'Pants on the Ground' Guy -- NJ Saggy Pants Ban ... IS GENIUS

Two important things -- 1) "Pants on the Ground" auteur General Larry Platt is STILL ALIVE!!! ... and 2) He absolutely loves the new saggy pants ban in New Jersey.

As we reported, the Jersey Shore town of Wildwood has passed a law banning saggy pants from its boardwalk, and it's scheduled to go into effect next month.

But unlike a bunch of famous rappers, legendary "American Idol" anti-sag crusader Platt tells TMZ, "I am happy about the law and would like to see the law passed worldwide."

The 65-year-old General says he's actually talking to politicians in his hometown of Atlanta about getting the same law passed there.

Platt -- who says he'd consider a post with Wildwood PD just to enforce the ban -- adds, "Saggy pants are a disgrace to the community. When you wear your pants on the ground, you look like a fool, and it pulls down people, churches, schools, education and jobs."

Take us home, Larry!