Click Here to see a video of students’ reaction to “Low Pants, No Chance”
A Baton Rouge metro councilwoman has started a social crusade to curb what she considers an egregious ill in the city — sagging pants.
“It’s so disrespectful,” said C. Denise Marcelle, councilwoman for District 7.
Marcelle has started a public awareness campaign called “Low Pants, No Chance.” The councilwoman has printed 150 flyers bearing the slogan and a hand-drawn picture of a man’s pants.
“The inspiration was I live in this area, and I see so much of it,” Marcelle said. “My father had a barber shop, and he threw people out for [sagging pants].”
Marcelle says her father’s example inspired her to start the campaign, in which flyers will be visible in businesses throughout the district. She’s reached agreements with those businesses to refuse service to customers who come in with sagging pants.
“It’s similar to ‘no shoes, no shirt, no service,'” she said. “A lot of businesses are buying into it.”
In addition to the campaign, Marcelle says Capitol High School on North 23rd Street has hung signs on its campus. She has also reached an agreement with the Lamar Advertising Company to provide billboard space for the campaign, while local churches are helping to “get the word out.”
Marcelle says no government funds have been used in the campaign so far. She printed the first round of 150 signs herself. Once those run out, she said people who want a sign can buy one for $2.
Marcelle plans to pitch a city-wide campaign at the next Metro Council meeting.
Louis Day, mass communication professor and media law teacher, says he’s heard of similar efforts across the country, some of which have taken the form of city ordinances. Several towns and parishes in Louisiana have such laws on the books, some of which bear a stiff fine, he said.
Marcelle says she considered such an ordinance but said “passing a law would not be favorable to a lot of people.” She also said such a law would probably be unconstitutional.
Day says it probably is.
“[Sagging pants] doesn’t even come close to the legal definition of obscenity,” he said. “And it doesn’t even come that close to indecency.”
Day said far more offensive dress can be seen during Mardi Gras or on TV.
“With ‘public exposure,’ you can see all the body parts,” he said. “But as I understand it, you can only see underwear when somebody has baggy pants.”
Reaction was mixed to the campaign on campus Wednesday.
“I’m all for it. I was raised that way,” said Christien Bold, creative writing freshman. “It’s disrespectful for other people, but it really hurts the person doing it.”
Chip Woodson, global diplomacy junior, said sagging pants are sometimes unintentional.
“I wouldn’t even think about it,” he said. “I just lost some weight, and I don’t have money to buy new clothes and stuff. I think [the campaign] is a waste of time.”
Anthony Ferguson, biology freshman, said he lets his pants sag but only in moderation.
“My thing is, I have a limit to my sagging,” he said. “I’m showing respect but still sagging. You can’t see my underwear or anything.”
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Contact Matthew Albright a [email protected]
Councilwoman speaks out against sagging pants
September 15, 2010