Clothing is a fascinating thing. Some of it is very functional, like steel-toed boots, other articles are purely aesthetic, the bow-tie. I have figured it out: Clothing is architecture for the human body. Clothing supports us where we are most sensitive, shields us from weather, and frames the body in an image. Clothing has style.
There is, however, one element of clothing I do not understand: shorts and sweatpants with words on the butt. More specifically, I do not understand why my high school's girls' athletic sweatpants and shorts had to have a message to preface the posterior, the worst being the tennis team's "Smack that!" and "Nice Ace!" My old town went up in arms about a Hooters franchise being opened, how did this not reach the school board?
I don't think there can be much argument that shorts and sweatpants with words on the butt are not sexual in their nature. They will, I can promise, attract eyes to one's backside. If this was the intent all along, than by all means, continue to grace the world behind you with "Angel Baby," "Juicy," etc. But by producing high school athletic clothing with the said messages, girls are being unfairly placed in a sexual situation they may not be comfortable with.
I think the solution is not banning the shorts/sweatpants with the words on the butt, but rather, mandating that the schools' boys' athletic wear have words on the butt, also. Once guys and girls walk through the halls with phrases like "Tap that" or even just the high school team's name, than the effect is de-sexualized. Ultimately, this can become empowering to women, because it gives them the opportunity to wear clothing with words on the butt without it automatically being "a slut."
Clothing can carry a message, and sometimes the only place you can fit that message is over your rear end.
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