Wednesday, December 05, 2007


Stop Sagging

In a small little city not too far from my home, the mayor and his council put into effect a new law to hurt parents and to take away freedom to wear clothing the way you want to. I know it sounds like I don’t agree with their decision, because I do. I just hate that again parents have to suffer and another type of freedom of expression has been taken away when the US is supposed to be the one country that we have the right to freely expressly ourselves.

What I am talking about is this tacky sagging look that teens are wearing and the style or fad doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Why is this look still around?

This look is supposedly started in prison. I’ve heard two reasons why this look started. The first reason was because male prisoners could not wear belts. Belts could be used as a weapon or to commit suicide. The second reason that I heard was to be readily prepared for sex. It doesn’t matter to me why it started. I know that rappers brought it out to the teens. But I don’t understand why teens think this look good. It actually looks tacky, nasty and terribly stupid.

The new law says that if someone (which is pretty much a teenager gets caught with their pants sagging, boy or girl) it is a 100.00 dollar fine. That fine will increase with each offense and possibly the teen will be arrested. I understand adults wanting teens to stop this nonsense. But when parents are away from their teens they will drop their pants. But I guess if it hurts the parents’ pockets enough they will enforce the law if they can.

Now when I was in high school the boys wore their pants a little bit over the butt and under the navel. It was called slack back then. Their pants were not dropped to their knees. The girls wore there pants in what we called hip huggers. The pants sat a little over the hips right under the navel. But you didn’t see butt cracks and butt cheeks.

I know kids follow fads. I’m sure I did too. But this look should have played out years ago. I don’t want to see folk’s underwear and their butts. I hate it! I asked my daughter to promise me two things while she is dating: two save herself for marriage and never ever bring a boy who wears his pants down past his azz to our home talking about this is her boyfriend. Maybe I’m taking it to an extreme, but a boy walking around wearing his pants down to his knees and every few seconds pulling them up like his slip is falling down, is a little too funky to me.

11 comments:

Dr. Deb said...

I had no idea why the reasons for this trend started. Wow. Eye opener. It is rather sad how certain "looks" become fads. I'm old fashioned too, Rose.

Me, Myself, and I said...

Rose, I don't think you were being extreme. Those are legitamate requests. I used to get so mad when my brothers started that mess. I would tell them, "Pull up your doggone pants. Nobody wants to see that mess!"

Believer said...

I can see how showing your undergarments could be confused with indecent exposure laws.

The fashion trends today are out of control and sex is oozing everywhere.

I dislike young girls who show off their bra straps with low cut tank tops. Tacky! I also think that pants and shirts that are two to three sizes too small on a young lady, who doesn't have a lean look, can make a different statement regarding her appearance than she intended.

It's a mess out there! Someone has to make a stand and perhaps the law enforcing parents to get a handle on their kids is the first step. Not sure, but I'm all for modesty!

TJ said...

I never got the saggy pant thing. I had hoped it would be out of style, but if it's still popular in a few years when my kids become teens, they will just be oddballs with fitting pants and belts.

Gina said...

Miss Rose:
While I have admittedly been absent for a while...it is because I am fighting what I call the " NorwegianSwagger against my kids for this same issue. My kids think that there is no " reason" why they do the things that they do ...just give them the space to " do it" ...

Shai said...

Amen to sagging. Funny a co-worker said something silly about sagging. SMH. She mentioned not selling the pants or fine the kids so the City can make money. LOL.

I don't like sagging it is the longest fad I ever say. I mean my daughter who is 17 was a baby when it started. I remember they showed the waistband of the underwear and then it progressed to this mess today. Yuck!

Luke Cage said...

I'm with Shai. I remember my fellow students in High School doing that mess and that was 1984. I guess some "fads" never seem to go away... lol - by the way, I did'ja tag ;)

Luke Cage said...

Oh by the way luv, I may have to contest the part where you mentioned that "rappers" may have brought this to the teens. As I stated earlier, it was around in High School and rap was very much in its infancy at the time. I can definitely say that the fad had started before rap had really got going. Although the connection could be made that rappers ultimately began to do it as well, following their lead from the streets themselves, thus pushing the fashion statement further, I believe they adhered to it, than created it. Prison is the most common acknowledgement that I heard from way back when this fad began.

kathi said...

Have mercy. What in the world is the appeal? Hmmmmm, maybe the same appeal as when I'd dyed my hair orange and blue in my 'punk rock' days. Guess I've got no room to talk about fads, huh? :)

Kawana Aminata Oliver said...

It's ridiculous ;)

chelsea said...

Even if I'm too old to follow them, I can usually appreciate the latest fads, this one just baffles my mind. What's so cute about having to walk with your feet spread in order to hold your pants up?