On any American street, or in any airport or mall, you see the same sad tableau: A 10-year-old boy is walking with his father, whose development was evidently arrested when he was that age, judging by his clothes. Father and son are dressed identically -- running shoes, T-shirts. And jeans, always jeans. If mother is there, she, too, is draped in denim.I'm left wondering what the problem is? Is George too haughty for denim? Or does he think it's too tacky to dress in a uniquely American pants?
Rachel Lucas chimes in, talking about denim overseas.
Jeans are an American uniform, and Americans wear them because they’re infantile? Huh. I wonder if that means the 80% of people in denim in the photos I posted this week of Amsterdam are redneck ‘Murricans. They sure must be some smart infantile rednecks because I overheard many of them speaking, and you’d never know so many infantile redneck ‘Murricans could be fluent in German, French, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Italian, and Arabic.When we hosted overseas students, the one clothing item they all wanted was bluejeans. They shipped them home in bulk.
I don't need to defend denim, so I only have one thing to say to George Will.
Hey, George! Screw you!
Hat tip to Rachel Lucas
2 comments:
I didn't read Will's piece, and I don't plan to, but I have to admit that he does have a point, I just think he's using the wrong material to make it. It's not the fabric denim that shows the infantilization of 'mericans, it's their entire slob-like apparel (t-shirts worn for every occasion, baseball caps never removed, baggy cargo shorts that reach below the knees, tats, piercings, etc.) AND, now here's the big one, their slob-like behavior (cursing, for example, without a second thought within earshot of children).
Too many Americans have no concept of how slovenly they have become. Going out to dinner used to mean dressing in some manner other than the usual, i.e. a suit and tie, or at least a dress shirt and slacks. But I guess that's too much too ask those who claim to put comfort above all else, as if dressing decently has to be uncomfortable.
BTW, in case you think me a snob, I am off work today and I will be wearing my jeans, along with my S&W snubby and Glock 19.
Playing dress up is also something that should have been set aside at a young age. If you wear a suit or a dress because you like them and you like the way it makes you feel thats fine, enjoy. That being said, if you do anything (to include choosing clothing ) because you care what anyone else thinks then you are a grass eater and you deserve the collar that you wear.
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