Summary: It's considered by many to be a rite of passage, but Blunt reporter David Barber-Callaghan isn't sure whether he wants to go to his senior prom. In search of advice he turns to his classmates, past graduates, and his own mother.
David Barber-Callaghan is caught in a classic high-school quagmire; should he or should he not go to his Senior High School Prom? It's a complicated matter filled with questions that need answering. Complicating the matter is the seemingly tenuous obligation of going. David searches for answers and in doing so, delivers a wonderful piece of radio.
David is concerned with the duality of the prom scene. We learn this when David says, "I love to dance, but I know I'll hate the music. I'd like to dress up to the nine's and look my best, but I hate the sheer materialism of prom. I want a date, but I don't want to risk rejection by actually asking anyone."
As Dickens tells us in A Tale Of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." And that's precisely the problem for David. What if it's the latter?
In search for answers David cleverly seeks out past graduates for advice. A very nice touch on his part.
David also seeks out answers from his fellow classmates. In doing so we hear both sides of the coin. We hear from those who are totally adamant about going and answer in a way that seems to suggest your insane if you don't go. And then we hear from other's who shrug prom off as a waste of money and distasteful dancing.
And so the quagmire continues. David focuses his inquiry on one final question, will he have fun? A Facebook event invitation seems to suggest so.
In the end we don't know whether David goes or not, a real cliff-hanger. I would absolutley love to hear a follow up piece to this! Did he go? We're dying to know! David, tell us already will you! Encore! Encore! Encore!
P.S. - I love the thumbnail picture!!! If ever there was a picture that captured the "sheer materialism" and the sort of obligated nature of prom, this is it! The picture alone lures me in to listen.
P.S.S. - People don't say "dress up to the nine's" enough.
Should I Stay or Should I Go is a great feature for any prom show. I really loved this piece for it's portrayal of a huge high school dilemma: Should I even go to prom? Whether or not to even attend prom is a common problem in high school that is really underplayed in movies which tend to assume everyone goes to prom. DBC goes about his decision with a very scientific method getting as much input as possible some of which includes surveys, phone interviews and the all important motherly advice. In the end he concludes that "he'd be a fool not to attend" the last high school hoorah. My only issue with this feature lay in the use of "Stairway to Heaven" in the intro and outro which seemed like it didn?t fit the prom theme. Other than that I thought it was really well produced and covered the topic completely (even touching on cost of prom).
You'd be a fool not to give this piece a listen!
The subtle instrumentals add emotion to what the speaker is saying, similar to how background music is used in movie scenes. The issue is whether David Barber-Callaghan should go to prom or not. It's interesting because most teens feel very strongly about this type of event; either they're definitely going or definitely not going. Callaghan weighs both the pros and cons of prom night while scooping out the final decision within himself. It's a bit shocking that he isn't sure of his decision only a week before the big night. When I heard that detail it even made me feel a bit of his stress. It was interesting to see how involved he got with his peers to hear what they had to say and added some background information to the piece making it more real. His mother's input was refreshing to hear as well because the audience gets to hear how she feels about the possibility of her son not going to prom but the decision is still ultimately up to Callaghan. The end of the piece implies that he is indeed going to prom but perhaps Callaghan could have provided some details as to how he was going to prepare for prom in such a short amount of time.
Comments for Should I Stay or Should I Go (To the Prom)
Produced by David Barber-Callaghan
Other pieces by Blunt Youth Radio Project
Rating Summary
3 comments
Scott Meyers
Posted on June 26, 2008 at 06:17 PM | Permalink
Review of Should I Stay or Should I Go (To the Prom)
David Barber-Callaghan is caught in a classic high-school quagmire; should he or should he not go to his Senior High School Prom? It's a complicated matter filled with questions that need answering. Complicating the matter is the seemingly tenuous obligation of going. David searches for answers and in doing so, delivers a wonderful piece of radio.
David is concerned with the duality of the prom scene. We learn this when David says, "I love to dance, but I know I'll hate the music. I'd like to dress up to the nine's and look my best, but I hate the sheer materialism of prom. I want a date, but I don't want to risk rejection by actually asking anyone."
As Dickens tells us in A Tale Of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." And that's precisely the problem for David. What if it's the latter?
In search for answers David cleverly seeks out past graduates for advice. A very nice touch on his part.
David also seeks out answers from his fellow classmates. In doing so we hear both sides of the coin. We hear from those who are totally adamant about going and answer in a way that seems to suggest your insane if you don't go. And then we hear from other's who shrug prom off as a waste of money and distasteful dancing.
And so the quagmire continues. David focuses his inquiry on one final question, will he have fun? A Facebook event invitation seems to suggest so.
In the end we don't know whether David goes or not, a real cliff-hanger. I would absolutley love to hear a follow up piece to this! Did he go? We're dying to know! David, tell us already will you! Encore! Encore! Encore!
P.S. - I love the thumbnail picture!!! If ever there was a picture that captured the "sheer materialism" and the sort of obligated nature of prom, this is it! The picture alone lures me in to listen.
P.S.S. - People don't say "dress up to the nine's" enough.
Libby Donovan
Posted on June 04, 2008 at 03:34 PM | Permalink
Review of Should I Stay or Should I Go
Should I Stay or Should I Go is a great feature for any prom show. I really loved this piece for it's portrayal of a huge high school dilemma: Should I even go to prom? Whether or not to even attend prom is a common problem in high school that is really underplayed in movies which tend to assume everyone goes to prom. DBC goes about his decision with a very scientific method getting as much input as possible some of which includes surveys, phone interviews and the all important motherly advice. In the end he concludes that "he'd be a fool not to attend" the last high school hoorah. My only issue with this feature lay in the use of "Stairway to Heaven" in the intro and outro which seemed like it didn?t fit the prom theme. Other than that I thought it was really well produced and covered the topic completely (even touching on cost of prom).
You'd be a fool not to give this piece a listen!
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 31, 2008 at 06:38 AM | Permalink
Review of Should I Stay or Should I Go
The subtle instrumentals add emotion to what the speaker is saying, similar to how background music is used in movie scenes. The issue is whether David Barber-Callaghan should go to prom or not. It's interesting because most teens feel very strongly about this type of event; either they're definitely going or definitely not going. Callaghan weighs both the pros and cons of prom night while scooping out the final decision within himself. It's a bit shocking that he isn't sure of his decision only a week before the big night. When I heard that detail it even made me feel a bit of his stress. It was interesting to see how involved he got with his peers to hear what they had to say and added some background information to the piece making it more real. His mother's input was refreshing to hear as well because the audience gets to hear how she feels about the possibility of her son not going to prom but the decision is still ultimately up to Callaghan. The end of the piece implies that he is indeed going to prom but perhaps Callaghan could have provided some details as to how he was going to prepare for prom in such a short amount of time.