Posted on 04/18/2013 5:27:25 AM PDT by SandRat
Sagging? “Sagging is a manner of wearing trousers (slacks, shorts, pants or jeans) below the waist, revealing much of the underwear. Sagging is predominantly a male fashion.”
According to Greg Mathis; the retired Michigan 36th District Court Judge and syndicated Television show judge, sagging was adopted from the U.S. prison system where belts are prohibited. The style was later popularized by hip-hop artists in the 1990s. It has since become a symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among some youths or a symbol of their rejection of the values of mainstream society.
Just prior to the 2008 Presidential Election, Barrack Obama spoke out about Sagging on MTV stating; “laws forbidding it were impractical.” He later followed that statement up by saying Brothers should pull up their pants! You’re walking around in front of your mothers, your grandmothers, and no one wants to see your underwear; especially me!
Brothers? I’ve seen boys and men from every race, creed, and color sagging; and from where I stand, it is demeaning to oneself and also to those who allow it to occur. I agree with many local cities, townships, and parishes that have adopted laws to try to make our youth pull up their pants! I won’t allow any of my daughters go out with anyone who doesn’t know how to wear a belt! Would you? I’m not saying that if someone can’t afford a belt and their pants are falling down, that I cannot relate or understand … but when I see someone wearing a belt, and their pants are still sagging, then I have a problem.
Let me tell you what happened to me while living and working in South Korea a few years ago.
I was at the commissary grocery shopping with my family. I got into the checkout line and I saw a young man who I knew, and also knew his parents. He noticed me and immediately ran to the register to bag my groceries and help us take them to our vehicle; probably hoping to get a pretty good tip. Most times these kids worked for tips and not a salary. As soon as he approached the register, I saw his pants were sagging. I stopped him dead in his tracks! “No! No way! You can’t bag my groceries I told him.” He looked at me confused and asked why? I didn’t explain, but asked for another bagger; which I did receive.
As we exited the commissary, the young man walked up to me and asked why I wouldn’t let him bag my groceries. I told him that he needed to pull his pants up; show some respect for himself, and the people around him … and maybe even his family who weren’t there, but were well-known and respected in the community. He was obviously offended; and then preceded to call me a “racist!” He said I didn’t know who I was, and that he was just expressing himself.
Even though I was in somewhat of a hurry, I took the time to ask him if he knew where the concept originated? Where it came from? What it stood for in some circles?
He was baffled by my questions, so I took time to educate him. I explained the history, the original meaning behind it, and what some prisoners who wore their pants in that manner were expressing to other prisoners. He looked shocked, and I could see at that moment, he realized he had been a follower, rather than a leader.
He seemed upset; but then right before I walked away to my vehicle to tip the bagger who I felt was dressed appropriately to hold down a job, I said, “the main reason I didn’t want you to bag my groceries, or push the cart to my vehicle was because if your pants fell down around your ankles, you may drop the two wheeled cart, spilling my groceries all over the ground because of your desire to express yourself.”
The young man looked at me, put his head down and walked back toward the commissary door, pulling up his pants and tightening his belt. I think he learned something that day. At least I hope he did.
That was 2003. If we raise our children’s awareness, their pants, and standards may also rise.
>> It has since become a symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among some youths or a symbol of their rejection of the values of mainstream society.
Express thyself, young man! ‘Sag’ to your heart’s content.
In turn, I have adopted “shrugging” (not paying your way) as MY symbol of freedom and rejection of the values of socialist mainstream society.
Are kids still doing this?
I thought that style died out (along with lights in your sneakers) when it became obvious that it made it harder to evade the cops. (especially with your pants drooping down around your knees)
YouTube has dozens of videos of criminals attempting to flee a crime, only to trip over their pants because they’re half-way down.
It comes from prison, to show you are ready for some gay action.... So, alot of these gang guys are gay? Who knew?
It didn’t become popular in prison because the convicts weren’t allowed belts. It was used in prison to create a pocket under the crotch where drugs and weapons could be hidden, and guards would be reluctant to search during routine pat-downs.
VietVet (former Department of Corrections employee)
Shoot and kill all zombies.
Collective I.Q.= 50.
What’s funny is that a lot of these guys who wear their pants in this style are not really showing their underwear. That is, the whole assemblage—the trousers + boxers or briefs—are one connected piece. The trousers are not really about to fall down because they are sewn to the underpants and are being held up by the cloth that looks like underpants. The guys have real briefs on underneath all that.
You don’t think these pseudo-cool young guys would really risk having their trousers fall down and let their junk hang out at an embarrassing moment, do you?
This was shown to me by teenagers my then-teen son went to school with a few years ago. Funny
He wasn't the first, but he popularized it enough that it became fashionable and mainstream, and not limited to thugs and ex-cons.
I don’t like the way that Elvis guy moves his hips around.
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