www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Sagging Pants BANNED

The tone of this thread is refreshing. I'd like to thank everyone for being honest without being snooty.

Dear Jason,

My son wore them a *little* (key word: a LITTLE) low and baggy when he was in high school about eight years ago, so I can certainly teasingly laugh at the extremes they have gone to!

Alice

Since the 1950s it has been the modus operandi of teenagers to annoy people older than them. They do it with slang, clothing, music, movies, behavior, etc. Much of this behavior permeates the way adults conduct themselves, most notably in speech. It�s amazing to listen to an old program of Bishop Sheen, then listen to educated adults of today speak like teens. I work in a professional envoirnment and I constantly hear "I was like, tired...She was like, hungry, and we, like, ate..."he goes...she goes..." Goes where? My former manager said, "Joe is like, ugghhhh." I told her, "No, Susan, I'm not like 'ugghhh'."

There was a time, when I was a teen, when teens usually grew out of that behavior. Today, there are far too many college students and young adults who behave like unruly teens. Bad behavior is promoted in the so-called entertainment of today. It's "cool".

Actually, it's nauseating. If a kid of mine wanted to wear those clothes, I would tell him he wouldn't get a driver's license until after he moved out of the house.

Jason just congratulated us for being honest without being snooty!

Alice

I think teenage rebellion has been going on longer than that!

How else would you explain the 1920s parents who were scandalized at their teenagers' dress and dance and -horror!- use of lipstick in public, and in broad daylight!

LOL I geuss some of the teens around here wont be happy if this law Passes where i live

Hi Wondering,

You are undoubtedly correct, but I think that perhaps what Mr. Clean is referring to is the new phenomenon of the 1950's which has been historically documented, and that is the emergence of a sub-culture purely made up of teens--one which included, for the first time, a lifestyle of their own music, style of dress, dances, parties, speech, etc.

Regards,
Alice

I think I agree with you. Thankfully, neither of our sons became enamored with sloppy clothing or scuzzy behavior.

CDL

I don't understand the "sagging" culture. As one gets older, enough parts begin to sag without the addition of baggy pants.

LOL! Charles you are brilliant!

Regards,
Alice

What they don't realize is that they probably wouldn't have to carry a weapon if their pants allowed them to make a run for it!

I was fishing on the pier in Daytona Beach Florida about 3 years ago and there was a kid there who was wearing baggy bottoms. Suddenly he got a bite on his pole and went to reel in his catch. I suppose it was the gyrations of winding the reel but his pants fell totally off...and he didnt have on a long shirt! It was so funny watching him try to decide, "Do I try to catch the fish or pull up my pants?" In the end he opted for the fish and asked his friend to pull his pants back up. Thankfully this was late at night and there were not many people around. I imagine he could have gotten arrested.

Jason

A friend of mine who worked in prison ministry tells me that the new prisoners were to wear their pants low like that to signify that they were fresh meat. I guess it made for easy access. Much of the hip hop mannerisms are simply prison mannerisms.

CDL

I would be interested in reading about this. I believe the availability of the car in the 1920s, along with the swing dancing, jazz music, short flapper dresses and the zoot suits, jazz clubs, and the jazz slang is credited with the same. Here's [home.earthlink.net] just one source that says so.

Coincidentally, it is also when birth control was popularized by Margaret Sanger, who idolized Hitler, and compulsory government schooling was mandated across the board (1918 bringing the last state in to the movement). Thus limiting the influence of parents and family both by the teens' ability to leave the family at ease with transportation as well as the youths' removal from the family and its values on a regular basis through compulsory schooling. Added into the mix the high times, youth culture, risque clothing, make-up, and speech, and you had a generation of kids whose parents thought they had gone off the deep end. I don't think the 1950s quite compared. I wasn't alive in the '20s to compare, though.