It’s May again and for many that means it’s “prom season.”  This year we can expect more stories about this tradition because of the growing trend of people taking their favorite celebrity to similar formal events.
 
Last year, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis were asked to and attended the Marine Corps Ball.  Recently, headlines mentioned Jeremy Lin, Taylor Swift, and Tim Tebow were invited to proms.
 
In this situation, I can almost feel some sympathy for these famous folks.  They must get deluged with these requests, many of them attached to sad stories.  It’s harder to turn these down since more and more of your “colleagues” seem to be accepting them. 
 
I’m sure it’s much easier to turn down requests found in hate mail.  “Thank you for writing, but I will not go [blank] myself.  Here’s a photo of me.  Please keep watching and buy my book.  Enjoy.”
 
Most of the folks accepting tend to be the D-list types going not out of the goodness of their heart, but as a publicity stunt (in some cases, maybe for a free meal).  There are lots of other ways to be charitable without making a scene.  Celebrities showing up will definitely cause a headache for event organizers who themselves are often volunteering their time.  I bet this doesn’t cross their minds.  Well, in many cases not much of anything crosses their minds; perhaps the occasional tumbleweed.
 
It’s time to kill this fad.  Someone has to do a great satire of the whole thing.  Here’s an idea.  I am well beyond prom years, but my driver’s license is expiring this summer.  Should I ask a celebrity to accompany me to the DMV?  Which one would be up for mocking the whole concept?  Feel free to steal this idea.