Paris+S’s+Final+AmEx+2014+Speech

=Title of Speech=

"I Hate Pants" =Text of Speech=

Society is like a pair of ill-fitting pants. They squeeze you in all of the wrong places, are loose in others and result ultimately in a misshapen lower half of the body. For those of you who know me, you can attest to my hatred of pants. I rarely wear pants, given the exception of intense rain and/or a rationing of leggings that I will discretely slip under a dress if the weather happens to be on the chillier side. For one I find pants to be incredibly uncomfortable: restricting my movement in various ways that skirts and dresses do not and I am aware that to many of you this may seem at best irrational. When I am wearing a pair of pants I am constantly finding myself having to adjust them and at times I feel as though the pants are wearing me. In short, I hate pants.

The wearing of “pants” can be traced back to the 6th century. These ancient relatives of the modern day pant were worn primarily by men and served as body coverings as well as protection from the elements. However, French designer Paul Poiret popularized loose fitting trousers that were to be worn by women in the early 1900s. As fashion has constantly evolved, more recent centuries have regretfully produced a type of pant known commonly as jeans. Jeans are a pitiful approach to what the trouser once was. This overly casual, unstructured article of clothing is bought by all who wish to subject themselves to the discomfort of denim surrounding their legs. Have you ever tried bending, stretching, or running in a pair of jeans? When you wear a pair of jeans there is no way to bend, stretch or run without hearing the denim scream out in protest. Despite the unconventional nature of jeans, almost every person, me included, owns at least one pair. I am the type of person who appreciates all types of clothing, but the dullness of pants, especially jeans, has greatly affected my perception of the way people dress. Pants are //the// one piece of clothing that everyone has adopted as their clothing staple. I know that saying “everyone wears pants” is an overgeneralization, but jeans are literally all I see people wearing these days! But I digress.

What I have found is that I am constantly manipulating myself, trying desperately to make the pants look, feel and even fit better. Despite many attempts, I have failed to accept the pants for what they really are: awful. Every time I have failed to realize that I cannot expect the pants to magically change into something more flattering. The attempts to enhance the pants eventually led to the overwhelming need for me to change myself. The insecurities brought on by a pair of pants are not only unique to my situation.

At the very beginning of my speech I stated that //society is like a pair of ill-fitting pants//. The need to alter myself in order to satisfy an image of what I should look like in pants, no matter how ill-fitting, comes directly from society and it’s screwed up perception of humanity. Society is complete with unwritten rules of how one should act, dress, and most notably look. When someone doesn’t fit into their societal mold; they are deemed somewhat inferior to those who excel in these categories. Instead of focusing on the average individual, our society looks to those who possess influence and then proceeds to set the standard of what people should be off of those few; one that is completely unrealistic.

“Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2. I pulled this verse from the Bible not only because it’s one of my favorites, but because of its relevance to the overall message of my speech. Instead of getting caught up in what society is constantly shoving down our throats, whether it is through the media or blatant word of mouth. I have realized that we shouldn’t be trying to better our social status or outwards appearances that only ensure superficial happiness, but instead start from within, looking inside ourselves and finding what it is that makes us who we are so remarkable.

Like a pair of ill-fitting pants, society produces a rather misshapen individual. Someone that wants to fit into today’s society has to ultimately sacrifice their individuality; trading in their skirts and shorts for a generic pair of blue jeans. Society as a whole is made up of a lot of conformists. Seeking desperately to fit in, they will abandon their previous beliefs and subject themselves to whatever society deems as being correct. What happened to the Beats of the late 1950s who didn’t want to live in the suburbs and assimilate into the middle class family? Or the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement who wanted to break away from what society had been wrongfully soliciting to them? What about the Hippies who fought for peace, love and freedom? All of these are examples of groups of people who did not wish to conform to their societies, and rightfully so.

In the world that I wish to grow old in I hope to see one in which its people are noticeably different, who are satisfied with who they are and who follow their passions no matter how socially unacceptable they may be. A world where people aren’t so worried about fitting in, but instead focus on what sets them apart from others, using their differences to enrich their world, those that strive not only to be different but to also make a difference in this world. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world,” is the advice given by Lucille Ball that I feel that everyone should take to heart. I want a world filled with people who love themselves enough to be confident in their actions, who possess enough courage to make a change, and most importantly I would enjoy living without the constant discomfort of wearing a generic pair of pants.

=Cite Your Sources=