Put your hand on my
shoulder.
This is the image that most people have of prom
night, the days when poodle skirts were the
rage and you could hold your baby close,
but things have changed.
Of course, the music and the outfits have
changed, but the biggest difference in a 1980s
prom is the money that's being spent on one
night of memories.
I don't know about your prom memories, but I
remember worrying about getting the right color
flowers in the corsage to match the girl's
dress. Now, the big concern is
getting the right color limo.
And this night there were plenty of limos, not
to mention the Jaguars and the occasional Rolls
Royce. Others chose a more traditional Texas
mode of travel.
One hundred and fifty bucks paid for a horse
drawn carriage ride while some couples decided
to pay three hundred and seventy five dollars
an hour for door to door helicopter service.
How much did you did you spend?
Personally, I'm getting this night together.
About four hundred dollars.
About four hundred. And you?
About 250.
For me, it's about 10, 15 hours.
About two hundred and thirty five dollars
to get ready for tonight.
Does that bother you or does it kind of shake
you? No, no, no.
It's a lot of fun. It's going to be worth it,
I'm sure. How about you for the gentleman?
How much are you spending it tonight together?
At least two hundred dollars.
By no means were these kids the big spenders.
Here are just some of the dollars and cents of
this prom night.
The guys paid between ten and twenty five
dollars for flowers, 50 to 80 dollars
for a tux and about thirty five dollars for a
prom ticket.
Then comes the food.
Dinners range from 50 to one hundred dollars
per couple or no Big Macs.
For these high schoolers, a limo cost anywhere
from two hundred and fifty to three hundred and
fifty dollars for the ride to and from the
prom. If you opt for pictures, tack
another ten to fifty dollars on your tab,
depending on what kind of package you go for.
The girls, on the other hand, had to buy a prom
dress, get shoes to match and then get a
hairdo. It's been a it's just a little
different from past prom nights.
I remember worrying about my dates, spending
too much money. I was very conscious of the
fact that I didn't want to spend too much money
in somebody's background.
Now, they don't have this now.
People weren't trying to keep up with the
Joneses so much to thank them.
They were just having fun getting together for
one more time. You mean you didn't go to your
prom in a Rolls Royce?
I didn't know what a Rolls-Royce was when I was
a senior in high school. I don't think maybe a
high school senior wouldn't have worn red high
top tennis shoes to a prom twenty years ago.
But there's one thing that hasn't changed.
Teenagers still have their priorities in the
right place. My name is.
Mom pays for it.
Mark Schumacher, Channel 5 News tonight,
Dallas'.