The Prom King

My mom hates this movie.


She has valid reasons though. It's pretty slow in observation of regular people. There's a lot of things going on, and yet it is still pretty drawn out. The drama is subtle, and the tone is one to get use to.


She fell asleep mid way through the movie. And woke up towards the end, only to say "What the hell was this about"


I have my pro's and con's about the movie, but for the most part any adaptation of a Tom Perrotta book, i generally will come to love.
Eventually.


My favorite part of the whole movie is the introduction of Brad (the sort of Naked Patrick Wilson on the left). When the camera pans on the women glaring at the sexy stay at home dad with the toddler on his shoulders, you kind of fall for him. Being a fan of nicknames i was particulary in love with the one the women gave him "The Prom King". For apparently he's perfect in every single way (except for the whole cheating on wife thing).


On Friday after hearing about the new co-worker Chad, this scene came into my mind. He'd only been there for an interview but he stirred enough interest in everyone that we were all sort of was for today to get here, when our "Prom King" would grace the office.



When i came into the office today, there was a nervous energy in the air. Debbie Downer (the boss) was sitting at the desk, looking at her ex boyfriends myspace page. We talked about men's idea of the perfect women for a while (because she always talks about that and then bitches about all the young women getting older men), and i think she called me a wallflower (apparently that means because i am shy, i am unassuming even though i'm smart and interesting)



Amanda came in early, dressed in a hot pink shirt bringing with her a small box. Because i'm naturally curious, i asked her what was in it. It was this sparkly pink box with a purple things on it. And my excitement was stirred.



Early Birthday present. No.



Instead it was perfume. Antonio Banderas women's perfume to be exact. She bought it this weekend "for no particular reason", and i guess she just wanted to bring with her to work to show everyone. We then spent the next couple of minutes spraying it on ourselves, until i realized that she only brought the perfume to allure Chad with her scent, and that Antonio Banderas was giving me a headache.



The wheels of everyone's imagination was turning as we waited until 9:30 when he was scheduled to come in for his first day of work. We normally give the new employee a tour of the library and show him some of the stuff we have to do.



We don't normally anxiously wait around, looking at the door every few minutes to see if it is opening. It was pretty pathetic and interesting to watch or be apart of. There was another new guy there, but no one really said anything to him. He just sort of sat to the side, while Debbie Downer kept asking what was keeping Chad.



30 minutes had passed from the time he was schedule to come in. But yet she made us wait a little while longer, before at least giving the other guy a tour.



The Prom King seems to represent something for everyone. An unattainable person for Debbie Downer. A flirtatious conquest for Amanda. A resolution to Kathleen that her married life and new baby are all she needs in this world. And i haven't yet figured out what he represents for me seeing that i haven't seen his face.


I don't know what it is about our image of the ideal masculine male which pulls women in. I think we have this idea that unhappiness is not something that they have. That there perfection is written on their scuplted faces. There are no such things as bad days for them. Their family life is perfect, their social life is more perfect, and his beauty only proves all of that. We (as in everyone) wish to attain his charm and assumed perfections by associating ourselves with him. Because maybe once we do, our own sort of complacency and dissatisfaction of our lives will fade away. Or at least that is what we imagine.

I mean for the most part we didn't know anything about him about ( i didn't even see his face) except that he dressed nicely and smelled good. Oh and he had a gorgeous face. But we had created this idol from that, and it didn't matter if he couldn't live up to it.

Unfortunately "The Prom King" didn't even show up today. His first day and he wasn't even there. Amanda said she was over him, as she put her perfume up. Debbie Downer, returned to myspace where she went on and on about her ex boyfriend denying her the family she wanted, and Kathleen said everyone was stupid any way for creating an imaginary boyfriend from some guy no one really knew.

I think she's the smartest one of us all. And that's hard to say seeing most days i don't like her.