I don't agree with her being arrested, however, I DO agree that this is inappropriate

[CatWoman]

Skimpy prom dress lands teen in cuffs



HOUSTON—Marche Taylor’s prom night experience wasn’t what you would call “the norm.”

That’s because instead of a night of dancing and hanging out with friends, the Madison High School senior ended up in a confrontation with school officials and escorted out in handcuffs. Officials said her dress was inappropriate for the prom.

“I actually like the dress. Everybody else likes my dress,” Taylor said.

Madison High’s prom took place at the Sugar Land Marriott, but Taylor only got as far as the lobby. When she tried to enter the ballroom, an official stopped her.

She was told her custom-made dress violated the school dress code.

“She shook her head, she was like ‘you are not getting into this prom,’” said Taylor. “We were arguing back and forth because I wanted to know why I can’t get into my prom.”

Even after offering to provide more cover, Taylor was denied access to the final soiree of the school year.


http://www.khou.com/news/local/education/stories/khou080509_tj_promdress.e4ef3d2b.html

[Rex]

1. All the hot superstars dress like that and kids are supposed to respect

'stars' and the like. Kinda a doubt standard what did all the other kids dress like? Oh and I do agree, not appropriate, but LET HER IN sheesh...how many proms will there be? Just had to end in arrest. :eyes:

[napi21]

9. Who told you to "respect" stars? Hell, I'm old, and I NEVER

respected any Stars! My prom days had Marylin Monroe & Jane Mansfield amoung others. IF I would have dressed like either of them for my prom, first, I never would have gotten out of MY HOUSE, and if I had snuck out and changed somewhere else, I sure never would have gotten in the front door at the prom.

Most stars presumably have some talent, and I can understand that you would respect and admire them for that, but they dress like they do for the shock factor, NOT to gain respect.

[Rex]

43. Well respect could be the wrong word, how about infatuation or

idol worship or something along those lines. Guess I wasn't clear enough and used the wrong word. :shrug:

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

51. They were given the dress code ahead of time

She knowingly broke it, chalk it up to a life lesson that is, unless, we decided to give her a pas on the rules then her lesson is rules dont apply to her. Given that she got so loud they had to call the police I would guess she has already learned the latter lesson..

BTW this is one of the stars kids are supposedly going to admire


Looks down right classy compared to the street walkers dress this girl was wearing.

[Rex]

68. Well I guess she deserved to be arrested then. Case closed.

Nice try but I could find a hundred pictures of stars in skimpy cloths, going to the Oscars or the like. Like I said, nice try.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

73. She was not arrested for dressing like a whore, 'Nice try'

she was arrested for making a scene in a hotel lobby.. Had she left when they informed her she broke the dress code she would not have been arrested. Had she went and got something more appropriate she would have then be allowed in.

[Rex]

78. You are the one who had to throw up a picture so maybe you should

check your own logic at the door first. Thanks.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

83. I feel sorry for those "little angels", having an authoritarian misogynist dickwad for a father.

Poor things.

:scared:

[Runcible Spoon]

84. ......

:dilemma: :dilemma:.......


:applause: :rofl: :spray:

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

86. There are quite a few here who have said

they would not let their kids leave the house dressed like that, I guess they are all authoritarian and misogynist right?

[bbernardini]

88. Didn't you know?

If you speak ill of women in any way, you're a misogynist.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

90. It would seem that if you speak ill of a prticular woman

you're a misogynist... Im just a bit peeved the someone will take crap about me in an old thread and not even to me (so I can see the reply) but to people in general... Fortunately when I opened up my browser the demo.... complete to the this thread address..

[smoogatz]

2. Why wasn't this girl at MY prom?

Life is so unfair.

[CatWoman]

4. LOL -

Post of the year.

DUzy material!!! :rofl:

[Sabriel]

3. OK, I'll be the first to ask the question

If she were white, would she have been arrested?

(And prom-goers don't typically dress like that here in Wisconsin. Brrrrrr.)

