Marks and Spencer support new 'Hooters' in Bristol

[JessinAvalon]

Dear all
This is my first post on here so I hope I am doing this right!

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".

Thanks everyone.

We went to Sainsbury's yesterday for dh's shirts and a bunch of stuff for the kids .

I have been checking out where to get ethical pants from and have had some good ideas from MNers

Yes they should be allowed to celebrate it - rather than be told it's pornographic or hateful.

All I see on here is a group of older women complaining about the patriachy controlling female sexuality when its actually them who are attempting to suppress it. Boobs are nice, especially young pert ones. This is a fact universally acknowledged. Boobs are not pornography.

Can we all ignore Atlas? With a starting point like that there's really no hope is there?

Definite troll.

Do you think Mumsnet would be brave enough to drop M&S?

are you a man or a woman Atlastrips?

you sound like a man.
(from the 70s.)

At last strips, or a lass strips.. what is the pun?

Surely "boobs" are pornography when they're sexualised and out of context? What's your position on breastfeeding Atlas - do you think it's unattractive because they're not 'pert', or wrong because they should be kept for sex?

Actually Atlas, it doesn't really matter whether you think breasts are pornographic or not as I have decided that I will not be spending my money at Marks and Spencers regardless. I don't have to justify my financial decisions on whether my breasts are pert enough for you. It is one of the joys of living in a capitalist society, the freedom to choose where my money goes.

Response from M&S to my email.

Dear Mssoul

Thank you for emailing Sir Stuart about the sub-letting of our former Simply Food store at Bristol Harbourside. As a member of Sir Stuart?s personal team, I am replying on his behalf.

I am sorry you will no longer shop with M&S because of our decision to sub-let this site to Gallus Restaurants.

It has been reported that Gallus plan to open a branch of ?Hooters? in the property. I have noted your comments about Hooters, and your concern that the public image of Marks and Spencer may be tainted by our arrangement with Gallus; however, we do not feel it is appropriate for us to comment on the Hooters brand.

Thank you for taking the time to share your views with us.

Kind regards
George Mason
Executive Office
Your M&S Customer Service

( Tel: 020 7935 4422

• E-mail: [email protected]
  : Website: www.marksandspencer.com
  ? Address: Executive Office

                  Chester Business Park,
                  Wrexham Road 
            Chester, CH4 9GA
  

Not impressed or satisfied at all with that and am composing response. Is this the same brush off others recieved?

I wonder how Atlas knows we are "older women". I think Hooters would be thrilled to have me on board, actually. I happen to have a rather cracking pair. They are, however, not for the manager of Hooters to sell to a bunch of drunken football fans.

If the atmosphere at Hooters is one of good-spirited celebration of the human form, then why do the waitresses have to sign a waiver agreeing not to complain about the potentially hostile atmosphere?

Just seen on the list a plan to open one in LincolnIt's bad enough that the main thoroughfare has a massive ann summers shop with a huge photo of semi naked woman in suspenders and basque in shop window which my 3 and a half year old pointed out to me today.

Older than what I wonder? Mine are rather good too Tess :o

Pretty much mssoul, they are varying them a little bit.

I have great tits too but I would be a rubbish waitress. Hooters wouldn't mind that though would they?

I assumed they wouldn't, otherwise my post is null and void I believe their main requirement, actually, as stated on their website, is the "All-American surfer-babe look" or some such. Oh, and a "bubbly" personality. Where bubbly means "good at pretending that stag party antics are hilarious", I assume. So maybe I wouldn't get the job after all.

Haven't read the thread but would encourage you to protest and try and stop Hooters from opening.

It can be done - a group of local residents managed to stop a strip club from opening in our village last year by getting a petition signed by residents and local businesses, getting stories in the national press and appealing to the council.

More details here.

Good luck - There is no place for Hooters in the 21st century.

oh dear, am not awfully bubbly.
They might not like me being a feminist either, though they don't actually say so....

I got almost exactly the same response from Sir Stuart's ghost secretary.

Well, if they don't want my custom, Waitrose does good food locally, and I'm sure the money I save on M&S will come in at other clothes shops in the area.

I think the point of my protest is not so much that Hooters and the like exist. Obviously they do: to misquote Spike Milligan, "tha'll never stop f**ing in Bradford" (as a criminal being sent down for indecency says in "Adolf Hilter, his part in my downfall").

The point is that Hooters should not attempt to make out that they are a nice, family restaurant, and M&S should not be tacitly supporting them in this. If they were the brand we thought they were, they would be out protesting too.

(PS please nobody find anything bad about Waitrose...I may go into a decline!)

I think M&S might underestimate the combined power of Mnet...

Hi all, have emailed too. Flippin' angry. I see two are planned for near me, whichis hideous and I will def have to get on the case.

Atlas, for godsake, this isn't about objecting to sex or feeling jealous of young women, it's about women being seen as only existing to titillate (!!) and gratify ogling paying blokes. Women being paid to have big boobs and a friendly smile and be patted on the arse and endure gross lechy comments. What does this say to our children about what women do? And who women are? It's totally negative there is just not a decent argument in support of this kind of thing and that is the end of it.

Dear Sakura

Thank you for emailing Sir Stuart about the sub-letting of our former
Simply Food store at Bristol Harbourside. As a member of Sir Stuart's
personal team, I am replying on his behalf.

I am sorry you will no longer shop with M&S because of our decision to
sub-let this site to Gallus Restaurants. This is a commercial decision
and Gallus has received A3 business use permission from Bristol City
Council for the property.

It has been reported that Gallus plan to open a branch of 'Hooters' in
the property. I appreciate you are concerned by this; however, we do not
feel it is appropriate for us to comment on the Hooters brand.

Thank you for taking the time to share your views with us.

Kind regards

George Mason

Dear Mr Mason,

I find it extraordinary that you feel an association with the "Hooters" brand is a good commercial decision when the company displays such utter contempt towards women, who are your primary customer base. "Ask Pizza" pulled out of its connection to Hooters in Sheffield. It is a shame that in the case of Marks and Spencer "commerce" trumps "ethics"

Yours sincerely,

@ atlas's group of older women. You can't be young and a mum, because that would mean a subversive use of pert breasts for what they were actually designed for.

even my 13 year old son 'gets' the idea that Hooters as a family-dining concept is a flawed idea. And (he was reading over my shoulder) when i explained about the M&S Let Girls be Girls thing, he 'got' that too.