Just took my son for his first visit to Hooters!

[savar]

I've never understood the appeal of Hooters (the restaurant at least) the food sucks and the girls are skanky as hell.

It's not the greatest place on earth, but always fun. The wings are actually pretty good -- I've not had anything else as I only went with my boss a few times and he paid for everything.

In the south, the girls are usually smoking hot. They work real hard for tips, schmoozing with the dirty old guys who they know will leave a big tip if they talk to a cute girl...but if you're not a creep they're genuinely nice.

I want to know what the airline is like!

 

[Brize]

This guy is "that guy" who never has a sense of humor about anything and always points out the bad in something. Life doesn't have to be that serious..chill

I think Les makes a very reasonable point, and one that's mirrored - perhaps not as explicitly - by many of the other posters in this thread.

Presumably, you don't see any problem with taking a six-year-old boy to a restaurant where the objectification of women is de rigueur?

Are you suggesting that the child is unlikely to develop a lack of respect toward women as a result of this and similar experiences, or simply that it's of no consequence?

Whichever, please state your case, instead of making a vague imploration for someone to 'chill'.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I want to know what the airline is like!

Have refrained from contributing to this classy thread so far... but, they have an airline?!

Don't tell me, surely they must have a business class.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Have refrained from contributing to this classy thread so far... but, they have an airline?!

Don't tell me, surely they must have a business class.

I think its all coach. They fly 737s out of Myrtle Beach, SC.

Never flown it. No real desire to go to Myrtle Beach.

 

[Applespider]

I don't mind Hooters although I recall being slightly shocked before my first visit when the guys I was on holiday wanted to go there to watch college football. When we got there, it was fine. The girls wear more than they do in some sports bars and the wings are pretty good - the 911 ones and the 3 Mile Island have great sauce. The snowcrab claws aren't bad either...

They even have branches inside Texas Stadium and Fed-Ex field on the club level which are always packed. Why someone who has forked out $100s on Club Level seats at the Redskins would then spend the game watching the game indoors at Hooters seems odd - although in recent season, perhaps not.

 

[mactastic]

Hmm... might be fun to see the reactions to a "I just took my six year old son to his first Pride parade!" thread.

 

[jazzmfk]

....... They work mostly for tips after all...

Oh, you said "tips"....

 

[mac-er]

we love the chicken strips with the 9/11 sauce..ahhh they're so darn hot!

They named a sauce after 9/11? That is pretty insensitive.

 

[jsw]

In other news, the pope's Catholic.

Surely this is obvious to a potential Hooter's employee?

 

[leekohler]

Hmm... might be fun to see the reactions to a "I just took my six year old son to his first Pride parade!" thread.

You'd get the exact same reaction from me.

 

[rainman::|:|]

They named a sauce after 9/11? That is pretty insensitive.

I was sort of wondering that too... I'm guessing, hopefully, it's "911 sauce" that's just gained the nickname 9/11?

And you do see a handful of kids at pride events sometimes, usually really little tykes, so people can't ignore the fact that they're actually *gasp* parenting, and considering some of the outfits at pride, i suppose Hooters is a bit less demeaning.

the idea of kids witnessing nudity doesn't bother me, it's the sexual atmosphere. but kids in olden times (hehe, olden) used to sleep in their parents bed while their parents made their siblings, so in the grand scheme, it's pretty tame.

 

[Applespider]

They named a sauce after 9/11? That is pretty insensitive.

No, they have a 911 sauce which is supposed to portray the idea that it's so hot you'd need to call the emergency services. No more insensitive than the Anchor Bar, the home of wings, calling theirs 'Suicide Hot'

 

[BrianKonarsMac]

They named a sauce after 9/11? That is pretty insensitive.

maybe it's...911! =P.

 

[nbs2]

I still remember my first trip. I remember my first trip to only a few restaurants - they have to be pretty good. It was two of my friends and I, and we just wanted to find some wings. It was the only place that was open along a fairly commercial corridor that even offered wings. We show up, and the waitress was attractive, but no more so than the Outback I used to frequent back at school (that was the place for attractive women who chose to flaunt their sexuality, thus portraying women as objects - should that be shut down? or what about any time waitresses do that to improve their tips - should they be fired/the place closed?). We sit down and she's hitting on this guy at the next table, and we're thinking "wow, that's pretty intense" and it turns out the guy is her husband. We ended up there for a couple hours, actually played a couple games of chess and then left. It was a pretty enjoyable, family friendly time.

I think it was no different than going to the beach and talking to someone there. Honestly, I think I've been to Hooters maybe twice and maybe gone to clubs thre times. The clubs are full of women being objectified more than Hooters - close them down too!

 

[Brize]

Honestly, I think I've been to Hooters maybe twice and maybe gone to clubs thre times. The clubs are full of women being objectified more than Hooters - close them down too!

The issue's not whether Hooters should be closed down, but whether it's an appropriate venue for a six-year-old child.

 

[HiRez]

Hooters is the pre-stripclub job, IMHO.

That is sometimes true, but sometimes it's just a place where a young woman with a nice rack can get a job and make decent money off tips without having to get naked. My friend met his wife in the Honolulu Hooters, where she was working. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met, she's beautiful, and she never went into stripping, although she easily could have (lots of women in Honolulu do). I imagine there's quite a range of girls who work at Hooters, kind of just like anywhere else really. I still find the whole concept a little ridiculous, but I don't blame the girls who work there for it.

