Whenever I see a wannabee gangsta running around with his pants pulled down below his cheeks and his BVD's showing, I just have to laugh. That "fashion trend" started in NY State prisons back in the late 70's - early 80's. It is a convict's way of advertising that he is willing to take it up the butt. Now I must admit, as a male, I rather enjoy the current trend of exposing bikini briefs and thongs as practiced by the lovely young women of the world. Unlike boxers, thongs are worthy of admiration by the public. Plus, the female hip system is quite versatile, and more adept at handling the load placed upon it in the form of lowered jeans or corduroys. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that our educational system has failed to teach this most basic of personal values to an entire generation. Something needs to be done, and soon!
It's a fashion that started in prison, and now the saggy pants craze has come full circle...low-slung street strutting in some cities may soon mean run-ins with the law, including a stint in jail. Proposals to ban saggy pants are starting to ride up in several places. At the extreme end, wearing pants low enough to show boxers or bare buttocks in a Louisiana town means six months in jail and a $500 fine. A 'crackdown' also is being pushed in Atlanta and in Trenton, getting caught with your pants down may soon result in not only a fine, but a city worker assessing where your life is headed.
This fashion statement made it to gangster rap videos in the 80's, then went on to skateboarders in the suburbs and high school hallways. "It has the potential to catch on with elementary school kids, and we want to stop it before it gets there," said C.T. Martin, an Atlanta councilman. "Teachers have raised questions about what a distraction it is." If they need help, they can always contact Southwest Airlines!
At Trenton hip-hop clothing store Razor Sharp Clothing Shop 4 Ballers, shopper Mark Wise, 30, said his jeans sag for practical reasons. Now here's a good excuse. "The reason I don't wear tight pants is because it's easier to get money out of my pocket this way," Wise said. "It's just more comfortable." And here's a legal excuse. Shop owner Mack Murray said Trenton's proposed ordinance unfairly targets blacks. "Are they going to go after construction workers and plumbers, because their pants sag, too?" Murray asked. "They're stereotyping us." And of course, one of most idiotic groups, The American Civil Liberties Union, agrees.
To be honest I don't really have that much of problem with saggy pants, however the line needs to be drawn at the butt crack. I think it is a completely stupid looking fashion and wish it would go away, I guess it shoudn't be "banned" necesarily. There are places like some restaurants and such that have dress codes and I agree with those. The fashion originated in the 80's and is modeled after jail inmates who are not allowed to have a belt. If these kids want to emulate criminals and embrace crappy thug culture preached by some idiot rappers, then we really need an overall major increase of involvement by family, not just a narrow ban of an admittedly ugly looking fashion!
An interesting fact is that some of these kids are showing up in physical therapy with musculoskeletal abnormalities due to the way they have to walk to keep the pants up!! I say don't ban it. America is freedom, let them be free to ruin their hip joints! More scooter sales for HoverRound! And you know what? If they get rid of saggy pants how are the cops going to actually catch some of those younger hooligans? They may actually be able to jump fences. Go ahead and pull your pants down next time you go out on the street. And hope that you don't run across any ex-cons.The message is clear: We don't want to see your ass.
