This article is from a while back…around Jan. Thought it was still pretty relavent.
Dwaine Caraway, the deputy mayor pro tem of Dallas, had two suggestions Monday:
Pull your pants up.
And turn your television on.
Mr. Caraway has gained national attention for his crusade against saggy pants, the boxer-baring fashion trend that he views as a sure sign of the unraveling of young people’s moral fiber.
It is disrespectful to females, he said of the style, an offshoot of hip-hop culture. It’s disrespectful to a 3-year-old. It’s disrespectful to an 89-year-old grandmother.
On Monday afternoon, Mr. Caraway was one of the guests on an episode of Dr. Phil devoted to the saggy-pants debate.
A man, he declared on the nationally syndicated show, needs to show a boy how to wear his pants.
Initially last year, Mr. Caraway considered pushing for a city ordinance against low-riding trousers. He abandoned the idea after being advised by city attorneys that such a law would raise constitutional issues and would be a pain in the rear to enforce.
He has since, however, led a full-fledged PR war against saggy pants, a campaign that has included billboards, a rap song, and, now, an appearance on Dr. Phil.
The show was filmed a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles. Mr. Caraway, who hates airplanes, flew out for the taping.
If the Lord wanted me to fly, he would have made me a bird, he had said. But he went anyway, because the issue is that important to him. (And, let’s face it, what local politician wouldn’t travel to California on rusty roller skates to appear on Dr. Phil?)
On Monday, Mr. Caraway gathered with about 50 friends and supporters to watch the show in a conference center at City Hall. He had not seen it before that national airing.
Others on the show included the Rev. Al Sharpton (no fan of saggy pants but concerned that young black men were being targeted); two mothers who oppose saggy pants; a dad who applauds the trend and wears his that way along with his two sons (He’s a fool, Mr. Caraway muttered while watching the show); and the two members of the hip-hop duet Ying Yang Twins, who were split on the issue (D-Roc is anti, Kaine is pro).
The show included the typical daytime TV ration of shouting, hyperbole and histrionics. Dr. Phil McGraw called saggy pants an issue that is heating up across the country and fretted about the anti-libertarian implications of pants laws.
Mr. Caraway played the statesman, never shouting and seldom speaking unless he was asked a question.
I was too cautious to be nervous, he said of his 15 minutes of fame (times four, but with commercial breaks). I knew I was representing Dallas. I had to be careful about what I said and how I said it.
The City Hall crowd was a friendly one. After the show ended, Mr. Caraway was met with a stirring round of applause.
Safisha Hill, a Dallas educator, embraced the war on sag.
I have an 8-year-old daughter, she told Mr. Caraway, and I have to explain to her why these boys are showing their drawers.
Mr. Caraway pledged to carry on the fight. He announced that the JBs, soul king James Brown’s former band, had recorded a pull-up-your-pants anthem, following in the footsteps of Dallas rapper Dooney Da’ Priest. He said he’ll push to get airplay for the new song and for a public service announcement produced by students at Lancaster High School. He also thanked Clear Channel Outdoor, the billboard advertising giant, for sponsoring Pull-’Em-Up signs.
We have now put this on a national scale, Mr. Caraway said. – BRUCE TOMASO
February 15th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Can you provide more information on this? Excellent post though… Highly recommended.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.