PULL YOUR DAMN PANTS UP!

Welcome back to The Big B Spot where "The Real" speaks volumes. Once again I'm happy to be back in the blog game. Let's get right into it.

I'm sure many of you heard about the college football player who was arrested in an airport for sagging his pants. When I saw the news report I couldn't do anything but shake my head. Is it that serious? I went into deep thought, after the news report, and debated on whether I'd address it here at The Big B Spot. After some deep thought I decided I wasn't going to attack or criticize this young man. Instead addressing the issue as a whole seems more appropriate.

Without getting into the history of the sag too much I can say that it originated in prison as a way for inmates to identify themselves as "available" for courting. Another theory is that inmates aren't allowed to have belts so their pants sag because they have nothing to hold them up. There are probably more theories, but it doesn't matter. The bottom line is the sag is something that comes from prison culture and shouldn't be imitated. What sense does it make to walk around showing you butt and underwear?

As someone who has worked with a lot of youth I know saggy pants to be very prevalent in our communities. It has crossed all color lines so it can't be said that only certain races of kids are sagging. It has also crossed economic divides. You can go to the suburbs and see those kids sagging as well as kids in the inner city.

The question that has to be answered it why is sagging so "cool". I've had encounters with kids that will fight you to the tooth and nail over being told to pull their pants up. I'm sure that those of us that have experience with working with youth know exactly where I'm coming from. It's like you are taking something very dear to them from them so they defend it with veracity.

A feeling just came over me. The more I write about it the less I understand why it exists. Many people who have anti-hip-hop sentiments will say it's the hip-hop culture and the rappers. I say to those people go and learn something about REAL HIP-HOP and them come back and tell me you feel the same way. What you see in the media and mainstream is not hip-hop. It's nothing more than exploitation of kids who don't have enough guidance in their homes.

I will say thug culture has plenty to do with it. It makes perfect sense since the sag's origins are from prison life. It's fair to say that the sensationalism of thug and hoodlum life has had a direct impact on the way today's youth express themselves through the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, and the kinds of shows they watch on television. So all you Hip-Hop haters can blame corporate America for commercializing thug, hoodlum, and prison culture.

I only have one thing to say to the grown man and women (YES THERE ARE WOMEN THAT SAG TOO). PULL YOUR DAMN PANTS UP! I think that says enough.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I have to give the people an opportunity to weigh in and express their thoughts on the matter. Here at The BIG B SPOT we welcome all commentary.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my blog. Please post your comments. Until next time, keep it 100.