Keisha Clark did so many things in this series that I deep sighed about, and deciding to go to prom with a man who openly shared a video, only meant for you two, with his rock-headed friends was one of those moments.
I let it slide that Keisha didn’t tell her mom about the sex tape situation. Shelly is a single mom in a suburb of LA working two jobs with long hours to pay for the star athlete child who attends a private school because it guarantees her that her dream college will take note of her when she applies. Now, that’s a mouthful, but when you came home from the park, saw this LARGE bouquet of roses, and had your mom ask why Christian would gift you such an expensive gift, you should have explained the situation then. She spelled out exactly what you were trying to keep from her. She’s a mom! She hit the nail on the head when she said men do grand gestures like this when they’ve done something wrong and he did!
But instead, Keisha tried to convince us (Us in this sense is really me. I took this personally for some reason) that she just had to go to prom with this man. I’m here to tell you, sis, I don’t know much about other planets but on this one, nothing was making you have to go with this man to his prom. This wasn’t even your prom!
Here are the reasons Keisha went to this prom when she didn’t have to.
1. Keisha went to make her mom look good. Shelly bragged so much about, not only her kid, but also Christian. Shelly touts this man as if he’s the second coming of Jesus. He is just a boy in the hood who plays ball at this prep school. I wanted to know what his grades looked like. What does Christian really retain in school? What was his plan B if basketball was a bust? Somehow, in Keisha’s brain, not going to prom with Christian would have made her mom look bad.
2. Keisha went to prom for the hood. Keisha and Christian are in the hood’s pride and joy and their Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Their Ashanti and Nelly. Their Rihanna and A$AP. She has to go because what will the hood think if their perfect couple is found to not be perfect?
3. Keisha went to prom for Christian. As I said in the previous reason, he is Hood Jesus, apparently, and who could possibly deny being attached this arm walking into prom. I feel like this was also her way to say I’m still mad but not mad enough to make you look bad or explain to people why I wouldn’t go to prom with him. She wants to protect him, as all Black women do with our Black men. We just want them to be protected, seen, and safe, and going to prom with him ensured his future. Had nothing to do with her future or pride.
4. Keisha went to prom to spite Justin. This one is a stretch, but hey, I’m here now. Justin didn’t have a sex tape of him spread around town, and yet, he was more angry than she was about the situation. Justin wanted to fight any and every one who had the video, Christian, his own mom for hugging him, his best friend, and probably Keisha if he didn’t love her so much. Keisha is not the type of Black woman who likes to be told she cannot do something. Justin told her she should not and could not go to prom with Christian. For me, it felt like as soon as he said that, her brain told her of all the reasons Justin was wrong. It also triggered her brain to start to think of all the ways her and Justin were different and how he just didn’t understand her life because of the privilege he had. Keisha! That man loved you and wanted you to live your life your way, with no regrets, and with someone who would scorch the Earth for you! And here you go protecting this big eared punk because it’s what the hood and your mom would want. THIS IS YOUR LIFE, GIRL! (Note: I know this is just a show and I just insulted this man’s real ears. My statement still stands for the character of Christian and not the actor who plays him. I’m real passionate about this, y’all!)
In conclusion, Keisha had a couple options like, I don’t know, not going to prom until it was her actual prom. Telling her mom, with help, about the sex tape situation. Planning a date with Justin so she was unavailable for prom. Faking sick. Saying she was on her period and cramps were not allowing her to walk that day. Running away. Taking a new job to help mom with the apartment, again, allowing you to have an excuse to not go to this prom. But Keisha Clark decided it was best to go to prom.
Someone chime in and tell me that I’m not crazy and I haven’t gone too far!