 

[nbs2]

The issue's not whether Hooters should be closed down, but whether it's an appropriate venue for a six-year-old child.

It just seems like those wholly distinct issues are being considered together. As for being the kind of place to take a 6yo? I think it is iffy, but I don't think it is going to turn him into a wifebeater. I think it is any different a place to take him than a lot of beaches (both domestic and abroad), many cruises (since few are family oriented), or anywhere else you are likely to see a people that are treating sex or sexuality casually.

Then again, I think parents generally can best make decisions as to what they view as appropriate for their child. What if he wanted to take his kid to the Black Hole (for football fans out west), the Dawg Pound (the midwest), or the 700 Level (here in the east)?

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Sort of off topic, but we are getting a
Quaker Steak and Lube ...

 

[Xtremehkr]

The issue's not whether Hooters should be closed down, but whether it's an appropriate venue for a six-year-old child.

What makes it inappropriate?

 

[joepunk]

... I think it was no different than going to the beach and talking to someone there. ...

Same exact thought right here. As a person who visited the beaches of Florida every time I visited my grandmother during the holidays and summer I have to say that I saw more revealing outfits than those worn by the waitresses at Hooters.

 

[Brize]

As for being the kind of place to take a 6yo? I think it is iffy, but I don't think it is going to turn him into a wifebeater. I think it is any different a place to take him than a lot of beaches (both domestic and abroad), many cruises (since few are family oriented), or anywhere else you are likely to see a people that are treating sex or sexuality casually.

The issue here is not simply children being exposed to the female body; it's being exposed to the female body in a contrived environment where objectification is not merely condoned, but positively encouraged. This creates a very specific dynamic that's not present in the examples you provide.

I'm not suggesting that children be shielded from sexuality. On the contrary, I think that it's essential for children to begin learning about sexuality from an early age. However, there's a critical difference between the observation of adults enjoying their sexuality in a natural environment, and sexuality manifested specifically for the benefit of a customer; in this case, a six-year-old child.

 

[iSaint]

The issue here is not simply children being exposed to the female body; it's being exposed to the female body in a contrived environment where objectification is not merely condoned, but positively encouraged. This creates a very specific dynamic that's not present in the examples you provide.

I'm not suggesting that children be shielded from sexuality. On the contrary, I think that it's essential for children to begin learning about sexuality from an early age. However, there's a critical difference between the observation of adults enjoying their sexuality in a natural environment, and sexuality manifested specifically for the benefit of a customer; in this case, a six-year-old child.

I've yet to hear anyone say anything about the girls who work there...other than calling them names. Our waitress is in college, and we actually talked about church, as I stated in an earlier post on this thread. Most of them were very nice looking, but not overdone or 'skanky' as some of you like to say.

My wife was more irked than really mad at me. My mother-in-law (judgemental evangelical with a sharp tongue of spite and hatred) is appalled. It's not something I'm going to do every week. Nor will I take him to a strip joint when he's 18. My wife knows I've been to strip joints in my lifetime. I can count the times on my hand, and she knows it's not a habit that I go to those places.

Did I mention I'm a part-time youth minister??? Let the flaming begin!

 

[Koodauw]

Step 2: A mullet, a tattoo, and a box of condoms.
He's ready for the world you're teaching him about... women are objects, food is not meant to be enjoyed without the company of skanky waitresses, and the penis rules the brain.
Step 3: Check out U.S. News and World Report for the best party colleges.

I have a feeling you'll make father of the year.

Harsh? You posted the story. I merely answered.

Being someone who attends the #1 Party school I take offense to that comment, or am I too drunk to care?

Anyways, if you visit the bars around here, they'll make a Hooters look tame.

 

[Xtremehkr]

You know, if these women choose to wear skimp outfits and flirt with customers, what is the big deal?

It may not be right by everyones standards, but they work there of their own free will.

So what if some guys are willing to spend money on beer and wings at Hooters, instead of another bar, because the waitresses are more playful and attractive than those that could be found at another establishment.

There is nothing inherently wrong with women who choose to use their sex appeal in a way that they find beneficial.

There is nothing wrong with men who are willing to indulge in such a service.

It's a mutually beneficial arrangement that benefits both sides.

It by no means meets everyones tastes. That is besides the point though, there are many alternatives to Hooters.

Whether someone becomes knowledgeable of this at 6 or 66 seems to be a moot point. Overtime, people realize that there are many different varieties of entertainment.

It could be said that it is objectifying women. But the objectification of men and women is nothing new. I don't see many women's groups coming out against Chippendales.

Different tastes for different folk.

Hooters is what it is, if it is not for you, that is fine. There are plenty of alternatives.

 

[HydroMan]

It by no means meets everyones tastes. That is besides the point though, there are many alternatives to Hooters.

Whether someone becomes knowledgeable of this at 6 or 66 seems to be a moot point. Overtime, people realize that there are many different varieties of entertainment.

It could be said that it is objectifying women. But the objectification of men and women is nothing new. I don't see many women's groups coming out against Chippendales.

Different tastes for different folk.

Hooters is what it is, if it is not for you, that is fine. There are plenty of alternatives.

Well said, I am of the same opinion except I couldn't have explained it better than you.