A Louisiana parish, according to AP reports, is considering a ban on wearing pajamas in public. A parish commissioner, while visiting Walmart, saw young men in p.j.s, and apparently got a peek at some private parts one would associate more with Chippendales than with Walmart’s chips and salsa aisle.
Starved for news on the lighter side, this story attracted my rapt attention and at least ten minutes of deep introspection.
My stream of consciousness – you can thank me later—went something like this: Free country, can’t legislate good taste, ACLU, lazy-put-on-some-clothes-for-Pete’s sake if you’re old enough to be potty-trained, God-given rights of the individual, improbable enforcement, don’t want my mama to have to see a dude’s dingaling when she’s buying her skim milk, my body/my jammies, public indecency, freedom of the un-pressed, holy habeas corpus, will Slankets at Safeway be next?, keep bikinis on the beach / sleepwear in the sack, democracy in action, what happens when Granny goes to market in her Maidenform bra-thong set cause that’s freedom too, pajama jeans vs. sweatpants, definition of sleepwear, slippery slopes sink ships, beam-me-up-Scotty did Captain Kirk have Star Fleet footed-jammies?
Phew. I’m so exhausted I’m going to put my pajamas on and hit the hay. Or head out to Target?
Phew. I’m so exhausted I’m going to put my pajamas on and hit the hay. Or head out to Target?
Pajamas. An issue so controversial yet so central to freedom, and in an election year. Who will be the brave journalist to poll the presidential hopefuls on this question—are pajamas in public an inalienable right?
What do you think? Pajamas in public? Or jammies only in the sanctity of the domicile?
Loved the stream of consciousness. It's one of those laws that would require that I instantly don my Joe Montana fleece "leisure suit" that remarkably resemblers pajamas, and stroll to WalMart. Look at me! I think legislators with so much time on their hands, should be issued garbage sacks, and instructed to troll the highways for trash, in their pj's.
ReplyDeleteHa-ha-- you do have the best ideas. I thought you were going to say the legislators should wear the garbage sacks! P.S. The photos on your last post were extraordinary-- you and your wife found a bit a paradise there.
ReplyDeleteYou guessed it - I couldn't care less about jammies out in public . I argue with kids all the time, though, at school b/c pj's are not allowed at school. And, oddly enough, I do support that dress code rule. I don't need a bunch of adolescent kids sitting around in their pj's!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't like students sitting around in their jammies, either. Thankfully, we very seldom see that at our school-- they dress fairly conservatively, even without a dress code. Meaning I don't see body parts I'd really rather not see!
ReplyDeleteNow if I could just get them to stop spitting on the sidewalks....
Thanks for stopping by!
First I'd like someone to tell me just what the difference is in wearing pajamas in public while exposing privates VS wearing pants low-enough to expose cracks. I think we'd have to begin with telling our friendly plumber he needs to start wearing a belt. Personally, I'd prefer to leave pajamas at home. But what do I know?
ReplyDeleteMelanie, I read this out loud to my hubby and we were both cracking up and tearing. Thank you! I can now go to bed happy. :)
Love you, querida Amiga.
Paradise with an ocean view, thanks Melanie. When we walk up to Blue Rock each morning, there are three different spots from which we can see the Pacific Ocean, about twenty miles away, as the osprey flies. It is eerie to see ships' lights from our vantage point, up on our ridge-top. By the way, taking photos is something I only began this summer, when we went to Ireland. JT inspired me with the photos she is always posting.
ReplyDeleteMy pajamas are sweats and a t-shirt so, throw on a bra, and I'm Wal-mart ready.
ReplyDeleteThe dress code has always been very clear in retail/restaurant establishments: no shirt, no shoes, no service. I think that's likely as far as that legislation needs to go.
I'm one of those people who can't leave the house in sweatpants, unless it's laundry day and we are having a serious milk/bread/oh-my-god-i-have-to-get-out-of-my-house sort of crisis. And even then, while I'm defiantly strutting my slack, I can FEEL my nana's eyes boring into me from the heavens. (I have issues. I know.) So, pajamas? Um, no. But my sister wore pajama pants as "clothes" for most of highschool and her first year of university. I wouldn't dress like that, but I don't think there should be any legislation about it. I mean, have you SEEN jogging shorts? It does happen that the mouse gets out the house, if you know what I'm sayin'....
ReplyDeleteIs that like the cow getting out of the barn?
ReplyDeleteI'm with Desi. My mother would KILL me if she thought I was going out in public in my pj's, and my grandmother would roll over, if you get my drift. Pj's and other such things, just because you Can doesn't mean you Should.
ReplyDeleteThat said, legislation on the issue seems a waste of taxpayers money. If indecent exposure is witnessed, then prosecute the crap out of them. Personally I think this should go for girls/women with their chests hanging out of their tops too, but I doubt the legislators mind looking at that, lol.
Hi Neeks! Hey Desi! Jane, hope you're feeling better. Sebtown-- I'm still working on a post inspired by one of your own blog posts. Mark, you're giving me hope that one day I can take a photo that I don't want to delete.
ReplyDeleteY'all have this issue under CONTROL. Thank you for restoring my faith in the fundamental intelligence of the voting populace. I have so much more confidence in the average citizen than I do in our candidates. The sad part is, you are way too smart to run for office, leaving us only the (mostly) crazies! Any hey, I AM NOT BEING SARCASTIC in this comment. (I know sometimes it's hard to tell.) Love you guys and thanks for reading and commenting.
I don't mind the p.j.'s in the grocery store thing so much. I don't do it, but I've never really cared much if someone else does. Fashion is so weird as it is...give me p.j.'s over anything goth or punk or whatever Lady Gaga is wearing. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think there are actually two separate issues here--the pajama issue and the exposure issue. I'd venture a guess that there are already exposure laws on the books there in Louisiana. If your pj's cover the stuff you don't want your grandma having to see when she's buying skim milk, how does it matter that it's pj's covering it. Legislating "fashion" is a slippery slope indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. If they outlaw yoga pants, I'm sunk. For the record, my yoga practice is particularly erratic, to put it mildly.
ReplyDelete