Buzz
This week’s buzz includes mythical dragons and a real-life courtroom saga. Hopefully, the House of the Dragon trailer will divert some attention from the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. Plus, it’s prom season once again, and this time, no more Zoom meetings.
Viral Video of the Week: The House of the Dragon Trailer
It’s been ages since the Game of Thrones finale, but the drought is over as HBO releases House of the Dragon this August. In just the first eight hours, the trailer has already garnered over two and a half million views. Set 300 years before Game of Thrones, the show still includes some familiar Targaryen faces (dragons, anyone?). Sadly, the book series behind House of the Dragon is only half-complete, leaving the potential for a Game of Thrones-style season finale disaster. But who cares? Dragons! House of the Dragon premieres on HBO on Aug. 21.
Prom 2022: The Return of the Promposal
Spring has arrived, and for high school students, that means it’s prom season. This year, fashion trends include styles inspired by the troubled teens of HBO’s Euphoria, and prom suits for women/girls are also in vogue. One can only hope that pairing a formal dress with Chuck Taylor sneakers is still considered an edgy, quirky prom look. (As usual, the boys will be donning rented tuxedos.)
Prom in the 2020s feels oddly similar to the prom I experienced back in 1874, with one major distinction: the promposal. Asking “so, uh, do you want to, like, go to prom with me?” just won’t cut it anymore. Nowadays, you need a full-blown promposal—a whole production meant to go viral, like this ambitious guy who convinced his friends to set up a spontaneous “romantic dinner.” Or this guy who crafted a gift box to complement his date’s dress. While some promposals are sweet (I guess), others are downright bizarre, like one that includes a mock arrest involving police officers. Or these awkward, multi-ethnic “cowboys.”
If there’s ever a time when a grand romantic gesture is justified, it’s high school. But boy, the pressure this puts on everyone. If you ever long for your high school days, just check out some promposal fail videos. They perfectly capture the awkwardness and cringe-worthy moments of adolescence, and they’ll make you forget about any nostalgic feelings you might have had.
Meme-ing the Law: The Internet’s Deep Dive into Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard
'Troubled Teens' Fight Back
In the 1990s, the demand for residential treatment programs for teens, and even tweens, surged, fueled by dramatic daytime talk shows that showcased rebellious kids being sent to “boot camps,” boarding schools, wilderness programs, and other juvenile facilities. At the time, these programs seemed like a blessing—an intense form of discipline that could steer kids away from a life of crime and failure, according to the program owners and experts like Dr. Phil, Montel Williams, and Oprah. However, with the rise of social media and the internet, we are now hearing a different side of the story. It turns out that forcibly sending teens to isolated facilities far from home may not actually make them happier or better-adjusted as once claimed.
Online communities like Reddit’s r/troubledteens are filled with stories from survivors of these programs—some were punished for being gay or having bad parents, and almost all of them report facing abuse. The troubledteenindustry hashtag on TikTok is gut-wrenching, but it's not just about stories of suffering. Now, as these survivors are over 18, they are revealing the names, organizing, and pushing back against this industry. And it's making a difference. Utah, once the hub of such facilities, has recently introduced reforms for residential treatment centers, companies are shutting down, and there’s growing pressure on Congress to pass laws to curb the worst practices in the industry.
Kids Are Dropping Out of College to Make Money in NFTs
I doubt many people are going to make much money from NFTs anymore—seems like that ship has sailed—but I still encourage young people to drop out of college if they’re determined. School will always be there for you to return to, but you might not have the chance to chase every fleeting, get-rich-quick trend.
