February 9, 2009 | In: Chastity, Human Dignity
A Culture of Abuse
Columnist Rehka Basu rightfully leveled sharp criticism against the restaurant chain Hooters in her article, “Reality bruises myth of happy Hooters girl.” The restaurant, best known for its busty waitresses dressed in white tank tops and snug orange shorts, failed to support waitresses who have been sexually harassed or abused by customers. Hooters creates this mystique of sexy women who are eager to please and to serve, and it promotes itself through thinly veiled references to women’s breasts. This atmosphere naturally leads to some men crossing the line and taking advantage of the women who seem to be offering themselves along with the beer and chicken wings. Once waitresses become victims of abuse, Hooters cuts them off. Gina Sheedy was attacked and left unconscious and disfigured. When she applied for unemployment, Hooters told her that her appearance did not match the Hooters ideal, so she was fired.
Any hint of ugliness mars the fantasy. And so does any reminder that women who put themselves completely in the service of men could be taken advantage of, sometimes badly.
I agree with Basu’s criticism of Hooters wholeheartedly. The feminist twist of her statement needs some adjustment, though. A woman who puts herself completely in the service of a man within the context of a relationship of love (wherein the man also puts himself in the service of the woman) will not be taken advantage of. Here we get to the real problem. Hooters – along with many other elements of our culture – treat women as things to be used rather than as people to be loved.
Hooters is really selling to porn-mystique of a woman who offers herself as an object of sexual gratification. This same mystique is sold by “exotic dance” clubs and “adult” bookstores, with which we as a society are getting increasingly comfortable. The porn-mystique does lead to abuse because it puts the relationship between man and woman into the context of power rather than love. This past year, an “exotic dancer” from a club in our own was brutally attacked and raped by a patron of the club where she danced. As far as I know, the club took no responsibility for her, either. The same fantasy leads to the same results.
Hooters should be called to task. Gina Sheedy was indeed given unemployment after court action. But was the lesson learned? After all, we idolize people like Hugh Hefner and Robert Brooks (the founder of the Hooters chain) as men who live the dream every man dreams (i.e. the porn-mystique) and lets us share in it a little. Again, Basu hits the issue dead on:
Of course [Hooters] should have protected [Gina Sheedy], but isn’t that a contradiction, when the whole set-up encourages waitresses to at least appear to welcome male attention, even when it is actually unwanted?
The thing is, this criticism should be leveled not only at Hooters, but at our entire culture. The same set-up of the porn-mystique is promoted by every company that practices the advertising cliche, “sex sells.” It is promoted by everyone who cries “censorship!” when a community tries to cleanse itself of exotic dance clubs, adult bookstores and other forms of the sex industry. It is promoted by television programs that take it for granted that every man’s dream is the porn-mystique (Man Answers, for example). It should also be leveled at feminists who insist on relating to men in the paradigm of power rather than love, and who even at times promote pornography and prostitution as ways for women to gain power over men by exchanging their bodies for favors in return. Recently three young women were praised by such feminists for selling their virginity to the highest bidder. These are all ways that our culture promotes women (and men) as things to be used rather than people to be loved. Not only does this cultural set-up lead to abuse, the message itself is abuse.
[ad#seasonal]
Related Links:
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
