Can someone please explain to me why on earth, in this day and age, we still embrace the useless popularity contest which is the High School Homecoming Royalty Court?
I went to my daughter's high school homecoming football game last night. It was the first and last football game I have ever been to at her high school. I have nothing against football, and when I do go to a game I am usually surprised by how fun the atmosphere is and ask myself why I don't do this more often, yadda yadda yadda. We're just not a very sports-y family. My daughter was singing the national anthem for the game, so it was a perfect opportunity to go to just one game.
She did a great job, but as it happens at smaller schools, the antiquated speaker system was not cooperating and we could only hear every other word. Oh well.
My daughter went off with her friends, and my parents and I decided to stick around at least for a couple of quarters and maybe see what goes on at half time. My mom actually teaches at the school, but she doesn't go to the games in general either. She just came along to hear her granddaughter.
From what I could tell, not much has changed at the high school football scene. The boys crash into each other like big organized cavemen, and the girls decorate the sidelines, tossing themselves and each other around in short skirts and ribbons. I don't really have a problem with this. I suppose there are times when one might use this scene is a microcosm of everything that is either wrong or right with gender roles in society, but I'm not terribly concerned with that right now.
HOWEVER- what did get my hamster wheel turning was the half time performance. After the standard dance line number, it was finally the time we had all been waiting for, apparently. Loads of parents, teens, and administrators strutted out into the center of the field, accompanied by the drum of unintelligible introductions and accolades pouring forth from the speakers, for we would now all witness the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen.
Oooh that's right. I remember this stuff. I asked my mom:
"Is this a merit-based nomination or something?"
"No."
"Is it still just a big popularity contest?"
"Yes."
"What does it accomplish?"
"Nothing, really."
"Well then why do we do it?"
"I really have no idea."
"So, the administrators all line up and applaud these kids who got votes- and we don't know how they earned those votes? Does anyone even WANT to be the homecoming king or queen these days?"
"Well it's usually a football player and his girlfriend, who is usually a cheerleader."
And there it was. That's how it was at my school 20 years ago, how about yours?
My sister's niece had been crowned the queen at a homecoming or prom the year before, and she broke up her crown and handed pieces to all the nominees. We've heard stories about winners who hand their crowns to fellow nominees. These are genuine gestures to share or even deflect the spotlight; but really, why are we doing this in the first place? So I asked my daughter the next day:
"So, how do people get nominated for homecoming royalty?"
"I don't know. Nobody even cares."
"Do they campaign or something?"
"No"
"Well then why are you doing it?"
"I don't know. The same people win year after year anyway. Honestly no one cares."
Why are administrators perpetuating this tradition? (Unlike student government or student councils, winners don't seem to DO anything after their "elections," right?) The stands full of kids weren't watching who won, my mom the teacher didn't really have much to add on the matter, and my daughter couldn't have cared less. I did see a mom or two fawning all over their daughters and sons on the court but that's about it.
I would like to believe that the apathy I saw was because the kids are smarter than the administrators on this one. It hasn't quite occurred to them that maybe they should attempt to put an end to it, but IMHO, this kind of fake-y popularity stuff needs to go the way of the dodo bird. Keep the fun homecoming banners and alumni parties and honors and all, but this whole robing of a king, queen, and court seems like a perpetuation of bad stereotypes which have seen their day and need to go bye bye.
I did a little research out of curiosity, and asked the Googles things like "Why Homecoming Courts Are Lame" or "How to be Homecoming Queen." And yes, I was specifically looking to see if I'm the only one on the planet who might hold a less than favorable opinion on homecoming courts.
It looks like I might be.
I discovered an article which details specifically how to lay groundwork to get yourself voted in as the Homecoming Queen. It had been viewed over 115,000 times. (Oh good. only 115K. But also WHAT? 115k people read this!) More interestingly, I found what seems to me as a sort of new and evolved contest for the hearts of communities in articles about court nominees who are autistic, special needs, gay, transgendered, or any other nominee who seems to break the "football player and his girlfriend" mold.
Hmmm.
So, if we throw in a nominee "type" that catches attention, then suddenly these homecoming courts are worth watching? One article called homecoming courts "important" for breaking old stereotypes. (okay. Point taken) Another article boasted of how pro-active they are about removing racism from their nomination process.(Well, duh!) If homecoming court nominations are a platform for our social and political landscape, then suddenly there's a stamp of approval on THOSE kinds of popularity contests? I'm not convinced. IT IS STILL A POPULARITY CONTEST. I'd love to hear if someone has a convincing reason for when popularity contests are ever okay.
Pretend the homecoming court is a sandwich. Maybe it was always a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If I take the peanut butter and jelly off the slices of bread and put ham and cheese there instead, it is STILL A SANDWICH, and I'll pass either way, thank you very much.
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