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.
Plenty of names come to mind, including Judge Joe Brown, Judge Lynn Toler, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Judge Mablean Ephriam and, of course, Detroit’s own Judge Greg Mathis.
Kind of gives new meaning to the old Pigmeat Markham vaudeville routine, “Here Comes the Judge,” revived in the 1960s on “Laugh-In.”
RIHANNA obviously doesn’t believe in wasting time. She recovered faster from the Chris Brown fiasco than many people expected. Good for her. It is reported that Rihanna has been dating Matt Kemp, who plays pro-baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Famed songstress Darlene Love received a nice compliment from Paul Shaffer, bandleader/musician from the David Letterman show. He said, “Musically, year in and year out, my most satisfying moment is the holiday show where I get to conduct the great Darlene Love singing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).’”
Letterman, by the way, should really lighten up on the attacks on Jay Leno. There is a hatefulness to the jokes. Actually I have two words for Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and, to a lesser extent, Leno: Grow up! I will not watch any of their shows until all the foolishness stops, and I don’t think I could ever watch Letterman again, period. But, of course, O’Brien, who was all wrong for hosting “The Tonight Show” anyway, is gone.
WITH ALL the changes going on at “American Idol,” Randy Jackson wants it known that he has time on his contract and will therefore not be leaving anytime soon.And by the way, he thinks it would be a mistake to try to hire someone else with a caustic, take-no-prisoners style comparable to that of Simon Cowell, who will be leaving after this season.
“I don’t think there’s anyone like Simon, so I think trying to find someone similar to him is not the answer. Anyone can be harsh, but it’s deeper than that,” he said, adding somewhat sarcastically, “Most people think they need somebody tough to tell them like it is, but do you as a judge know how it really is?”
M.C. Hammer notes that when he recorded his biggest hit, “U Can’t Touch This,” in 1990, he never imagined that the Grammy-winning song would have such lasting impact. But the Marvelettes can “touch that.” Katherine Schaffner says she and the other members of the group were in high school (in Inkster) in 1961 when “Please Mr. Postman” soared to No. 1 on the national charts (R&B and Pop) and it is still popular and heard often today. It’s a classic that everyone, regardless of age, is familiar with.
Christina Aguilera and Cher work together in the movie “Burlesque,” set for November release.
Reader Von Harrell and others want to know when Ronald Isley will be out of prison. Well, the legendary singer is scheduled to be released in mid-April. Considering the crime, his age and his health, I feel that the three-year sentence was too harsh.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that it’s Lou Rawls singing along with Sam Cooke on the latter’s classic soul hit, “Bring It On Home to Me.”
MEMORIES: “Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)” (Quincy Jones featuring Tevin Campbell), “More Today Than Yesterday” (the Spiral Staircase), “Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling In Love)” (the Main Ingredient), “Worst That Could Happen” (the Brooklyn Bridge), “Trouble Man” (Marvin Gaye), “Another Sad Love Song” (Toni Braxton), “Summertime” (Billy Stewart), “777-9311” (the Time).
BLESSINGS to Matt Corbett, Gary L. Craig, Michael Winans, Regina Winans, Larry Buford, Nicholas Hood III, Virgil Wyatt, Geraldine Myhand, Fred Williams, Sandra Milhouse and Duane Davis.
WORDS OF THE WEEK: “A real friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”
Let the music play!
(Steve Holsey may be reached at Svh517@aol.com and P.O. Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)