The Thread That Would Not Die: Shorts? Another UGa problem

[GA-Beta]

Guys in short shorts aren’t cool
Published , April 20, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT
UGa newspaper


Who said it was attractive for guys on campus to wear shorts that show off their tan lines? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, pay attention for the short shorts that frat guys wear and the hairless thighs they inevitably expose.

It’s a problem that has plagued the University for years now, ever since I was a freshman. I started noticing these short shorts and the types of guys who wore them when I lived in the dorms.

At first, I thought it was just a troubled phase these guys were going through. I assumed they just wore short shorts because they had no better fashion sense.

But I was wrong. It seems as if these short shorts are a trend now, and every frat guy on our campus wears them.

I usually get into one of my classes about five minutes early, only to wait around for the lecture to start. The other day, my time was instead consumed by staring at the amount of skin this particular guy was showing off.

I usually don’t take pride in noticing other men’s legs, but since his shorts were more than halfway up his thighs when he sat down, I couldn’t help but stare in disgust. It usually doesn’t bother me this much, but then I started looking around the room.

Seven out of the 16 other guys in the room suffered from the same problem: extremely short shorts. And most of them, I know from observing the shirts they wear, are in fraternities.

I’ve started concluding on my own that our traditional Greek fraternities on campus breed short shorts-wearing guys. It’s like they have their only style, the complete “frat-tastic” guy. You can always pick them out on campus because they all walk together.

And if you catch two or three pairs of semi-hairy legs together, it’s not women who forgot to shave that morning. It’s these guys who think that wearing short shorts is appealing. Not only do their short shorts give them away, but they almost always wear pastel colored T-shirts that flaunt their fraternity social. They seem to always model the dark sunglasses with the croakie that fastens their sunglasses to their head, too, as if their sunglasses are going to fall off anyways.

As much as it confuses me as to why all these fraternity guys dress the same, I really don’t see the problem ever going away. Nothing bothers me as much as those short shorts, though. If only they could just not wear short shorts, the world would probably be a much better place.

You know, I appreciate walking around the Chemistry building because my chances of seeing frat guys’ leg skin are less than those on Milledge Avenue. For you fraternity guys, I beg of you: be different, stand out. But please, wear longer shorts. Showing too much skin in your thigh area is definitely not attractive.

— Jeff Czech is a senior from Martinez majoring in marketing.

[KillarneyRose]

Hmmm, wonder if it's jean shorts.

[UofISigKap]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
Hmmm, wonder if it's jean shorts.

Did anyone else chuckle at this and think "jorts?"

[sdbeta1]

Please tell me that this article was a joke. I just have too many things to say about it.

[Munchkin03]

[SoCalGirl]

Can someone post a picture of the ultimate "fratty" wearing this uniform of short shorts, pastel t-shirts, and croakies?

I've never seen a college student wearing croakies, ever. I think if any guy at my alma mater wore that outfit he'd quickly get a beat down.

[sdbeta1]

Taken from an online response to the student newspaper where the aboved article was published.

If the principles of journalism require that you must criticize the establishment at all costs, by all means, be trendy and bash the Greek system—it’s never been done before. In lieu of a scandal or incident that could really expose them, let’s go back to the default and stereotype them. My response to your article about short shorts is pretty simple. We like the way they look. We like they way they feel. We don our short shorts, date-night shirts, and croakies (can’t leave out the leather flip-flops and loafers either) for the same reason you choose to gel your hair, wear cargo-capris, and of course—top it off with a nice tight fitting polo with collar turned up (since that’s what all of ya’ll wear). The conservative look is an appropriate, established look and that is why it is so popular. That’s not to say that it is the ONLY good look. You could argue that the “frat uniform” is contrary to individuality and creativity and is nothing more than conformity. However, individuality and creativity are determined by things like will power, discipline, confidence, and vision—not by the length of your shorts. I beg of you: be different, stand out; write about something worth more than the paper it’s published on.

[PM_Mama00]

Why would guys want to wear short shorts? I'm picturing guys in the 70s with those really short ones that had a strip down the side, rollerskating at the local roller rink to some disco. Can someone post a pic of what they are talking about?

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
Why would guys want to wear short shorts? I'm picturing guys in the 70s with those really short ones that had a strip down the side, rollerskating at the local roller rink to some disco. Can someone post a pic of what they are talking about?

Don't worry. I'm confused too. Is this maybe a southern thing, cuz guys up here tend to wear loooooong shorts that are worn so low they are practically falling off.

[kddani]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
Why would guys want to wear short shorts? I'm picturing guys in the 70s with those really short ones that had a strip down the side, rollerskating at the local roller rink to some disco. Can someone post a pic of what they are talking about?

Lol, I just watched the movie 54 last night.... makes me think of that.

Yeah, i have NO Idea what this is reference too.

Boy legs in shorts are not sexy.

[DSTRen13]

Originally posted by sdbeta1
Please tell me that this article was a joke. I just have too many things to say about it.

This is one thing I am really grateful about about Tech. Only a couple of the fraternities here breed that sort, so I am spared the thigh-age that is abundant at the SEC schools. (Yay for our "inferior" Greek system! Not only do our fraternity guys not all own croakies, but the majority of them cover themselves appropriately!)

Okay, I have been avoiding my work by goofing off on here waaaay too much today ...

[macallan25]

"Get a beat down." Thats pretty classy. Most of us that dress this way care very little about looking "cool" and whether the look is old fashioned or out dated. We care about looking respectable and presenting ourselves well in front of others. To me, gelled hair, too tight popped collared shirts ripped up Hollister jeans, and man bracelets makes you look like trash.

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
Can someone post a picture of the ultimate "fratty" wearing this uniform of short shorts, pastel t-shirts, and croakies?

I've never seen a college student wearing croakies, ever. I think if any guy at my alma mater wore that outfit he'd quickly get a beat down.

[ilikehazing]

So here's my take on it, since the last one got deleted (I would assume because of profanity but of course the mods are always so wacky!)

First someone wanted to see an "ultimate fratty guy" or so on.

I think this is a good image, I'm not a fan of their shorts or some of their looks but it's good enough for searching for "fratty" on google.


And then here's a link to an LSU article on being fratty:
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/dis.../415261f18a4ca

[polosandpearls]

Short:


Just right. Anything longer is bad in my opinion.

[ilikehazing]

polos is completely correct.

mine are always the latter