Sign me up! I’m ready to go on the road as an official Doo-Wop girl.
And I’m not the only one, either. We can thank American Idol for that.
Yep, high school teachers everywhere are singin' a new anthem—that “Pants on the Ground” song. [This link will actually let you see the video if your district blocks that sort of thing like mine does.]
I know it’s stupid, but I love that song. In fact, I’m pretty certain high school teachers across the globe—who act as the first responders in dress code battles in our nation's public schools— love that song. Jeez Louise, we’ve been singing it for years—“Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground…”
If you believe sagging is only a phenomenon in inner city schools, think again. I currently teach in a predominately white suburban school, and I promise you I have seen just as many boxers as I did when I taught in a minority majority high school.
In fact, if I were a bettin’ kind of gal, I would guess that high school teachers see more underwear than most mothers. Hails bails, sometimes I think I must be working at the Hanes underwear plant.
At least now, thanks to Larry Platt and his little ditty, every time a sagging kid goes by, I start yelling, “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground…”
It's enough to startle the kiddos, so much so that they do pull their pants up—at least until they round the corner or duck into a classroom.
My hall buddy commented that someone somewhere will probably complain about the “fool” remark. It’s just not politically correct, she noted. And, probably someone somewhere will say that the “fool” remark probably will negatively impact someone’s self of steam (and we all know how I feel about that).
Somehow that little ditty loses its snapiness if you have to say, “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a clothing-challenged young person with your pants on the ground…”
See what I mean? So I’m stickin’ with Larry’s original lyrics.
Now, Larry’s little ditty got me to thinking about how we needed a song for all those plunging necklines. I came up with one and ran down to sing it to my principal.
He just sighed and said he was glad I wasn’t in charge of the student radio station and told me to put that little ditty into my “Things That Will Get You Fired Folder.”
So I guess you’re going to have to use your imagination for that one.
Sign me up! I’m ready to go on the road as an official Doo-Wop girl. And I’m not the only one, either. We can thank American Idol for that.
Yep, high school teachers everywhere are singin' a new anthem—that “Pants on the Ground” song. [This link will actually let you see the video if your district blocks that sort of thing like mine does.]
I know it’s stupid, but I love that song. In fact, I’m pretty certain high school teachers across the globe—who act as the first responders in dress code battles in our nation's public schools— love that song. Jeez Louise, we’ve been singing it for years—“Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground…”
If you believe sagging is only a phenomenon in inner city schools, think again. I currently teach in a predominately white suburban school, and I promise you I have seen just as many boxers as I did when I taught in a minority majority high school.
In fact, if I were a bettin’ kind of gal, I would guess that high school teachers see more underwear than most mothers. Hails bails, sometimes I think I must be working at the Hanes underwear plant.
At least now, thanks to Larry Platt and his little ditty, every time a sagging kid goes by, I start yelling, “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground…”
It's enough to startle the kiddos, so much so that they do pull their pants up—at least until they round the corner or duck into a classroom.
My hall buddy commented that someone somewhere will probably complain about the “fool” remark. It’s just not politically correct, she noted. And, probably someone somewhere will say that the “fool” remark probably will negatively impact someone’s self of steam (and we all know how I feel about that).
Somehow that little ditty loses its snapiness if you have to say, “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a clothing-challenged young person with your pants on the ground…”
See what I mean? So I’m stickin’ with Larry’s original lyrics.
Now, Larry’s little ditty got me to thinking about how we needed a song for all those plunging necklines. I came up with one and ran down to sing it to my principal.
He just sighed and said he was glad I wasn’t in charge of the student radio station and told me to put that little ditty into my “Things That Will Get You Fired Folder.”
So I guess you’re going to have to use your imagination for that one.
9 comments:
The fact that both kids and adults know both the song and it's source says a lot these days. American Idol is about the only common cultural touchstone left in the media. Amazing, and not a little sad.
And "fool" may not be politically correct, but that's certainly the term that comes to my mind when I see a kid's boxers he trips over his jeans down the hall. :-)
Tim,
What's really, really sad is that when I asked the kids if they knew who Neil Young was. None of them did. A few confused Neil Young with Neil Diamond. :-(
What does that say?
One of our teachers decided she'd had enough of the "pants on the ground." She wrote 17 young men up at lunch one day. It was more than a bit entertaining to see them in ISS for a day. We have seen fewer boxers since.
And yes, I am sooo tired of saying "pull up your shirt." I wish we could stock some dog-ugly t-shirts to hand out to the offending young ladies.
I. AM. IN. LOVE. WITH. THAT. GUY. :)
I nearly peed my pants when I first heard the "pants on the ground" song. My first teaching job was in a well-to-do school, but we too were plagued with "saggers." I now work with nerds, so we don't get much sagging. But apparently, nerdiness has no effect on plunging necklines...
Coach J,
We're still singing that song in the hallway between classes. We get a few "death glares" but they do actually pull up their pants. The other kids love it. It's amazing what a little public pressure accomplishes.
Hey Carol, that song's crossed the ocean too!
Sarah,
But the big question is… are sagging pants a problem over there too?
Yes, but I blame it on you lot across the Atlantic....and I think you've got it a lot worse!
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