One would have to have been living under a rock or been in hibernation to not have heard, or at least heard about, “Pants on the Ground,” the song sung by 62-year-old “General” Larry Platt on “American Idol.”
In a humorous way — and we certainly need humor with so many horrible things going on in the world — he lambastes boys and young men who wear their pants “saggin’,” which means underpants showing.
Platt says repeatedly that they are “lookin’ like a fool with (their) pants on the ground.” The exaggeration is for maximum comical yet serious effect.
I get it. But I am one of those people who believes that people have always overreacted to saggin’. Even President Barack Obama and Bill Cosby have expressed their disapproval publicly.
Kids have always adopted clothing styles, language, music, etc., that are unique to their generation. When they get older, they will leave it behind. If what they do disturbs older people, all the better.
Now, I am not promoting saggin’ pants. It looks really silly. I saw a boy who was about 15 years old running for the bus. With his right hand he was holding his books, and with his left hand he was holding up his pants. That was a real “Kodak moment.” He looked ridiculous (and yes, it was funny).
Seeing someone’s underwear is no big deal to me. (Not a good thing either!) There are more important things to be concerned about. It’s nothing to condemn someone for. (Unless it’s done in school, church, etc.) Today’s sagger will be tomorrow’s non-sagger. And at least they are wearing underwear!
By the way, Larry Platt was given the title “General” for his tireless work in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. It is ironic that today he is known not for that, but for being the “Pants on the Ground guy.” But, of course, soon his “15 minutes of fame” will be over.
CONSIDERING how deep the roots of racism are in the United States, many notable advancements notwithstanding, it is amazing that African-American judges are so popular on television. They have played a key role in the ratings bonanzas known as court TV.
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