This Should Have Been Their Prom Picture

The picture above is adorable, right? It looks like it was taken directly from a teen dream. That teen dream almost became a reality, too, because Caleb Johnson took Jena Irene Ascuitto to her prom at North Farmington Hills High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan, but their prom pic was not even close to that dream-like image above. Because Caleb, apparently, cannot be bothered to wear a tux in public (and promo photos forced by the Idol machine, like the one above, apparently don't count).

While some may praise him and say, "Hard Rock, Yeah!" and brandish devil horns, let's call a spade a spade. Caleb Johnson, you are cool. Caleb Johnson, you're a rock star of an American Idol. Hell, you're the American Idol — well, at least until next season. But it says something if your promo photos look more like prom than the actual prom you attended.

Sure. Prom has all sorts of unnecessary hype surrounding it. Some people just don't have the words "cocktail attire" in their vocabularies. And, yes, Jena did get to take an American Idol to her prom, which is something not many people get to say. (Oh, how I wish Clay Aiken accompanied me to mine. Sigh.) And then there's the warm, fuzzy fact that two singing rivals buried the competition and started a friendship. Look, no jealousy! We're going to prom!

But then, you see Caleb and Jena's real prom photo:

Well, for one thing, Jena looks gorgeous. And fine — I'll acquiesce a bit. That picture is totally adorable, because it pretty much says, "Idols in action, in real life, having fun! They're totally normal people!" But maybe that picture above could have been their promo pic and this could have been the prom pic? Just maybe?

So at least we have proof that he is physically capable of wearing a tux. It's not like he gets some severe allergic reaction when he dons a cummerbund. In fact, he is capable of smiling and holding a balloon while wearing one! So, let's just say it like it is: Caleb Johnson can wear a tux, but he chooses not to. What a family-friendly rebel.

Image: Fox; Twitter