Homecoming Queen

Summary

Stephanie Lambert, a high school student, wins the homecoming queen title but declines it, critiquing the superficiality of high school popularity contests and their impact on society.

Abstract

The narrative revolves around Stephanie Lambert, who, upon winning the homecoming queen title, delivers a powerful speech rejecting the superficiality of the honor. She argues that the election of homecoming royalty perpetuates a societal obsession with beauty and popularity, which she believes are false measures of human worth. Stephanie emphasizes the inherent beauty in everyone and encourages self-validation over societal judgment. Her actions lead to her being shunned for the remainder of her senior year, yet she remains steadfast in her beliefs. At her ten-year reunion, she is voted the least popular alumnus, a title she accepts joyfully in absentia, underscoring her commitment to her ideals.

Opinions

The author suggests that societal values are heavily influenced by high school experiences, which often prioritize superficial criteria such as beauty and popularity.
Stephanie Lambert's perspective implies that societal norms regarding beauty and popularity create a divisive hierarchy and that true beauty is a universal quality that resides within each individual.
The speech given by Stephanie criticizes the ritualistic nature of high school popularity, which she believes conditions people to judge others based on superficial criteria.
The narrative highlights the idea that society's emphasis on external validation hinders personal growth and the ability to recognize one's own worth.
Stephanie's decision to decline the homecoming queen title and resign from the cheerleading squad is portrayed as an act of defiance against societal expectations and an encouragement for self-empowerment.
The author conveys that Stephanie's message, although initially dismissed, eventually resonates with some individuals, suggesting that challenging societal norms can have a lasting impact.
The story concludes with a reflection on how Stephanie's unpopular stance at the reunion further underscores her conviction and the potential for such convictions to be vindicated over time.

A girl who almost ruined everything

When the students assembled to vote for the homecoming queen they were being conditioned to see life as a popularity contest and a beauty contest. Their adult lives were being programmed.

Most adults live their lives according to that programming. That is how presidents are elected. That is how shopping decisions are made. That is how friends are chosen. High school popularity rituals are replayed daily on social media. In their minds most Americans are still in high school.

But Stephanie Lambert had already graduated from high school in her mind while she was still in high school. She was able to see the game being played.

When Stephanie won the popularity contest by being voted homecoming queen she gave a short speech:

I am no more beautiful than any other student. I am no more beautiful than any other human. There is infinite beauty in all of us. We do not need validation from others. Each of us need to see and feel that beauty within us instead of being told by society how to feel about ourselves. No one is more beautiful than anyone else. But society divides us by turning true beauty into a judgment based on superficial criteria that ignores the true beauty of each person. Beauty is not a judgment. It is a feeling available to all of us. We can all feel it and be it, unless we give that power away to conditioned mass thinking and judgment.

I hereby humbly decline this title. I will not be a cog in a machine that divides people and sets up hierarchy predicated upon superficial judgments and values. I also hereby resign from the cheer leading squad. I checked the records and in the past twenty years every single homecoming queen was also a cheerleader. And every homecoming king was a football player. Every single one! What we are telling ourselves and the school administration is telling us is that we cannot be considered popular or pretty unless we’re a cheerleader or macho football player. Instead we should be told that all of us are beautiful and we should be encouraged to go within and find that beauty. We cannot wait for society to tell us that because it never will since it is based on hierarchy and conditioned judgment. We all need to go within, find that beauty, and vote for ourselves. Instead of living our lives in competition we need to find our own beauty and live it… live it so strongly that everyone we come into contact with can feel it, thereby awakening the beauty within them. We cannot see and feel the incredible beauty of the world until we see and feel the incredible beauty within ourselves.

The school auditorium fell silent. Stephanie’s speech was soon forgotten but a seed was planted in the minds of some of those students. Mostly though, she was shunned for the rest of her senior year.

At the ten-year reunion of her high school class Stephanie was voted the least popular alumnus, an honor she accepted with glee in absentia.

Speaking of high school…

Homecoming Queen

A girl who almost ruined everything

Reunion blues

Not going back