[madinmaryland]

10. If she was flying on Southwest Airlines, then yes.

:shrug:

[op6203]

11. I don't think her race had anything to do with this case

While I agree race is sometimes (often) an issue, I don't think it was in this case. The principal, cops, and everyone in the background of the photos (shown in the video) appear to be of the same race.

Plus, she wasn't taken to jail... just escorted outside in handcuffs (which I strongly disagree with).

[jpljr77]

13. Maybe. There is a precedent

That's the prom dress that an American Idol contestant wore to her prom. Of course, we don't know if she was hassled about this, or even if she wore it to the prom proper. But that was a widely circulated image a couple of years ago.

[Dorian Gray]

82. And she looks like trash....

[emilyg]

32. Yes, she would.

[Warpy]

35. I think she'd have been told to go home and put some clothes on

I think the arrest came because she was giving them an argument, not because she looked like she was going to audition for lap dances.

I can imagine the reaction from my parents if I'd ever tried this when I was in high school...or college...or when I was 30.

[PDJane]

5. It's a bit skimpy, but I don't get the fuss..........

it's not something that I'd call the police over, and I think that the actions of the school are prudish and silly.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

52. Its more than a bit skimpy

But regardless the police were not dispatched on a call of skanky dressed girl wants in the prom, they were called because she was flipping out in the lobby of a hotel.

[blondeatlast]

6. Two issues here: The story doesn't say if there was a written dress code, if not, the school was

negligent as hell, and if she had something more to cover herself up with as the story states, why didn't she have it on when she entered and take the cover off once she was there?

No rights, no wrongs here--but from what I read, the arrest was overthe top.

[Bucky]

27. This occured in my school district. Yes, we have dress codes for school events.

She wasn't arrested for the dress, she was arrested for the confrontation. It's still wrong, of course--particularly the handcuffs. But this girl knew her dress was out of dress code for a school event.

[blondeatlast]

49. Thanks--that's kinda what I figured. Sounds as if she wanted to cause a sensation

and got way more than she bargained for.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

53. There was a printed dress code ahead of time

I saw the story yesterday on CNN and they showed a copy of the code. She did not have something to cover her self up with she tried taking the only part of the cress that was a decent length and wrapping around her mid section to et through the door, id bet 10$ it would not have stayed in that configuration.

She was not arrested, she was escorted out by police because she was making a scene at a hotel..

[Gato Moteado]

7. the prison industrial complex keeps on rolling along....

...finding new ways to incarcerate african americans.

hey folks....it's time to do something. pot smokers, prostitutes, and other harmless, victimless "criminals" are filling up the prison system. now they're going after high school prom goers. yet bush, cheney, oil executives, crooked CEOs, corporate polluters, crooked bankers, republican congressmen and senators are still walking free.

he-LLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[op6203]

12. She's wasn't taken to jail

While I agree with your overall sentiment, she wasn't incarcerated.

[Gato Moteado]

20. not this time......

...but two more strikes and off she goes.

[LanternWaste]

61. You think she's going to try

You think she's going to try wearing that dress to her prom two more times...?

[Dreamer Tatum]

28. Yeah, she was sentenced to 40 years in Huntsville

:eyes:

[Ghost in the Machine]

8. Welcome to Amerikkka, Marche Taylor...

You *must* conform and march in lockstep with the fascist police state...

:sarcasm:

[Dreamer Tatum]

79. Does DU bandwidth come for free if "fascist" is used a minimum number of times?

Quoth Inigo Montoya: "I do not think that means what you think that means."

[madrchsod]

14. the dress violated the dress code

which she knew it did. someone should have told the children on both sides to shut up,hand the girl something to cover her up,and forget about the whole dam thing...but no it`s now a big story....hard to figure out who was more childish...

[Mz Pip]

15. Dress?

There's a dress on her? I'm missing it.

