Alien Invasion: High-School Prom
Lands in England, Causes a Bother
Middle-Class Kids, Moved by American TV,
Go for It in a Big -- and Oh-So-Gaudy -- Way
By JEANNE WHALEN and ISABELLA LISK
June 17, 2008; Page A1
ORSETT, England -- Lisa Pickin arrived in style at her 2008 high-school prom in this middle-class town an hour east of London. The stretch Jeep limo, lilac ball gown and accessories cost her parents about £550, or $1,080. Her upswept blond curls took her aunt two hours to fashion.
WSJ's Jeanne Whalen reports on how British teens are embracing one of America's traditions: the high school prom. (June 17)
Britain, the land of school uniforms, rigorous exams and ivy-covered school halls, is embracing an American invasion: the high-school prom.
British teenagers say they've seen the events in movies like "American Pie" and television shows such as "The O.C.," and they want the chance to dress up and rent limousines themselves. That means a new reason for Britons to worry about the dilution of their culture, a new burden on parents' pocketbooks, and new businesses selling prom essentials such as tuxedos and corsages...
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Alien Invasion: High-School Prom Lands in England, Causes a Bother - WSJ.com
