Pageant Question: It is okay for women to wear pants, but why are people so uncomfortable with men in skirts?

"Mr. Ripley," whined Marcus.  "Can you let us out early?"

"You know the answer to that, Marcus.  You're in tenth grade and you know everything, don't you?"  Mr. Ripley ambled over to Marcus' desk.  "You haven't finished your worksheet.  Finish those problems and then you'll be able to talk."

Sharon, always wanting to look good, waved her worksheet in the air.  "I'm done!  Tell us a story, Mr. Ripley!"

The class quieted when Mr. Ripley strode to the front of the room.  "You all wrote down your homework?  All the problems on page 80?"  Cult-like, the students answered that they did.  Ever the showman, Mr. Ripley used the drama of silence.  "Why is it that women can wear skirts and pants, but men can only wear pants?"

The class took a moment before erupting in laughter and their own opinions.  "Scottish people wear skirts!"  "My Uncle Danny wears skirts!"  "Men have different parts!"  "Women shouldn't wear pants!"

Mr. Ripley regained attention by unexpectedly standing on a chair.  "Women's skirts come in so many great patterns and colors, and they're so comfortable and free-flowing, why couldn't I come to class in a skirt?"  Amid the heated debate, the end of class bell rung, and students scooped up their books, still paying attention to getting out their opinions rather than wanting to leave, which had only minutes ago been their priority.  Consensus seemed to be encouraging Mr. Ripley to come to class wearing one of his wife skirts to see what happened.