Against my Better Judgment

Bills Point of View:

When I received an email from one of the readers of my blog about Gloucester High School participating in Q102 Radio promotion called Pimp Your Prom I was hesitant to post the announcement. The word \”Pimp\” I thought was offensive and I couldn\’t understand why a radio station would choose such a word for a contest. According to Roget\’ Super Thesaurus, the word means whoremonger, agent, flesh peddler, madam, hustler.

I checked the list of schools participating in the contest such as Paul XI, Cardinal Dougherty High School, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Eastern Regional, Williamstown High School, Holy Spirit High School, Glassboro High School, Gateway Regional etc. I thought it must be okay or there wouldn\’t be so many schools involved. And I noticed Williamstown High School actually held a Pep Rally on campus to further advance the school\’s ranking on the nomination list.

The radio station\’s promo for the Pimp Your Prom contest states, Sony Pictures and Q102 want to take Over Your Prom! The nominations are in! Vote for your high school now! The school we select will have Q102\’s Jessie Jordan and Rocco hosting your prom along with DJ Richie Rich. We\’ll bring tons of giveaways, concert tickets, artist meet and greets and more! And we will even get some of you live on the radio! We\’ll also hook up one person from the winning school with formal wear and limo transportation to and from the prom!

 

So against my better judgment on Friday with all good intentions I wrote a blurb about the contest and posted it on ClearysNoteBook. I was still uncomfortable with the use of the word Pimp. But maybe I was overreacting.

 

Throughout the weekend I received several comments on the post. It seems the terminology was also upsetting to others. For example: 

Michael Kazmar (GHS Class of 81) wrote, \”Wow! How things have changed at old\’ GHS. When I was there (1980-81 proms) the students on the prom committee, along with our advisers (Mr. Tomarchio, Fran Thomas, for example) took care of selecting the entertainment, the centerpieces and the venue. We then sold tickets and got our tuxedos and gowns with saved-up earnings from our part-time jobs. We decorated the room and then got in our own cars or those borrowed from our parents (a limousine, are you kidding?) Our own hard work and passion for a good time for all was the result! We didn\’t need a radio station to \”pimp\” our prom.
It is really, really sad that the word \”pimp\” or \”pimping\” is glorified and used so loosely and associated with a student activity at my old school. \”

 

Another remark received on the topic was from Scott MacAdams.

\”I have to agree with Mr. Kazmar. My first response was disgust and I must admit I hesitated to respond because I thought it may not be the politically correct thing to do. I, too, went to public school but I am sure not proud to be associated with that crap. Yeah, it\’s the society we live in but I don\’t have to like it. No wonder the American graduation rate is horrible. There are some wonderful people I know as teachers, but for the most part the system has failed. America took the Word of God out of the public schools in 1963. Think there is any correlation to the decay in society. I am proud of Mr. Kazmar and his response, I\’m just not happy with myself on this one having had a second of hesitation in saying what I truly believe.\”

And then Sunday evening this comment without a name,

\”Does anyone recall that just a few years ago the Q-102 DJs came through Gloucester City making fun of us? I will not forget and that is why I think this is a shame. I also have to agree with this \”pimping\” word becoming fashionable. It is leading to many negative behaviors. Please reconsider this.\”

 

I had forgotten about the incident involving Q-102 DJ\’s who said, and I am paraphrasing, \”all Gloucester girls are toothless, fat and ugly\”. Or words to that effect.That was the last straw, so to speak. I had forgotten about that episode.

I have decide not to give the contest anymore publicity on ClearysNoteBook and I have removed the announcement from the site.

I haven\’t spoken with the school administration so I don\’t know if they approved the contest or not. Although one would presumed they did since the administration would have to allow the radio station access to school property.

 

Unpopular as it may be among students to withdraw the school from the contest, I believe it would behoove our school board and administrators to reexamine the school\’s participation in the \”Pimp Your Prom\” contest.

 

If for no other reason the word \”Pimp\” is demeaning to all women. A word that should not be associated with Gloucester City High School or the community of Gloucester City.