With relieved looks all around, Phyllis Clark and Cliff Roach leave for a dance “after checking deadline with Phyllis’ father, Robert Clark.” Each spring, prom season forces renegotiation of curfew treaties in households everywhere. In 1960, this is how it broke down according to a Purdue University survey: While 48 percent of high school seniors had to be home at 1 a.m. or earlier on most weekends, on prom night 42 percent said they had no specific deadline, 30 percent could push it to between 2 and 4 a.m., and 9 percent could party all night. Let the haggling begin.
Percentage of teens who wear Eminem-logo clothing who say they obey their parents’ curfews: 81.
Percentage among wearers of Christina Aguilera clothing: 34.
Percentage of municipalities that had nighttime youth curfews in 1997: 79.
Percentage two years earlier: 69.
Ratio of teens who approve of such curfews to those who don’t: 1-1.
Weeks before prom that guys are encouraged to ask for a date: 4.
Months before prom that girls are encouraged to start dress shopping: 4.
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Flashback sources: Tribune files, iSwag.com, promadvice.com, pageantrymagazine.com.
