NOW goes after Hooters for catering to kids

SFgate.com ^ | 12/16/10 | Bob Egelko

[NormsRevenge]

SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Organization for Women filed complaints against local Hooters restaurants Thursday, but not for exploiting its scantily clad waitresses by subjecting them to leering and groping customers.

The subject this time was Hooters' catering to children.

The restaurants in San Francisco, San Bruno, Sacramento and Orange County are classified as "adult entertainment" establishments but also serve minors, NOW's California chapter said in papers filed with police and prosecutors.

What's more, the organization said, Hooters provides child menus, high chairs and booster seats, and sells T-shirts in children's sizes that identify the wearer as a "Future Hooters Girl."

Patricia Bellasalma, NOW's California president, asserted that Hooters is violating state and local laws prohibiting sexually oriented "adult" businesses from serving minors. The chain is also violating federal employment standards, she said.

Bellasalma said the federal government has not subjected Hooters to the rules requiring employers to protect their workers from harassment by customers. The Atlanta-based chain has successfully argued that its employees know they will be working in sexually charged surroundings, Bellasalma said.

But in recent years, she said, the company has promoted itself as more family-friendly. She cited a statement on hooters.com that "10 percent of the parties we serve have children in them."

[ThunderSleeps]

"Women are not for decoration"

Well, certainly not the woman holding the sign!

Seriously, are we no-longer allowed to appreciate and enjoy beauty? Should we have all our women robed and masked like Muslims?

Most women are beautiful, and I'm going to look, sorry, I'm just a guy. My eye is also drawn to the fine curves of a well designed car, the dawn sky, and the sky at sunset. (often seen to-from work on the same day)

Hey NOW, how about not trying to be such a nanny state and impose your values on others? How about leaving it up to parents to decide if they want their kids to go to Hooters? Oh, that's right, that doesn't fit in with the big-government, elitist, liberal nanny-state agenda. Well, NOW, while you're trying to impose your values on America, consider how you would feel if it were say Hugh Hefner trying to impose his values on America? Or some porn producer? How about we have those little things known as freedom and liberty, without some idiot trying to determine what's best for us!

[mmercier]

The now skanks are just pissed off because he teenage girls want the tits, and the teenage boys want to play with them.

They are stuck somewhere in that undesirable middle, like a hunk of opossum roadkill that no one wants, but everyone has to scrape off their tire if they have the unfortunate meeting.

[UCANSEE2]

Hooter’s waitresses are dressed less provocatively than most high school girls—maybe NOW should go after high school principals. I roll my eyes.

NOW should complain about CHEERLEADERS. REMOVE THE CHEERLEADERS they are destroying the children in school.

OH... and the Football team as well, them in their skintight outfits and shiny helmets. How dare they exhibit their strength and masculinity in public. The should be ashamed for the youngsters they infect.

[Rome2000]

Hang the communists.

Every last one

[ThunderSleeps]

You know, I hear Hooters has good hot wings!

For those that don't know - that's from a Terri Clark song. ;-)

[mnehring]

Well said.

[UCANSEE2]

HOOTERS GIRL: "That's like saying you don't want your house to have any paint."

[ThunderSleeps]

You're right about Hooters being a novelty thing. I think I've been in one once? Maybe twice. Where I'm at now, the Hooters in town just isn't in a convenient location. I suppose if it were more convenient I might stop in and see what the food is like. Sure, the attire and physical charms of the staff may be fun, but a restaurant is about food and service, right?

Since both my wife and I are Terri Clark fans, the line from her "Girls Lie Too" song about liking Hooters for their hot wings has become sort-of a punch-line between us. Any time we happen to drive by a Hooters one of us will ask the other if they are in the mood for some hot wings...

[UCANSEE2]

Kids should not be sexualized.

First, I've never seen anything 'sexual' going on at a HOOTERS.

Second, have you been to CHUCKY CHEESE?

[popdonnelly]

There’s a little bit of dictator in every leftist.

[Doomonyou]

Of course it’s perfectly fine with the NOW gang to kill millions of future Hooters customers who would eat food ordered off the children’s menu.

[JoSixChip]

"I’m in a county where even the Hooters girls are fat and ugly"

Lincoln county Nebraska?

[UCANSEE2]

and she makes me cheesecake once a month

Please... there may be children reading this.

":L)

[mnehring]

Just wait until NOW discovers one of my favorite places, the Titled Kilt.

[Strk321]

The kid giving the middle finger was actually at a soccer match in the Netherlands, but there exist dozens of Photoshopped variations.

[UCANSEE2]

I’m in a county where even the Hooters girls are fat and ugly...

Yeah, but I bet the food is good.

[Strk321]

NOW and all the other radical feminists lost their credibility by supporting Bill Clinton and the Kennedys, all known abusers of women.

[Global2010]

I will say it for you men who enjoy the beauty of a woman:

Homely woman need to mind there own business.

Does that poor woman holding the sign really think anyone cares?

[packrat35]

Thanks for the dumbest post of the day and you have some tough competition.

[mnehring]

I don’t approve of parents taking their kids to R movies

You've never been to a Hooters have you? They are dressed less provocatively than some G rated Disney characters.