As I was reading through some articles on BBC.com I came across an article that focused on the closing of a Hooters restaurant in Bristol, located in Millennium Square. The restaurant opened in 2010 and was recently closed as of February 6th. The reason this story caught my eye was because a spokeswoman for the Bristol Feminist Network came forward after the closing and told audiences how pleased she was that the US restaurant chain was shut down. The restaurant, just as it is in America, featured scantily clad waitresses. The reasons for the restaurant closing involved financial reasons, such as the turnover targets were never reached. The company director, Bill McTaggart, claimed that the business did not thrive simply based on the location of the Hooters being in, “a relatively quiet part of the city centre.” This closing, however, sparked recognition in the Bristol Feminist Network. Sian Norris, a member of the network said, “I think it’s a positive step because Hooters is all part of the normalization of the sexual objectification of women.”
The women of the Bristol Feminist Network continued their remarks on how they were thrilled that the Hooters restaurant was closing. One of the comments mentioned how the restaurant, “served women up as sexual commodities.” The members of the Bristol Feminist Network were very polite in acknowledging what a shame it is that those individuals lost their jobs, but they still saw Hooters as, “outdated and does not having a place in any modern city that values equality.” Most of us have heard of Hooters, maybe seen a Hooters, or have even been to a Hooters, and seen the women in scantily clad uniforms. Do you think the uniforms are “serving women up as sexual commodities?” As you know, we have a Hooters in downtown Memphis, do you think that our “modern city” should not be supportive of the business because many would view it as not valuing equality? Why have the feminist networks in the UK spoken up against hooters, but in America, Hooters is still thriving? I’m really excited to hear what you guys think on this topic! I personally think Hooters has some good food, but I’m not sure how I feel about the issue of the uniform, so let me know what you guys think! Also, sorry for posting so early this week, I have a lot going on so I wanted to blog early when I had the chance and before I forgot to do it! Also, Happy Valentines Day!
Here is the article if you are interested in checking it out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16932892
Liz, great post and happy valentines to you too! I've always struggled with this issue because of being a young muslim woman. Because the first argument people use against the scarf is that it is oppressive and degrading to women when they are fully covered and perhaps unable to express themselves with the way they dress. But at the same time "serving women up as sexual commodities" sounds oppressive to from another stand point, because of the fact that the women is completely overlooked as a person other than the fact that she is a nice double D's. So I always struggle about how I feel about both points of view. We discussed in class that a girl should be able to go out in shorts or a short skirt and not have the negative context of just being a piece of meat for the eyes attached to her and I feel like that is true and it would be nice in an ideal world, but the vileness of some degrading men (not all men) prevents this from happening!
ReplyDeleteIsn't feminism just complicated?! Either way, women were not given the right to vote by standing on the sidelines of complicated issues! :)
The question of objectification of women is interesting because, obviously, in many ways, women are quite objectified. Whether it is Maxim's top 100 hottest women of the year to the swimsuit edition, there are obviously things that are pointedly for the sake of using women as objects.
ReplyDeleteBut then there are the questions of: if women choose to be employed in an establishment, they are, in one scope, using the system. But if the system is oppressive towards women, then can the women really not be allowing the objectification and continuing it? The article we read explained that the best oppression continues with the oppressors having a smile on their face. Perhaps Hooters is like that: women choose to be employed in an exploitative business, operating to allow men to stare at 'beautiful and big busted women' but the business continues the negative system.