Dudes don’t have to do much to get a gal’s attention. A shower and a bright smile go a ridiculously long way, and saying hello or opening the door for a woman can be a promising prelude to a relationship, if not a full-fledged romance.
But can young men really get away with walking around like walruses with their pants belted at the knee? Somehow it has become fashionable to show off multi-colored, cloth-covered derrieres, and worse, rear end cleavage. I recently attended a swim meet where the young men made no effort to adjust their trunks. Most could care less what was exposed at the back.
Revealing ripped abs is one thing - I like looking at them myself - but I’ve yet to meet one woman who doesn’t feel compelled to hike up a sagger’s trousers. It’s just in our nature, especially for those of us who are mothers. We think nothing of pulling up pants - our babies’, our children’s, our grandchildren’s, our aging parents’ and our own. We even tighten belts to keep those britches secured around the waist, where they belong.
I had hoped that the song written by 2010 American Idol sensation Larry Platt, “Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground,” would have squelched this lewd and obscene behavior. Even President Obama slammed the trend several years back, calling it disrespectful to mothers and grandmothers. But I see many young adult men, from mega superstars and athletes to students and hipsters right here in Chenango County waddling around wide-legged like they ran out of Gold Bond.
I haven’t seen teen sensation Justin Bieber perform live, but I would imagine it’s difficult to enjoy his hip hop swag while hoping he doesn’t trip and fall all over the stage. I wouldn’t pay to see the struggle. Recent photos of the mega star, who is otherwise handsome and toned, show him exposing his entire underwear-clad behind. Why does he wear pants at all? Wouldn’t it be easier on the hip flexors?
Sagging, as it’s officially called, first appeared at the end of the last century in American prisons. The exact reason appears mixed, however: either inmates did it to let other inmates know they were sexually active, or because their belts had been taken for security purposes. I’m not personally a cleavage girl (because I don’t have the equipment), but I have nothing against my sisters who choose styles that show theirs off. So, it has occurred to me that men, gay or straight, may be jealous and now want to expose their own, uhm, cleavage. I suppose some of us can ignore this, but why, really, would anyone not locked up want to look like they were?
Come on.
At least three states have enacted laws characterizing sagging as an offense on common decency and, thankfully, young men have been kicked off airlines and buses and out of class for wearing their pants too low. While I’m not one to impose laws, I’m happy to jump on this nationwide bandwagon against sagging.
How dumb is it?