Hooters in Newcastle

[cosysocks]

I'm quite nervous posting here as you wonderful women seem to be a lot more articulate than I am. So as the title suggests Hooters are trying to open a branch in Newcastle, this disappoints me so much. However I don't feel able to concisely say why apart from I feel it is blatant sexism and belittles women to nothing more than breast and a pretty face. Is there anything that can be done do you reckon? www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-could-set-hooters-bar-8178710

I used to work in Hooters in Miami in the late 80's while at university. I had a lovely figure back then and as I was an athlete used to wearing very skimpy outfits, I thought I might as well get the massive tips I knew others were getting. I can vouch for their statement that past staff have gone onto be mothers, pillars of their community etc etc. BUT... I'm a feminist now, I guess I didn't give the issue much thought back then. The concept makes me uncomfortable and I'd hate for my dd to do it but I had some great times and the money was fabulous, I can't deny.

Why does it matter? How is it sexiest? For men to appreciate the female form? You just sound like jealous mingers
Yes im a woman saying this

I am a jealous minger, yes.

You must be psychic! Have you thought about going on tour with Derek Acorah? He's got lovely hair.

You sound like Vicky Pollard.

Whatevs.

I am also a jealous minger. And I am saying that while being an actual woman. I also think nothing matters, because I'm not just ugly, I'm also quite thick.

I think there's nothing wrong with people appreciating the female form.

I think the problem perhaps starts when men "appreciating the female form" becomes something to exploit financially (as Hooters does) and the failing to realise that that "female form" actually belongs to a human being - an individual human being - who ends up being treated as a sex object, as decoration.

An employee at Hooters may not mind this whilst she's working, but this whole culture does transfer to other women - women working in offices, walking down the street, etc, in all walks of life really.

(sorry for being so serious) Obvs the only people to object to Hooters are Jealous Mingers.

Yes it does filter down and isn't harmless.

It affects sexism, discrimination to assault and rape.

Hardly titillating fun, is it?

Yup, jealous minger here. Wow! You're like totes amazeballs.

Could possibly be that we're capable of rational thought though.

Yeah, I think it might be that instead.

They say laughter is the best medicine

(It isn't, it's Tramadol.)

Arf

I am stealing that one next time the chronic pain thing flares up.

Yes, going to Hooters is all about appreciating the female form, it's a lot like going to see a Titian painting, all pure and that innit.

Sorry I've been gone... Loving the idea that we are all mingers, just shows the type of people that would be happy to frequent a place like hooters.
Off to look at the licensing application in a mo.
Yes there are strip clubs in Newcastle... That's a different thing though. This is a restaurant where only women are employed as waiting staff and they are there to be seen as a sexual object. For fucks sake the name of the place is basically called 'tits'. It is this kind if watered down sexism that pisses me off so much, seen as so acceptable by so many.

The only thing with this is, these women could go and get a job in another restaurant, but they chose hooters.

No I'm not happy about women being objectified, but I'm also 100% into women doing as they wish.

seems so dated so 90's

it is sleazy marketing itself as a fun family restaurant and to entice you to come into the restaurant they have pretty young women wearing shorts and tight tops

how can anyone think that is fun it is just sleazy what message does it give to young boys and girls

and how humiliating to see their dads drool over these young women and their mothers pretending it is all just a bit of fun

That picture makes it despairingly clear that you cannot classify women as a single entity. There are women with class and dignity and women who allow themselves to be passed around.

Sid, did you mean that post to sound so... Madonna-whore? Because that's a false dichotomy.

Hi Yoni, you could have phrased your question more supportively. I wasn't referring to a dichotomy but I have posed the two extreme ends of the spectrum.

Did you think your first comment was supportive, Sid?

It doesn't matter what end of the spectrum someone is on, they are still worthy of being protected.

They shouldn't need 'protected' though. No matter where they are on the Madonna-Whore scale.

If there had been a hooters in my area when I was a teenager I probably would have applied. I can see how there is some prestige in being deemed attractive enough to work in one of these places. Similar to Hollister's style of recruitment.

That said, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, I had terrible self esteem as a teenager and craved positive reinforcement. I did dress in an overtly sexual manner and I enjoyed the attention that I received.
Then as i got older, i recognised that the attention I was receiving was not actually as fun as it used to be and that it was all pretty sad and the lines and stories that came from these men disgusted me as it was all identical. I have always prided myself upon being an individual but here I was being judged upon my appearance which didn't marry with what was actually going on in my head.

If the media etc had been different and I hadn't been a child of the Pamela Anderson age then maybe I wouldn't have needed that affirmation of attractiveness. I might not have been so needy. I don't think that companies should be allowed to recruit based on exploiting neuroses!

It doesn't matter what end of the spectrum someone is on, they are still worthy of being protected

Sid, there really is no "spectrum" with slutty women on one end "who allow themselves to be passed around" and virgins and chaste wives on the other. Do you realise how incredibly sexist and judgemental that is, defining women like that?

Women are all just individual human beings with their own insecurities, desires and needs. Just like men. The difference is the cultural messaging both sexes receive.

Where do men fit on your spectrum? Or how about women who have a lot of casual sex and fuck whoever they want to when they want to, but don't passively "allow themselves to be passed around"? Are they counted as behaving "with class and dignity"? If not, why?

Same with the Hooters girls. I might not like Hooters or think it should be allowed to exist and use discriminatory recruiting practice etc. But working there and making money from your objectification is one valid way of negotiating a sexist world. It's not a feminist act, no, because it does perpetuate the cycle and this arguably makes things harder for other women, including herself directly or indirectly. But as an individual act, I can see why a woman would choose to do so as a response to living in a sexist world and wouldn't automatically label her as passive and "allowing herself to be passed around".

Thanks, Venus. Great post

Wow,sid, what a clever namechange.