Advertisement

Mississippi moves to criminalise sagging trousers

In the era of President Trump, Mississippi men had better not present their rump, with the state&...
Newstalk
Newstalk

11.18 26 Jan 2017


Share this article


Mississippi moves to criminali...

Mississippi moves to criminalise sagging trousers

Newstalk
Newstalk

11.18 26 Jan 2017


Share this article


In the era of President Trump, Mississippi men had better not present their rump, with the state’s House of Representatives to consider a bill making it a crime to have sagging trousers.

Introduced by Republican legislator Tom Weathersby, the offence would see those found guilty of not pulling up their pants forced to pay a fine of up to $100 (€93), along with compulsory psychological and social counselling after multiple offences, according to Mississippi Today.

Weathersby was encouraged to draft his bill after a concerned constituent told him of her encounter with a group of men with sagging trousers. Upon telling the young men to pull up their trousers, the group allegedly became “belligerent,” with the politician offering no further explanation.

Advertisement

“Personally, I like to see people dressed when they’re in public and I like to see people with their pants up,” Weathersby said.

A brief history of sagging

While significantly less of a sartorial cultural norm on this side of the Atlantic, the history of the sagging style may find its routes in the US prison system; as belts are banned – in case they might be used as a weapon or suicide device – the ill-fitting, mass-produced trousers worn by inmates slide down their hips.

The look was adopted in the 90s by hip-hop artists, quickly making its way into the wider pop culture as it was adopted and appropriated by various subgroups of American men.

Regardless of the generational and racial undertones of Tom Weathersby’s Mississippi bill, there may be some health benefits for a man to pulling up his trousers, with sagging linked to impotence, hip pain, and lower-back pain.

For more lifestyle news on Newstalk.com, please click here.


Share this article


Most Popular