[Coyote_Bandit]

16. The "dress"

got her denied access to the prom. The attitude that followed and resulted in some sort of ruckus is what landed her in handcuffs. Not sure I have a problem with that. I'd have even less problem if I knew that the school had clearly communicated a dress code for the prom in advance.

[Ilsa]

17. "Everyone" liked her dress? I'm sure the guys did. Her parents let her

out of the house dressed like that?

[Beregond2]

18. Oh please.

This girl knew perfectly well she would never get through the door in that "dress." It was just a bid for attention.

The real question is, why would a girl with no breasts want to draw so much attention to the fact?

[CatWoman]

23. *SNARF*

:rofl:

[timtom]

26. Being a democratic sort,

I find small breasts as appealing as large breasts.

[Bucky]

29. Being a teacher sort...

I think this kid knew she wasn't in line with dress code. She was pushing the envelope, and this time the envelope decided to push back. The handcuffs are over the line, obviously, but her mother should have been called in.

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. It would seem she was arrested for refusing to leave, not for what she was wearing

[timtom]

34. Actually, my post was an attempt at gentle humor.

To be sure, there is no doubt that she was out of line with her apparel.

However, that does raise the interesting issue of "contemporary community standards", doesn't it?

[spoony]

72. I liked it, lol

Certainly a novel way to use the idea of being democratic. I imagine there's a good "big tent" joke here, too, but I'm too sleepy to come up with it.

[greenbriar]

50. the handcuffs were probably because of her smart ass attitude

when refused admission

[Dreamer Tatum]

30. I know that area of Houston very well

And can probably assure you that she did this very innocently, meaning that she
didn't intend to cause trouble, and that the standards of dress for the prom
would have been more lax than at school. It's a shame they turned her away.

I don't see what her breasts have to do with the discussion.

[CatWoman]

38. my brother lives right outside of Sugar Land

Newt Country, isn't it?

[Dreamer Tatum]

46. Forget where the hotel is

James Madison high school is in an overwhelmingly black and hispanic part of south by southwest Houston. It has been so
for upwards of 30-35 years. It's part of a school district that has banned that sort of attire for decades. I wouldn't allow
my child to leave the house dressed like that, but for her and her friends it was probably no big deal.

And you're thinking of Tom DeLay. Despite the impression that some may have of a completely lily-white suburb kicking out
a provocatively dressed young woman, the fact is that that part of Houston, and certainly Sugarland as well, have been
substantially racially integrated for a very long time.

[CatWoman]

47. I'm sorry

it's kinda hard telling one of those pigs from the other :)

[Dreamer Tatum]

48. Hard to tell them apart, isn't it?

Greasy smiles, phony piety, plump little pasty bodies...

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

55. Right too trampy for your kids

but what can we expect from kids in a "overwhelmingly black and hispanic part of south by southwest Houston" :sarcasm:

[Dreamer Tatum]

56. Hey, if it isn't obvious by now, I LIVED THERE

And went to SCHOOL THERE.

And no, I would prefer that my kids cover up more. Her family may allow otherwise.

Feel free to try stirring the pot any old time, though.




(edited to remove name-calling...sorry)

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

57. Im just saying there is a subtle racism / clasism to:

Well you know what to expect in those places they really should just let the dress code be looser..

on edit:

Dont know what I was looking at that I read that into your OP, apologies.... I do see it other places on this thread..

[Dreamer Tatum]

60. You drew the inference.

I was pointing out that this isn't a starched, white community hassling and humiliating one young woman. That's all, nothing more.

I can assure you that there are people in that area who would condone the outfit, and those that would never let her leave the house.
I think the only thing we should expect in "those places" is what we expect anywhere: family-defined standards that sometimes conform
to school policy, sometimes not.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

62. But in the end school policy at a school event trups family standards

And this girl knew the standards..

[KG]

19. she looks like Rick James in the picture.

