Undies in a bundle
All over America, grown-ups have their undies in a bundle about sagging. The Virginia General Assembly even tried to pass a state law against sagging.
Sometimes called “jailing,” the trend supposedly originated in prison, where garments are loose and belts are forbidden. That association is offensive to some people; others just don’t want an unobstructed view of someone’s underwear (or lack thereof).
The ordinances inevitably bring out folks who are eager to defend your constitutional right to display your underpants in public. They say the laws are a form of racial profiling because they single out a style favored by young black men — an argument not nearly as goofy as Pine Lawn’s assertion that exposed boxers are stunting economic development.
It’s hard to take this problem seriously, perhaps because we tend to view sagging as an invitation to a wedgie instead of a crime. Can’t we just lighten up? In Evanston, Ill., where droopy drawers are still legal, restaurateur Hecky Powell got tired of telling teenage employees at his barbecue joint to hike up their trousers. So he issued custom-made boxer shorts with the Hecky’s logo on them, turning those conspicuous waistbands into free advertising space. The St. Louis County Economic Council might want to apply that sort of thinking to Pine Lawn’s redevelopment effort.
Laws against indecent exposure are usually sufficient to prevent the display of private parts in public places, and most communities wisely leave it at that. Do we really need laws telling young people to pull up their pants? Maybe the grown-ups should pull up their socks instead.
Chicago Tribune
December 8
Tags: pace, rbi, ups