Marks and Spencer support new 'Hooters' in Bristol

[JessinAvalon]

Dear all
(I've posted this under the feminism list but it's been suggested that I post it here as well.)

I live in Bristol and, last week, 'Hooters' was granted a licence to open in the city centre. The site is virtually opposite 3 apartment blocks, the lower floors of which are social housing and children are living in them.

What's most disappointing is that Marks and Spencer are leasing the site to 'Hooters'. They have been e-mailed by many concerned people to ask if they will reconsider leasing the building but they have just replied saying it is a "commercial decision" (as if that makes it ok!). In Sheffield, a 'Hooters' didn't even make it to application stage because the developer (Ask Pizza) realised that it would be better not to be associated with a company like 'Hooters'.

Marks and Spencer don't seem that concerned, however. Although they have signed up to the "Let Girls Be Girls" Mumsnet campaign they are not concerned about a company which sells merchandise including babygros which say "Future Hooters Girl" and "Does my butt look big in this?"

I have written to Marks and Spencer telling them that I won't be shopping in their stores again. If you feel strongly about this, please e-mail:

[email protected].

'Hooters' tries to sell itself as a family friendly restaurant but it is anything but. The Hooters in Nottingham attracts mainly stag parties and football fans. Hooters Girls take part in bikini contests and iced wet t-shirt competitions (the t-shirts are put in the freezers before the girls wear them). 'Hooters' has links to Playboy magazine....I could go on.....

I think Marks and Spencer should be shamed for facilitating this company's expansion into Bristol. They are selling women and girls down the river by leasing to this company and all just to make a "quick buck". As one former customer said to them, being a hitman is a "commercial decision" but it doesn't make it right!

Thanks everyone.

We have a petition here which we set up and a blog here which is recording articles etc and news on the Bristol Hooters.

Thanks, JessinAvalon, for raising this one. Petition signed and email sent! Let's hope M&S pay attention.

hopefully this thread will be seen by even more people than the other.... you don't have to be a feminist to think a restaurant like this in a family area is a Bad Idea.

wind your necks in. hooters is a bit of laugh

How so, Maighdlin? I don't see it as that at all!

And if you have a son, you'll be happy for him to go to restaurants where the waitresses are hired for their attractiveness and put in a skimpy uniform purely so customers can leer at them?

I think this kind of thing is a shame for both sexes, but then I'm not a fan of sleazy laddishness and raunch culture.

What happens if only men apply for the jobs in Hoooters? Will the management have to employ them while being secretly pissed off that their business plan has gone all Pete Tong?

Hooters are great fun. That blog seems a bit over the top.

I object to the casual introduction of raunch culture into our town centres. I have emailed M&S.

Some of you know a lot about Hooters - do you go there or where do you get your information from? Hooters website?

Do they do children's parties?
I mean, can you imagine it? [confused}

I have emailed M&S. Apart from targeting councillors (IMO often a waste of time) we will have to start boycotting any company that works/supplies to them.

Yes. Children's parties at Hoooters:

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.motifake.com/its-your-12th-birthday-hooters-demotivational-poster-87250.html][img]www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1001/its-your-12th-birthday-hooters-demotivational-poster-1264471936.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here

What kind of moron would organize a children's party at Hooters?

surely that picture's a joke Tiggy?

Suprisingly, these items aren't available on the UK site yet...

Baby Wear

That photo is hideous!!

The company were trying to sell 'Hooters' to the council (successfully) as being "wholesome" and "family friendly". They went on about their children's parties and extensive children's menu.

They forgot to mention:
-the bikini contests
-the links to Playboy magazine
-the 'Hooters Girls' calendar
-the iced wet t-shirt competitions

And Hooters is only family friendly until 9pm when all under 18s must leave.

A birthday party held there for a guy involved him standing up on the table with the waitresses standing around the table - the treat being that he could see down their cleavages (reported by a friend of mine who went to one in the US).

They've been recruiting waitresses by approaching young women in Bristol. Article <a class="break-all" href="http://www.motifake.com/its-your-12th-birthday-hooters-demotivational-poster-87250.html%5D%5Bimg%5Dwww.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1001/its-your-12th-birthday-hooters-demotivational-poster-1264471936.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here

They only employ young, slim girls (usually under 30). In the US they ask them to sign a contract which acknowledges that they may be expected to work in a "hostile working environment" and that "I hereby acknowledge...the work environment is one in which joking and innuendo based on female sex appeal is commonplace."

The employee handbook is here

To me, this is a really insidious way of introducing sexism back into our society in a mainstream way and rebadging it as "empowering".

Have signed the petition and sent an email.

Hooters are not a step forward by any right minded person's thinking. I'm sick and bloody tired of being told these places are 'just a bit of fun' - they're not. They are insulting, sexist and belong firmly back in the 70s. Jeez, what hope do young girls have nowadays

The 70s are coming back, Maisie... in the last couple of days I've read about not one but two beauty pageant/Miss such-and-such contests being revived for the first time since then.

It may be worth campaigning through your local newspaper and also through Twitter/ Facebook

Any minute someone will come on the thread and tell us we all need to lighten up.

Jess - that list of places they are thinking of opening - is that from somewhere online?
I ask because I want to link it on Facebook and I think it would have more impact if I link directly rather than cut and pasting it into my status (looks more official rather than just me banging on).
don't want to link to this thread because then all my FB friends would work out my MN nickname.