:shrug:

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

21. I thought so,too n/t

[CatWoman]

24. she's in love with mary jane

:hi:

[CatWoman]

25. she's in love with mary jane

:hi:

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. She looks like a transvestite hooker

[blondeatlast]

58. I wasn't going to say that, but I had the same thought. nt

[ismnotwasm]

22. Saw this in the lounge

My basic opinion is that yes, it's revealing, (looks more like beach wear) but so are many "acceptable" prom dresses. Young women at proms tend to do the T&A deal in one form or another. She just took it to a more honest level.

I think it's kind of gutsy, evidently she designed it herself.

[Elspeth]

36. They called the POLICE over a dress??

Good Lord!

[Warpy]

40. No, they called them because she wouldn't

take no for an answer and gave them an argument.

If she'd left to go put some clothes on, not only would she not have been arrested, she would have been admitted.

Apparently, standing up for her right to look like a young guy in very bad drag was more important.

[Elspeth]

42. I thought she looked pretty good, if a little over the top

But prom gowns have been really getting risque lately.

[CatWoman]

45. you must not have seen post 39 yet

:rofl:

[Goblinmonger]

65. I haven't heard exactly the chain of events

but the police might already have been at the event. They took her out when she created a scene. I teach at a small school in rural Wisconsin and our police liason officer was at our prom two weeks ago. I imagine that might be true at a large metro school, too.

[Cleita]

37. In my day when strapless formals were the fashion, we

weren't allowed to wear them at our prom unless covered up with little bolero type jackets that we had to keep on during the whole shebang. The jackets came off once the prom was over and the after prom private parties started.

I must say that dress is more appropriate for a pool party than a prom though. Arresting the girl was very over the top and downright stupid. In my day, the girl whose prom dress wasn't appropriate was sent home to change into something else or just not return if she didn't want to change her clothes.

[CatWoman]

39. Ha!!! think that's bad?

I googled "ghetto prom":

[Elspeth]

41. Hey Warpy, you need to look at Cat Woman's pics

Compared to these, our girl was the epitome of taste.

[lumpy]

70. Less is more and big is beautiful (and more)

v

[AspenRose]

87. !

:wow:

[Bluebear]

44. The picture looks like some bizarre "before and after" makeover

[Sundoggy]

54. Someone call the fashion police n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

59. I'm surprised they didn't put her parents in jail

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3278402

[Truth2Tell]

63. Good for her.

Authoritarian bullshit. "Dress codes" are control mechanisms employed by people with egos run amok. Lots of the same displayed in this thread.

[K8-EEE]

64. My daughter's prom had a clear dresscode....

And she would NOT have been allowed through the door in that get-up!

Save it for the beach -- how tacky!

[seabeyond]

66. she wanted confrontation. she got it. n/t

[Hobarticus]

67. She wasn't arrested for the dress....

Sounds like once she couldn't get in, she wanted her money back and refused to leave when asked by hotel security, so they eventually called police.

[JimmyJubes]

69. I agree

But it's Texas so what do you expect?

[LisaL]

71. I saw it on TV. She was demonstrating her dress.

That dress sure doesn't look any less revealing on TV. She also mentioned something about undergarments. She was told she can't get into the prom because she had no undergarments on, although she says she had some on. It's a rather short dresss.
It's still a high school.
A frontal view of the dress.
http://www.wltx.com/FYI/story.aspx?storyid=61960

[Greyhound]

74. Good god, what year is this, 1908?

Are we the same "liberals" that condemned "those dirty foreigners" because they couldn't afford the thousand layer look that "nice people" wore then, or because they "smelled bad" because they actually used spices in their food? Are we the self appointed keepers of decency, willing to ruin other's lives because they don't conform to some arbitrary standard set by the "I'm not very happy, so nobody else is allowed to enjoy their lives" gang?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

75. That post is more chalked full or red herrings than any Ive seen

1) This is not about the cost of the dress, I am sure there were dresses which were more appropriate that were within her budget, hell probably cheaper than this get-up

2) She was not kept out because of hygiene

3) She was not kept out for dietary reasons

4) Missing the prom does not ruin ones life

--

She was given, well in advance I might add, a dress code for a school event Im guessing it did not mention layers, materials, cost, color. I'm sure she was not kept out because she picked the dish with the most spice (or because she smelled bad)...

