How well do you remember your prom? Was it a magical evening filled with sparkling formal wear, fragrant corsages, killer dance moves and the excitement of young love? Or was it about a million times more depressing than that?
Teen movies have a way of presenting prom night as something pretty far from reality. Most high school kids have, at best, a fun night of dancing, and, at worst, one giant humiliation that they’re still not fully recovered from. I, for example, met my prom date at the local grocery store and was forced to watch as he slow-danced with my best friend for the entire night. While I’ve since overcome the embarrassment (mostly), it still stings to think about all these years later.
If your experience was anything like mine, the following 30 tales of #promfails will make you feel a whole lot better. And they’ll make you really glad that you’re no longer an awkward teenager.
This celebrity fail
After asking for people to reveal their most epic prom fails, Jimmy Fallon graciously offered his own.
And it’s a doozy.
I’m pretty sure even Beyoncé couldn’t dance to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
(Actually, she probably could, because Queen Bey can do anything.)
This logical replacement
Smart move, school.
You swapped out one alcohol receptacle for another that actually holds more alcohol.
This Dad joke
Dads, why you gotta be like this?
What is it about embarrassing your children that provides you with so much joy?
Granted, this is a pretty hilarious move and I may have to do something similar when my own kids go to prom.
This snotty surprise
Sure, this had to be a mortifying revelation.
But this guy was prom king.
As someone who most people ignored in high school, I have very little sympathy.
Keep bragging about how popular you were as a teen, Grant.
We’re all so impressed!
This disgusting solution
Oh, honey, no.
Just…no.
Although I suppose this was better than just projectile vom-ing on the dance floor?
This comfy outfit change
Honestly, this would be my dream come true.
Not only is she rocking that Grinch onesie, but I guarantee she was about a million times more comfortable than every other girl at that prom.
Are Grinch onesies the new prom dresses?
I think the answer is pretty obvious.
This sticky swan dive
This one would be tough to shake off.
Plus, if she was covered in punch, it would be tough not to be uncomfortably sticky for the rest of the evening.
This clumsy chaperone
What an enchanting evening this must have been!
I get that he didn’t want his date to miss out, but I’m guessing she would have had a better night if she’d gorged herself on Chicken McNuggets in the McDonald’s parking lot.
This rainy day regret
That’s what she gets for being so demanding with the umbrella!
Karma is real, folks.
This clueless date
Look, some people just don’t know what prom is.
Maybe this guy was homeschooled!
Or has been living under a rock his entire life!
Or maybe he doesn’t know that “prom” is short for “promenade”!
We all learned that from Never Been Kissed, right?
This magical memory
Isn’t it nice to have photographic evidence of the most amazing night of your life?
What a great memory to show your future grandchildren.
This questionable shoe choice
I can’t tell if this is a #promfail or a #promwin.
…it’s a #promfail.
Anything involving crocks is an instant fail.
This rebel without a cause
Let’s file “doing donuts in the school parking lot” as something we all thought was totally cool in high school.
This invisible dress
This is kind of awesome, actually.
And she totally lucked out with that backdrop.
It could have been something far less flattering.
This intercom mix-up
Let’s all feel bad for the unwanted Katelyn in this situation.
I really hope he still took her to prom.
Reject Katelyns need loving too!
This bumbling break-in
I would pay good money to watch that doorbell video.
But I’m guessing she’s destroyed all evidence of this experience at this point.
This maternity photo
As a nine-months pregnant woman, I think she looks fabulous.
She really has that pregnancy glow!
This big ‘ol bummer
Oof.
That’s not good.
For so many reasons.
Just say “no” to spiking.
This blushing bride
I’m sorry, but since when were bouquets a thing at prom?
Or white princess dresses?
She was basically asking for this reaction.
This painful prom night
Look at her smiling through the pain and humiliation!
What a champ!
This perfect gentleman
Honestly, this sounds like the ideal date.
He’s polite, quiet, and won’t make you cry in the bathroom by grinding on his ex-girlfriend in front of your whole school.
These sad tanks
This is horrendously depressing.
But let’s look on the bright side.
At least those tanks weren’t filled with dead fish instead!
This hilarious joke
Yet another reason to be glad that text message signatures are no longer a thing.
Part of me thinks this girl knew exactly what was going on but just wanted to let him down easy.
This exposed moment
After something like this, you’re pretty much forced to change your name and transfer to a different school.
There’s just no other option.
These Doublemint twins
Aren’t sisters just the worst?!
But seriously, can we talk about how extra that Mom was?
Buying EVERY SINGLE DRESS?
Kudos to you, Ma.
Although, obviously, it didn’t work out very well…
This amazing friend
This girl was lucky to have such a nice and devoted friend in her time of need.
I would have probably just wheeled her into a corner and forgotten about her.
This unsurprising outcome
Let’s hope that this guy has gotten a bit more smooth since high school.
Because I can’t think of one lady who finds purple nurples to be a turn on.
These unwelcome spectators
This is just straight-up weird.
The things these parents saw that night cannot be un-seen.
This mean prank
Poor Brandon!
Although I do find it hilariously adorable that he added “she wasn’t there” at the end.
Which means he probably still went into the abandoned warehouse looking for her.
This understandable confusion
Having worn these exact same products at a formal event before, I can see how he would have that reaction.
But it does bring up a rather disgusting image.
This wild night
Compared to these kids, my high school experience was a total snooze.
Kids drank in high school? AND hooked up?
Why did I waste so many nights playing Zelda?!
This bad first impression
Drinking more to make yourself less nervous is never a good idea, kids.
I know this firsthand.
This head injury
Really?!
He couldn’t have yelled, “Heads up!”??
High school kids are the worst.
This gastrointestinal catastrophe
This sounds rough, but it could have been much, much worse.
At least he made it to the bathroom in time.
Otherwise, that night definitely would have been ruined.
(And that suit.)
This total tragedy
Cassidy, you poor thing.
This may be the most depressing thing I’ve ever read.
Why did your parents allow this?!
This epic burn
Ouch!
No one throws shade like Granny!
This terrible tan
Kids, listen up: Do not tan.
I repeat: DO. NOT. TAN.
This zipper incident
While this sounds horrendously painful, I do love that he used the term “beans and frank” to describe his…well…beans and frank.
This legitimate excuse
The fact that she refers to the birth of her child as a “#promfail” is pretty darn sad.
Hopefully, she doesn’t continually remind her kid that they’re the reason she missed out on the most magical night of her life.
This comfy footwear
Here we have yet another photo that begs the question about whether this is a #promfail or a #promwin.
I’m going to give her a #win on this one.
I’m always pro wearing your slippers outside the house, and these may, in fact, be the most glorious slippers I’ve ever seen.
Here’s hoping she didn’t faceplant on the dancefloor due to lack of tread, though.
