We’ve all seen that clip from American Idol of General Larry Platt singing his famous song, “Pants On The Ground.” If not, go look it up on YouTube. It’s highly entertaining. In this song, General Platt sings about young people who wear their pants so low that they are basically, as he would say, “on the ground.” Yes, the song pertains to “gangsters,” but as I saw the video, I instantly thought of the people, mainly guys, walking around Oswego High School with their pants halfway off their waists.
The Dress Code that is printed in our student handbook clearly states that, and I quote, “Clothing that does not completely cover undergarments” is prohibited. Imagine going up the stairs and the person in front of you has his pants halfway down. You have a full and unwanted view of his underwear. Personally, I’m not a fan of that at all. It’s happened to me before and I was disgusted. No one wants to see what color underwear you’re wearing or if they have Superman logos on them.
Some people may not realize, or even care of that matter, but this violates the dress code. Girls are not allowed to wear certain articles of clothing, and though some may violate the dress code, that is not what we’re talking about here. I have seen a few girls sent to the main office because their outfits were deemed “inappropriate.” But, what about the guys who violate the dress code every single day? I’m not saying you have to drag them by the ear to the office and have their parents bring in another outfit for them, but why aren’t they made to follow the dress code like everyone else? Granted, I have heard teachers instruct students to fix their pants, but the students either ignore the teacher completely or comply, and once the teacher walks away, they go back to wearing them the way they did before. I’ve even seen a hall monitor instruct a student to pull up his pants and he disrespectfully replied, “If you don’t like it, don’t look.”
Sure, to some it’s considered fashionable and fashion is a big part of some people’s lives. How a person dresses can reflect on his/her personality and even how they view themselves as an individual. Some people even imitate the styles of their favorite celebrities. But, I have to ask, how is wearing your pants half off of your body even comfortable? How do you walk? Doesn’t the breeze bother you?
I’m not one to judge, but I do think this is a problem at our school and in our culture. In fact, I think it’s disrespectful. Even our president, Barack Obama, commented on the matter during an interview with MTV. “Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You’re walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What’s wrong with that? Come on. You don’t have to pass a law, but that doesn’t mean folks can’t have some sense of respect for other people. A lot of people may not want to see your underwear, I’m one of them.” President Obama stated.
He makes a great point. It’s about respect. Respect for yourself and for the others around you, who do not want to view your underwear on a daily basis. If you want to wear girl jeans that are three sizes too small or jeans that are three sizes too big, be my guest. Just make sure your boxers aren’t visible.
Here’s another fashion suggestion; wear a belt! It’s not hard to put on a belt and secure it so it keeps your pants up. No, you don’t have to hike your pants up to your belly button like Steve Urkel, but just pull them up high enough so we don’t have to see your underwear.
(Originally published in Oswego High School's newspaper The Buccaneer Bulletin on March 31, 2010)
(Originally published in Oswego High School's newspaper The Buccaneer Bulletin on March 31, 2010)
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