No Pants Day

[chasem]

It's my understanding that pants, in the uk, means underwear. Whereas in the usa, it means trousers, blue jeans, etc.

The promoters want people in their underoos.

[Thistle Stop]

It's my understanding that pants, in the uk, means underwear. Whereas in the usa, it means trousers, blue jeans, etc.

The promoters want people in their underoos.

Right -- underwear is called pants in the UK. But no matter where one lives, boxer shorts, certainly, are just the same as (short) pants. Especially the fancier ones.

I guess they are just after getting the shock value of people going round in their underwear. Silly!

I'd much rather see a man in a kilt than in his underpants. I prefer the mystery!

[MDR-V300]

Yes, it's completely silly.

That's the point!

There's no immoral or sexual overtones to the day. Neither is it an everyday better-alternative, but rather an excuse for a few giggles. They aren't going for practical, but absurd.

As a longtime fan of the absurd, I salute it. I'll celebrate it by wearing a kilt - the same way I celebrate most days

[Graham]

well one thing is for sure, we have a much better chance of getting kilts to be socially acceptable than running around in our underwear.

That will never work!

If these guys are seeking freedom in their clothes, they would be better wearing a kilt.

[Thistle Stop]

No wonder the rest of the world says "it could only happen in America"

How terrible it is that such a wonderful country as the USA is seen by the rest of the world in the light of the worst excesses of behaviour of a tiny minority of the inhabitants -- made possible of expression, of course, by the very freedoms that make the US a great country.

There are many countries in which the citizens don't enjoy an American-style personal liberty, and for such people, it is quite difficult to understand the difference between 'freedom' and 'licence' -- licence, in the sense of licentiousness, being an abuse of freedom which must nevertheless sometimes be tolerated so that true freedom of personal expression can exist.

American culture today, especially in its most often exported (and exploited) forms -- TV and films -- in many cases caters to to lowest common denominator of taste in entertainment, which results in a lack of due restraint. This is the fault of the producers, and is caused by their greed. Sex and violence sells! But it doesn't reflect the behaviour of most Americans. The majority of Americans are decent, honest, hard-working, caring people. Anyone who has travelled extensively in the US will tell you that people here are, for the most part, friendly, courteous, helpful, and kind to strangers. The 'Ugly American' is really a myth.

The hatred and wholesale murder advocated by Osama bin Laden and his adherents is a great deal more 'obscene' than anything one will find in American pop culture. Yet, it's not difficult to understand the (misguided) motive behind it. There is much to object to in the image of America portrayed in the mass media. We live in an age in which the normal controls of social censure have been suppressed by the domination of humanistic, 'politically correct' thinking, which has spread from acadæmia to the larger society through the power of the liberal media and legislation influenced by such an agenda. And Europe and the rest of the industrialised world are really just as bad and sometimes worse... Russia, France, Canada, and the UK have 'Naked News' presenters on TV, for example.

Well, I have to dismount this hobbyhorse. Sorry for being such a bore. I'm angry both at America's detractors and at the small but economically powerful elements of American society that have perverted liberty and turned it to libertinism, a showcase of immorality. That's not what America and Americans are about, not at all, but how is anyone to know that when all they see is the garbage on TV and in so many films?

Having said all that, I'm a great proponent of freedom of speech and expression. I may deplore the forms it sometimes takes, and fear the effects such excesses may have on the culture and the American image abroad, but still I wouldn't choose to restrict free expression. We need better controls of how some expression is disseminated, perhaps -- higher standards of decency imposed by the entertainment industry and other media, from within, for example -- but these freedoms are the cornerstone of personal liberty and are essential to a free society.

Nevertheless, we should heed the warnings from thinkers of the past:

When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near. -- Will Durant.

