Rhode Island dickhead Alan Sorrentino wrote a letter to the editor of the East Bay RI, the local paper of record, chastizing women over 20 for wearing yoga pants in public because they lack the "benefit of nature's blessing of youth" and thus "on mature, adult women there is something bizarre and disturbing about the appearance they make in public."
In response, a local woman called Jamie Burke organized a yoga-pants-parade, attended by more than 400 people, which raised money for Sojourner House, a Rhode Island charity that works with survivors of domestic violence. The parade culminated in free yoga classes in a park.
Sorrentino claims that his remarks were intended as satirical ("I assumed the character of this grumpy old man that was railing about women in yoga pants because he was too tight to just relax and accept himself in his age and his own ways. It was meant to sound stupid and creepy."). He compares the complaints he's gotten since the publication of his letter to the homophobic harassment he's experienced as a gay man "when you were afraid to stand up for yourself because you didn't know who was going to descend on you, what kind of physical harm or intimidation you were going to be subjected to."
Like the mini-skirt, yoga pants can be adorable on children and young women who have the benefit of nature's blessing of youth. However, on mature, adult women there is something bizarre and disturbing about the appearance they make in public. Maybe it's the unforgiving perspective they provide, inappropriate for general consumption, TMI, or the spector of someone coping poorly with their weight or advancing age that makes yoga pants so weird in public.
A nice pair of tailored slacks, jeans, or anything else would be better than those stinky, tacky, ridiculous looking yoga pants. They do nothing to compliment a women over 20 years old. In fact, the look is bad. Do yourself a favor, grow up and stop wearing them in public.
Besides, why would you want to wear something that's seen on dozens of other women every day, everywhere? I thought women didn't like doing that for obvious reasons. Yoga pants belong in the yoga studio. What's next? Wearing a "Speedo" to the supermarket? Imagine if men did that. Yuck!
To all yoga pant wearers, I struggle with my own physicality as I age. I don't want to struggle with yours. Thanks,
Alan Sorrentino
Letter: Please, women, put away the yoga pants [Alan Sorrentino/East Bay RI]
Yoga pants letter to editor prompts Rhode Island parade [Andree Massiah/BBC]
(Image: Danielle Blasczak)
