Quantcast

Brooklyn Pol Fights Crack By Way of Sagging Pants

2010_03_stopthesag.jpg

Brooklyn politician Eric Adams is hoping get crack use down by urging Crown Heights youth to pull their pants up. To that end he’s spending $2,000 in campaign cash to erect six giant bill boards issuing the commandment “Stop the Sag!” There’s an accompanying Youtube video (below) in which Adams announces “If we raise our pants we raise our image,” and “We are better than this.” Supposedly the trend has its origins in prison culture, where inmates’ pants sag because they aren’t permitted to wear belts.

Adams himself says he’s never sagged. "On a practical level, how do they even walk?" said the perplexed ex-cop. One Crown Height male explained: "It's more comfortable below the hip," 19-year-old Saquan Spaulding told the News. "It's a young thing."



Anti-sagging campaigns have been launched in other cities, including Dallas where the movement acquired a catchy theme song by the rapper Dooney “Da Priest” (listen here). The anti-sag rag also spawned an American Idol audition that later went viral. "I saw it," Adams said of the YouTube hit. "I thought it was funny. But when you look at it more closely, you see how big this matter is. When we sag like that, we're playing into it. We look like clowns."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Comments [rss]

  • 125_45

    Okay I live in North Carolina and if anybody would ever outlaw sagging pants in town I would give them a list of other things to outlaw. For example nasty ass public bathrooms, people riding dogs in their cars(yeah I know it is their cars), but the cars are sitting in the parking lots in public and when you walk by the dog scare the hell out of you barking, people digging up their nose, people wearing nasty clothes, people with long nasty hair that don't wash it or comb it, stinky people, men looking at you like you are a steak on a plate, old woman flirting with my young son, because you know if I hit them I am going to jail, people digging up their ass, ugly people, loud ingorant people, mean nasty cashiers, rude people, and should I go on. Can we please outlaw these things too.

  • DameAlex

    This must be a bad joke. I bet this was put out to get support from the older generation of voters.

    What exactly is "correct dress"...?

    Will pulling my pants up raise the H.S. graduation rate in the black community? Maybe a belt would bring an end to teen pregnancy.

    Oh oh, i got it. Maybe i'll get the drugs out of my community if i tuck my shirt in...

    Shame on Mr. Adams for wasting time and money on this foolishness when there are serious problems to address in our neighborhood.

  • What with saggy pants and hoodies, where did it all go wrong.

  • ribaldry

    NOTHING NEW HERE. NIGGERS WILL NEVER FIT IT. WANT TO LOOK LIKE FOOLS. 1ST AMENDMENT ALLOWS NIGEROCITY

  • Well, at least you are honest and upfront about your racism, I'll give you that!

  • Guest

    awww... you two found each other! :)

  • Shouldn't you be in a Barnes & Noble mens room?

  • Guest

    shouldn't you be bashing those racist kids from li who actually killed someone?

  • Bashing you is so much more fun!

  • Guest

    and how's that shit stain on your pants?

  • Don't you have an appointment with Ricky Martin to get ready for?

  • Guest

    uhm, sharing your fantasies with me? sorry, but i don't swing that way.

    ps ....seriously, why choose ricky martin? he hasn't been around in a decade or so. eh, whatever floats your boat dude.

  • White suburban politicians probably should also weigh in on this campaign, since this phenomenon currently plagues many of their young constituents as well.

  • What these people don't realize is that this get-up is a sign.

    A sign that says, "Open for Business."

  • Petey

    What these kids need is discipline, and parents that actually care about the kids.

  • Petey,

    The way these kids dress says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the level of discipline, love and care they get at home.

  • Guest

    director: are you a member of a non-sag?

    saggin' actor: huh?

  • greeen

    Don't worry- white hipster dorks are adopting the look-- it'll be out of fashion tomorrow. They all look like they have a load in their pants anyway.

  • LB

    Well on the serious note, This tread will continue like all other treads of our past . If you try to tame someones "Individualism" they will revolt . Thus making the style that much more appealing to the masses . While I do hate seeing some dudes (In some instances) dirty,shit-stained drawns anywhere near me, It won't make a difference what I say unless it's my kid . That's one of our greatest gifts as well as one of our biggest faults . Individuality, For some turns out to be a good thing . With style and conformance of grace, A style turns into a tread and people for whom like the look jump on the bandwagon. Thus extenuating it, Or creating there own unique adaptation . (Simple Version) As long as this nasty-ass tread is popularized by the masses , It ain't going nowhere !

  • LB

    So that's why some of them smell like a week-old sack dirty laundry .

blog comments powered by Disqus

send a tip

tips@gothamist.com