith WhittakerPhoto By Racine Heritage Museum
Illustration By Matthew Goldman
A good-looking, MILFish woman and a man with a very current, very daring goatee pass their tongues over their teeth one last time before the TV cameras roll, and Racine, Wisconsin’s local cable newscast begins: “Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Time Warner coverage of the Rotary prom festival parade.”
Before continuing her report, the well-coifed woman turns to her co-anchor, then gives the obligatory local shout-out: “Meanwhile, my hair: I went this afternoon to The Look, and B.J. over at The Look did my hair for me, and I feel so elegant…” Understanding his cue, the co-anchor turns stiffly from the camera, and proclaims effusively, “And you look elegant! Too bad you gotta wear these headphones, eh?” Indeed, her hair must be eclipsed for the sake of work. She understands this as she prepares to interview the prom court from each of the nine schools attending Racine’s all-city prom.
The all-city prom, an “all-night gala celebration,” began nearly 50 years ago as a Rotary Club endeavor aimed at preventing seniors from undue post-prom revelry. Since then, it has become Racine’s most beloved holiday.
After attending their high schools’ individual proms, the celebrants converge. Like an army relieved to finally withdraw from some grubby garrison town, a shrieking procession—Hummer limos, bow-spangled Sebring convertibles, “classic” cars (think aquamarine PT Cruiser with purple flames), and, one year, even a corn-fed Midwestern boy turbaned in blue satin atop a rented elephant—winds its way downtown to the prom’s nexus. Here, the revelers spend the evening entertained with karaoke, trivia, a DJ spinnin’ hip-hop’s clean versions, and a bounce room. Bleachers filled with screaming parents and siblings line a strip of red carpet, and the arrival of the first limo provokes a startled outburst from the newscasters: “Oh! Here we go! It looks like the first car from St. Catherine’s High School has arrived. Oh, and don’t they look nice!”
So it begins. The rows of cars spit out their nattily dressed inhabitants. Like a pack of zebras, boys in black-and-white tuxes create optically illusive masses as they rush toward the cameras. Indistinct faces shout unpracticed, barely articulate greetings into the overcrowded lenses: “Whaz up mom!” “Wessst siiide…yeah!” “See what I’m sayin’? See what I’m sayin’? It’s not a game!”
Drunk on celebrity, the youth of Racine are given a stage on which to sparkle. This enthusiasm, to which even the most loving parent usually gives only a knowing smile, is embraced by the whole town. The streets are blockaded for the “parade.” Businesses capitalize on the town’s myopic focus with prom specials on everything from propane to bedroom furniture. Even Bucket’s, a neighborhood bar on the outskirts of town, boasts coverage of the prom on a homemade banner out front. As Mike, a loyal Bucket’s patron, explains as he tears himself from the televised prom commentary, “You see, this morning I was sittin’ at my ma’s house, and I seen this horse and carriage go by, and I say, ‘Ma, it must be prom night.’ And it is. And. It. Is.” Y
Intrigued? Matson Films has released a DVD of OVO Art Collective’s feature-length documentary, The World’s Best Prom. www.worldsbestprom.com