High school boys dressing up in suits and ties on a Wednesday afternoon is an odd sight to see,  but in the 1940s It was an even more peculiar sight to see a woman playing football. As men were going off to fight in World War two the women of the 40s had to step up and fill men’s roles in society and one of these roles was football. However, in women’s case, it became known as Powderpuff. Powderpuff was named after a powderpuff, which is a makeup tool that is used to apply powder to faces. Today Powderpuff has become an American High School homecoming tradition.  West Bloomfield High School in recent years also created a boy’s pageant to give the boys that same opportunity. Mr. WB is a pageant show that similarly echoes the Miss America pageant competition. The contestants get tested on their talents along with their singing abilities, and then viewers even get to peek inside their minds during a question portion. 

So then why did the gender roles get reversed?

 For one, Powderpuff has been a deep-rooted tradition in American culture, and it gives young girls the opportunity to try something new and to also show that they can play in men-dominated sports.  On the flipside, Mr. WB. was added to the West Bloomfield High School homecoming itinerary to give the boys their own equal opportunity. This opportunity is a chance to showcase their own individuality. It should be noted that West Bloomfield is not the only school that does a boys pageant as a part of their homecoming week, several other schools across the nation participate in a similar event. These pageants show that boys too can look pretty, be talented, and be intelligent. Collaborating with Powderpuff, Mr. WB goes against social norms, and both attempt to break gender norms.

Aside from breaking gender norms, students have reported Mr. WB to be a good experience, and one student who wishes to remain anonymous disclosed that “It was interesting to see the boys out of their element. Seeing football players subject to a pageant was like seeing a fish out of water.”  The pageant is very lively and entertaining. Ralph Roberts last year’s Mr. WB, gave a recount of his most embarrassing moment, “My most embarrassing moment was forgetting the words to the song in the middle of my performance so I had to check my phone mid-way to get back on track.” There’s no doubt that Mr. WB. is an entertaining event, and It’s important to give these boys this opportunity. 

Mr. WB is going to take place this Wednesday from 7-8 pm and you want to attend it.  Roberts also stated that “around 60” people showed up last year. 2021’s Mr. WB.  Aurthur Yang, reported that the auditorium was “Comparable to the Superbowl.” The Auditorium can hold roughly 700 students, and not even 1/12th of the seats were full when Ralph Roberts competed this shows the dramatic decrease in school spirit. It’s becoming increasingly important for students to participate in these events. If you’re not showing up to support the school and show your spirit, then show up to fight back against gender norms, and to support these contestants!