License they mean when they cry Liberty; for who loves that, must first be wise and good. For, None can love freedom but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license, which never hath more scope than under tyrants. -- John Milton

The difference between Liberty and liberties is as great as God and gods. -- Ludwig Boerne

Freedom is born of self-discipline. No individual, no nation, can achieve or maintain liberty without self-control. The undisciplined man (or woman) is a slave to his own weaknesses. -- Alan Valentine

Liberty exists in proportion to wholesome restraint. -- Daniel Webster

:::descending pulpit:::

[Graham]

Wow Cyndi, that was quite a discourse! and I agree with all you've said so well.

I do hope it wasn't inspired by my comment

No wonder the rest of the world says "it could only happen in America"

I know there are some nutters in the US but some of the people I respect most in the world are also there, which is why I'm coming to Denver.

I'm personally happy about the improved relationship between our countries, this has been brought about by the Bush/Howard friendship. Prior to that our leaders had been working hard to convince Australians that we were part of Asia, we are European, not Asian.
I think the Asian economic crash helped dispell that notion.

[Declan Rowan]

It sounds like the same crowd that promotes streaking teams decided to do something they could get away with all day long... But yea, what's the point of not wearing pants if you going to wear shorts? is it just to wear one article of clothing? Kilts already give you that opportunity...

[beerbecue]

An official day for wearing boxers as an exterior garment is the most asinine thing I have ever heard of......

The female undergraduates at my alma mater used to wear men's boxers to class on a regular basis!! As a young college man, it didn't bother me, actually I quite liked it - however, it really isn't appropriate..... I am even growing quite tired of the purposely bared midriff, thank you very much....

Might as well make a 'wear pajama's day', or a 'don't brush your teeth' day, or better yet a 'hey look at me!' day.....

BAH!!!

[Thistle Stop]

Wow Cyndi, that was quite a discourse! and I agree with all you've said so well.

I do hope it wasn't inspired by my comment

No wonder the rest of the world says "it could only happen in America"

I know there are some nutters in the US but some of the people I respect most in the world are also there, which is why I'm coming to Denver.

I'm personally happy about the improved relationship between our countries, this has been brought about by the Bush/Howard friendship. Prior to that our leaders had been working hard to convince Australians that we were part of Asia, we are European, not Asian.
I think the Asian economic crash helped dispell that notion.

Graham, my little rant was inspired by the comment 'it could only happen in America', but not because I took it to mean that you have a poor opinion of the US. It just got me to thinking about the image America has in much of the world -- that of selfish, depraved, closet imperialists -- which saddens me so much. It saddens me because it isn't true of the American citizenry, and, at the same time, because it has a grain of truth since American media have promoted an unhealthy, prurient form of 'entertainment' as mainstream fare.

Most Americans think of Australians and New Zealanders as 'close relations' -- English-speakers with a similar heritage, a fairly similar culture, and somewhat similar history. The fact that the US is held in disdain by quite a lot of Aussies, New Zealanders, Brits, Scots, and even Canadians, would surprise the average American, I think. It's a pity we have developed such a reputation, because the negative assessment is undeserved. This is still a great country, despite a few highly visible loonies!

[philibeg]

Well, Cyndi, I really do understand your point of view,because I grew up in the States and still have wonderful friends there. But having lived half my life in Europe I understand perfectly why the US is resented and feared by most of the world. In a recent poll the Dutch were asked who they considered a greater threat to world peace: Bush or Osama Bin Laden. You can guess what the result was, but don't think its blind hatred or irrational jealousy that caused the Dutch to vote against Bush, they truely feel that the man and his policies are a threat which they can in no way influence (think Kyoto and global warming for example, has caused very bad feelings here), but which has negatively affected their lives, and may ultimately destroy them. I will not go into detail here and now, and its not my intention to steer this thread entirely off topic, but I do feel there needs to be dialogue between the States and the rest of the world if the "shoot-em-up-cowboy-and-the-devil-take-the-rest" image is to be disproved. And, of course, the good salt-of-the-earth people of a country and the government are two very different things, that's true of any country in the world!

cheers,

Philibeg