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Women's group says Hooters should not serve minors

Saturday, December 18, 2010 3:53 AM
SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Organization for Women is asking authorities to bar Hooters restaurants in San Francisco, San Bruno, Sacramento and Orange County from serving children. The group's California chapter on Thursday filed complaints against the restaurants with prosecutors and police. Hooters is known for its scantily clad waitresses. But NOW says the restaurants it identified are classified as adult entertainment establishments and are violating state and local laws by serving minors. Patricia Bellasalma, NOW's California president, told the San Francisco Chronicle that in recent years, Hooters has promoted itself as family friendly. It offers children's menus and T-shirts in children's sizes that say "Future Hooters Girl." Hooters said in a statement Friday that the charges were "ridiculous" and that the restaurant chain was not in violation of any laws. "The Hooters brand of sex appeal is wholesome and that of the all-American cheerleader, not a seedy strip club," said Mike McNeil, vice president of marketing for the Atlanta-based chain. "... Hooters is no more in violation of California's adult entertainment codes than the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is." Attorney Mona Lisa Wallace, president of NOW's San Francisco chapter, filed a complaint against the chain with San Francisco police. She told KTVU-TV that Hooters has called itself an adult establishment to defend itself against lawsuits accusing the chain of discrimination because it doesn't hire men to serve food. "Hooters, Inc. claims that they are not a restaurant but that they are rather vicarious sexual entertainment," Wallace said. "So their workers are not food servers or waitresses. Their workers are sexual entertainers." Adult venues cannot serve to minors under San Francisco law, but restaurants cannot discriminate by gender when they hire workers, she said. [view link]

17 comments

  • rl27
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    14 years ago
    The National Organization fo Women has always been filled with nut cases, so it makes sense that NOW would try this in San Francisco. One of the few cities where they can get away with this B.S.
  • SuperDude
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    14 years ago
    I wish they would put some of that energy in protecting dancers from exploitave club owners and get dancers some employee rights.
  • Clubber
    •
    14 years ago
    SD, Oh God, no! I can see it now seiu dancers.
  • spandexman
    •
    14 years ago
    It might be a good idea, that way adult customers can get lap dances during a meal.
  • Dudester
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    14 years ago
    1) N.O.W. Doesn't seem to get that the U.S. Supreme Court has already said that Hooters can discrimnate when it comes to waitresses. 2) Hooters is a sexualized environment, however, you can see more skin on over the air TV, or at the beach. N.O.W. doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. _______________________ In related news, Jeff Foxworthy's friend, Bill "Here's your sign" Engvall, tells a story about accidentally entering a steakhouse in Missouri that had topless waitresses. Bill's twelve year old son was with him and got an eyeful. I was kind of surprised that the boy was allowed entry. That story always intrigued me.
  • gatorfan
    •
    14 years ago
    miners? dig a whole
  • glen_livet
    •
    14 years ago
    Nevermind kids - I can't fathom why any grown men go to Hooters. Better food and better T&A is available elsewhere.
  • harrydave
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    14 years ago
    I agree with pompatous. I have been to a Hooters twice. Both times, the food was bad and the girls kept their shirts on. What's the point? LOL
  • shadowcat
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    14 years ago
    I agree with pompatous and harrydave. Been there twice. Once in Atlanta and once in Columbia SC. Menu was limited. Food was just so so and thank good the waitresses kept their tops on.
  • creativeshadow
    •
    14 years ago
    I agree with the previous three posters. Why even bother going there? Better t&a to be found elsewhere.
  • bigdude012
    •
    14 years ago
    Back when I was 15 my uncle asked my cousin and I what restaraunt we wanted to go to. Just joking we said Hooters, well we ended up going. Now Let's face at 15 and not knowing better Hooter's was heaven. A third cousin of the female persuasion was less than pleasedwith our selection. She didn't know what a hooters was and didn't say a word to us for the entire occasion.
  • farmerart
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    14 years ago
    Hooters should not serve food to ANY human being. The Hooters swill is suitable only for rats (and I am not including magicrat).
  • MisterGuy
    •
    14 years ago
    "N.O.W. Doesn't seem to get that the U.S. Supreme Court has already said that Hooters can discrimnate when it comes to waitresses." Actually, in a class-action lawsuit in 1997, Hooters agreed to pay $3.75 Million to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by a group of men. The settlement enabled the restaurant chain to continue to have only Hooters Girls serve food & beverages, while Hooters also agreed to create gender-neutral jobs such as bartender, host & kitchen staff. I don't think that the Supreme Court has ever ruled on anything related to Hooters. There was even a Hooters suit set to go to trial in TX this year: [view link] It was settled though: [view link] I always thought that it was funny whenever I saw a kid's birthday party at Hooters. The boys didn't seem to know what to do when a Hooters girl would put them up on a stool and say, "This is [so-and-so]...he's my boyfriend, and it's his birthday today!"
  • gk
    •
    14 years ago
    I think this could be cited as an example of the attitude that caused Rush Limbaugh to create the epithet: "femi-Nazi." It's a vocal group purporting to be representative (but not really) attempting to impose their views on others in a manner that ignores basic liberties. This is not a political statement, it's an observation.
  • someyoungguysomeyoungguy
    •
    14 years ago
    You know, I'm going to stick my neck out and advocate the unpopular opinion that this isn't totally without merit. Yes, you can see more graphic sexual imagery on TV. But if anyone thinks Hooters waitresses aren't there to be somewhat sexualized objects, they need to wise up. I confess: I go there lots of times. My wallet's pretty lean these days, so seeing girls with tight shirts and showing as much cleavage as they can gets a horny guy like me through the day. (And when I was flush with cash, I usually start off my stripclubbin' night with dinner at Hooters. It's kind of a starter course for the main later, you know what I mean?) Anyway, I often see families go there. Families, including kids. Including daughters. Again, I don't mean to be a prude, but if I had a daughter, I'd think twice before exposing her to the objectified adult version of what she'll become, especially at that young of an age. Would I go so far as to ban Hooters from serving minors? No, probably not. But I also think of it this way: If there are no underage kids, that means the environment there is safer for adults to do adult stuff. Spandexman could be right: Maybe then we can get our lap dances during our meal! And for those of you say T&A's better elsewhere: Where? We're talking about restaurants here, so I'm not looking for a club. Where?
  • Clubber
    •
    14 years ago
    I once visited a restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida called the "Chili Bordello". The waitress dressed like 1920's style prostitutes. That was a pretty hot place. I doubt it still exists, however. I found the below link of one of the former places in Lakeland, Florida. [view link]
  • Prim0
    •
    14 years ago
    Why do we need a law for this. If parents don't want their own kids to go into a hooters...THEY shouldn't take them! For parents who don't care or actually DO want to take their kids into a hooters for a bite to eat, let them. I have such a problem with one group of people telling another group what is right and wrong. (I'm sure someone will argue about protecting kids but I don't think this qualifies as you can take kids to a pool or beach and see women wearing less clothes).
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