As everyone by now knows, General Larry Platt stole the show at the Atlanta auditions of American Idol with his  “Pants On The Ground” performance.   But what you might not know is that General Platt is not just some old lovable kook with a catchy song.   In fact, he in the 1960’s when he was a teenager, he was a crusader in the civil rights movement in Georgia.  And, he was a student of Martin Luther King.

General Platt was honored in Atlanta with Larry Platt Day in September of 2001 for his “priceless and immeasurable contributions to society….and…his great energy & commitment to equality and the protection of the innocent…”

Check it out:  http://www.puretvnet.com/2010/01/13/pants-on-the-ground-video-on-american-idol/  There’s also a link within that story to a picture of him as a teenage civil rights crusader.

So, let’s hope we see this piece of gold known as General Larry Platt on the finale show in May.  He deserves to have a little fun and I, for one, admire him and his Pants on the Ground song.  He’s not an old codger or a baffoon…. he’s just trying to get his message out in a way where people will hear it.   I’m not saying he’s right or he’s wrong.  I mean, when I was in my teens, it was white lipstick, hip hugger bell bottoms and halter tops.  I’m sure my grandfather would have written “Pants Below Your Belly Button” if he had the General’s personality and talent, but hey, each generation is entitled to their own breakout style.  But the other generations are also entitled to their opinion of it.  It’s what makes the world go round.