Disabled ‘promposals’: insulting or inspiring?
BBC Trending
What’s popular and why
Published
7 May 2016
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Image source, Facebook / Beau’s Cafe
Image caption,
Seventeen year old Lillie asked her friend Trevor to go to prom with her
Elaborate ‘promposal’ videos are sweeping across the United States as prom season descends.
Teenagers are competing to come up with the most imaginative or romantic way of asking their sweetheart to the annual high school dance. Sometimes they involve celebrities, politicians or puppies.
The videos that have garnered the most attention are those where classmates have asked their disabled friend to be their date. Some have racked up millions of views, such as one showing a teenage boy in a wheelchair being asked to prom in front of his classmates.
Many of the comments on these videos are along the lines of "so sweet", "I’ve watched this three times and cried every time", and "totally awesome".
But there’s been growing criticism.
Image source, Michael Mort
Image caption,
Michael Mort wrote a blog in response to viral videos and memes about inviting disabled people to prom
Michael Mort, a blogger and wheelchair-user [...]