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.

Urggh! I was hoping it didn't. Would you start a restaurant specialising in attractive men called 'Cocks'?

Does Stephen Williams have a surgery.

You could t-shirts with a Cockerel logo.

Cocks would be better for a British audience though.

ccpccp- do you work for Hooters?

Oh good lord

blog about all of it, by Sian Bristol Feminist network

Hooter also means owl. Thus the play on words. Some seem to think this can be ignored though. A pair of orance circles in the head of an owl on a kids babygro are breasts apparently.

Kids these days - grow up so fast!

I dont think they should be sponsoring kid sporting teams MisSalLaneous. Are they doing it in the UK also? That link was to an Australian report, and they're a tad mad down there

If Hooters just refers to the 'owl' why do they not employ men as well?

Why does the company itself say that the Hooters concept is based on "female sex appeal"?

'Hooter also means owl. Thus the play on words'

ccp you are fixated on these bloody owls, enough with the owls now

it is a lame play on words when everyone really knows what Hooters refers to ie breasts

ccpccp, I'm American. I've been to Hooters. It's considered a joke in the US and shocking so don't buy the, 'haven't been there, can't comment' garbage.

What part of sexist don't you understand?

to say that the children's merchandising is harmless because it's mainly associated with owls misses the point. The owls are the logo of a sexist business built on objectifying women.

That's like saying playboy bunny logo bibs are not offensive because it's only a bunny.

It's not the owl which is sexist and demeaning. It's the company. And since the owl is the company logo, the logo is sexist and demeaning too.

OK then ccpccp, of those 3 images I posted (the women's top, the kids' top and the bib) which ones do you think evoke breasts and which don't?

do you seriously think this is completely innocent?

and if not, what about this?

I'm a boob man - hooters

Is this an explicit enough link for you?

btw I cannot see how a romper suit saying "I'm a boob man" can be described as "completely non-sexual".

Pro breast feeding too! What a company.

If hooters was just for adults and also had gorgeous men in skimpy attire, it would seem far more fair.
We're just back from Vegas and NY, the hooters in Vegas seemed very sleazy just from walking past it, there were hooker "catalogues" (yes, really ) in cabinets all along the street outside and strewn all over the floor.

The casinos were chock full of gorgeous waitresses wearing not a lot, which I didn't have a problem with as they were adult enviroments, but it would have been nice to have a few beautiful men around too, at least the Sirens show at TI had equal numbers of male and female flesh on show.

In NY, women were queueing up for half an hour to have a photo with the gorgeous male Abercrombie and Fitch models, there were no similar female models.

If you are shocked and/or upset by Hooters, don't go to Vegas! It's very mild in comparison to some of the things we saw.

Cheers ilovemydogandMrObama, though given its popularity I think you might be putting your own opinions into the 'its a joke and shocking' comment.

I didnt get that impression when I ate there and nor did the other guests as far as I could see. Didnt ask them though - perhaps they were eating there to wind their kids up. Threatening to buy them t-shirts showing owls with nipples for eyes.

yeah, and some parents take their kids to a shooting range. Your point?

hooters harass women in the street

ccpccp - having clicked on some of the links, yes, you're right, most of the sponsorship is in Australia.

They're also co-sponsoring Bass fishing in the US, which is a family event (quote from that page: "HBF fishes with approximately two hundred fifty amateurs, soldiers, kids , competitors, sponsors, guests and media people a year. " And yes, they are there in their skimpy outfits, of course.

And as to whether the Youth Football tournament happened in the UK - I don't know, since it on the Nottingham website, I assume so. see here

I can't bring myself to copy the link having just finished bleaching my eyes , but there was a link with a baby "reading" a Playboy magazine. Obviously parents thought it very funny. I can't even begin to explain how much this revolts me. There is no point arguing with people who believe this is innocent. They have the information, they just don't want to know. I will try my utter best to protect my children from this until they are old enough to understand how damaging the industry is.

Have to say I think many of the EP articles are pretty fair, all seem to be against it in tone.

Following this with interest...

Jess you mentioned Bubo above... See this article (if I can get the link to work) - apparently Bubo Limited are operating the franchise in the UK.

www.bighospitality.co.uk/default.aspx?page=articles&ID=205481