[Greyhound]

76. The point is, 'who cares'?

How many of the students cared how little she was wearing? We have far less covered people (mostly women) posted on giant billboards and busses, yet this is somehow "inappropriate"? Who gets to say, and why?

This is the kind of thing that does haunts people their entire lives, school in general is pretty traumatic for a lot of people, so, I'll have to dispute your proclamation that "Missing the prom does not ruin ones life", as if there were nothing in between a wonderful evening and ruination.

But that is beside the point, I never said any of those were reasons for the actions in this case, but those are all things done by "liberals" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and we seem to have failed to make much progress in the last century, I'd say we have actually regressed in the last 25.

[LisaL]

77. Who gets to say and why?

The school.
It has a dressing code.
And looking at that dress, I see as to why school would need it.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

80. Who cares would be the school administration

"How many of the students cared how little she was wearing?"

Many of the students would not care if she came donning only a thong, or nothing at all that does not men the administration does not have the right and responsibility to set *reasonable* dress standards.

"yet this is somehow "inappropriate"? Who gets to say, and why?"

The school administration who are in the end controlled by the school board which is elected.

"This is the kind of thing that does haunts people their entire lives, school in general is pretty traumatic for a lot of people, so, I'll have to dispute your proclamation that "Missing the prom does not ruin ones life", as if there were nothing in between a wonderful evening and ruination."

Hey you're the one that made it all or nothing when you said this will ruin her life "willing to ruin other's lives because they don't conform to some arbitrary standard". You brought out the whole 'this ruins people life' meme don't complain that I addressed it in kind. Chances are if your 30 and still haunted by missing your prom life has thrown a whole bunch of other things at you that you are ignoring. My wife hated HS hated everything about it and when I met her (a few years out of HS) it still bothered her, well now its been more than a decade and she is slightly more worried about day to day life... its just HS.

You brought up all those herrings to try and compare a reasonable, pre-published, easily conformable dress code to people getting all out of line over ruffles, diets, and smells... It made for great theater but when pulled apart its a pretty damn silly argument and its no wonder you're trying to distance yourself from it now..

This girl knew the rules *in advance* they were not arbitrary, silly, or flippant. She decided they did not apply to her and played chicken with the school administration... "Surly I am entitled to ignore the rules and dress any way I please" well the people appointed by the elected school board did not blink. She through a hissy fit rather than going home and putting on something else so she missed the prom and had to be escorted out by police:


--

"Only one inch of an attendants' midsection was permitted to be shown and slits in dresses could be no more than three inches above the knee, according to the Madison High School prom 2008 guidelines obtained by ABCNEWS.com."

Additionally, "see-through fabrics should not be worn in places which reveal private body parts," the document read.

Students planning to attend the function were required to sign the guideline document and return it to their homeroom teacher, school officials told ABCNEWS.com.

If students did not sign the guidelines and adhere to the dress code, they would not be allowed to attend the prom, school officials said.

--

So she signed the dress code and selected a dress which violated it, the rules were not arbitrary they were much more specific than most..

[Dorian Gray]

81. Wow!`

That is an awful dress.

Arrested though?

[panAmerican]

85. Sorry, but I look at that dress and first thing that comes to mind: "no home training".

I think calling the police to escort her out was extreme, but her parents shouldn't have let her out of the house looking trashy. You can wear sexy clothes and still look classy. This get-up didn't make the cut.

[bean fidhleir]

89. Thank goodness there are young people willing to buck The System

On one level that's a trivial issue to rebel over, but a helluva lot better that than nothing!

Let's just hope she continues to take on the system, and shifts from the personal to the important.

[Vinca]

91. She looks like a product of Bob Johnson's BET network programming. nt