Hooters and teen boys

[Tiggeroo]

At a high school football fundraiser I won a Hooters wing party for 10. Two high school seniors also won these. My 16yo son wants me to give him the prize, since apparently his cross country team has been talking about a trip here. Would you do this. I am normally pretty conservative, but I am thinking about allowing this. It is not an official school function so the parents would each have to decide on their own whether their son could go. Most of the team parents that I know would let their boys go, but some might get upset at me. I have never been to hooters, only seen the signs or adds. What do you think?

 

[Ronan]

Isn't HOOTERS billed as a family eating place?


Although scantily clad, it can't be much worse than the beach

 

[preshi]

Personally as a 24 yr old female Hooters really isnt that bad... it's not like they aer wearing thong bikinis or anything.

We go there all the time when we are in Long Beach... usually 5 females from ages 5-30.

It's nothing they cant see on any magazine rack... and I'm talking Glamour and Cosmo...

 

[bsnyder]

I've been to Hooters lots of times. The original restaurant is nearby in Clearwater.

While I have to admit I don't feel totally comfortable with the "concept" of Hooters, IMO there are much bigger issues confronting us, as parents and as a society, these days. This one rates way down on there on my list of worries.

I also wouldn't worry about what the other parents think of you, Tiggeroo. If you are comfortable with letting your son go, then he should be able to go. The other parents will each have to make their own individual decisions for their kids.

 

[CamColt]

Since the parents would have to make the final decision, I think it would be ok. Plus as previously mentioned, the waitresses do wear more than you would see at the beach.
My only problem with Hooters is the 1 time I went, a brawl broke out at the bar and spilled over onto our table.

 

[fireplug]

I seriously doubt it will scar them for life.

It didn't affect our 2 kids and they went LOTS of times.

Tell the other parents they wont have to pay to feed their 16 y/o boys and most will take you up on it.

Tell them to have a good time.

Steve

 

[Blondie]

I had a thread last summer about allowing my two sons to attend a birthday party at lunch time there for one of their friends, the kids attending were 11, 12 and 13 years old. I got ripped from one end to the other.

Was I sorry I let them go?

Hell no! The waitresses are clothed! I've seen women wearing less and showing much more flesh at the Disney resort pools and waterparks.

It's not like they are going to the Soprano's Bada Bing for pole dancing and hot wings!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I take my DDs (4 and 18mo) to our local Hooters periodically because I actually like the wings!! As long as you leave it up to the other parents as to whether or not they want their kids to attend, you should be OK. The only advice I would offer is to try to avoid some major sporting event since Hooters tends to become a congregating location for sports fans. The only time I have ever had problems there has been when I was there during the college world series. The fans got a little out of control; but overall, no probs with this restaurant!

In fact, if you every take the riverboat tour in San Antonio on the riverwalk, the guides refer to Hooters as "the babysitters for husbands and boyfriends while the women shop." Pretty funny if you ask me!

 

[Beauty]

I would take my 11 year old there. I don't believe in hiding him from the real world. If he asks questions I'm going to answer them. I've seen first hand what happens to kids who are sheltered....I say sure give it to him...he will have a blast and be talking about it for weeks.

Heck (and I'm getting the fire protection suite on here) I took J.C. on a Playboy hunt with me a few weeks back. John wanted the one with Torrie Wilson in it so we went to find it. NO I don't let him look at it (although I'm sure he will be doing it anyway in a few years) but he knows what it is.......maybe I'm a bit to liberal with him but I want him to know he can ask me anything and everything rather than hide it from me.

 

[Planogirl]

I wouldn't have a problem with my 10 year old son going to Hooters but right now he is way too embarassed. I think some classmate made a big deal about Hooters and now he doesn't want to go. I'm sure his attitude will change before too long and that's OK with me. The Hooters philosophy isn't great but there are much worse things and I'm sure that I'll have to contend with some of them.

 

[JasonLyons]

its fine, but dont do it, there gonna be some selfrightouess person who dont have a life that will make a big deal about it

 

[browneyes]

My SO went to Hooter's once. He was VERY disappointed. He said he's been told Hooter's was a lot more than what he saw. He said he's seen more watching NASCAR fans in stands on tv than he did at Hooter's.

 

[Pam]

I let my 15 yr. old son buy the Hooters deck of cards and then we sat around with his sister and her BF and critiqued all of the girls.

 

[Pam]

Forgot to say - I would let him go - just tell all the parents upfront about it and if any object, find a replacement kid to go in his place....

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Tiggeroo
........... I have never been to hooters, only seen the signs or adds. What do you think?

I think you should go have a burger there and see for yourself. But go about the same time of day your son will be going.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[IloveDMB]

Tiggeroo,

I see that you are from the Jersey Shore area so I am going to guess that the Hooters party is at one of the restaurants in Atlantic City. I go to college about 15 minutes outside of AC so I go to school with most of the waitresses. These girls are nice people. One of the girls on my floor freshmen year worked at the Hooters in the Trop, and believe me, some girls wore less to frat parties then what the Hooters waitress wore to work. I'm sure everything will be all right with the party, if all the other parents give consent for their kids to go. Have fun with whatever you do.

Traci-lyn

 

[robinb]

I would not allow my child to go to Hooters. I find the whole tight-top, short-shorts, "More than a Mouthful", hubba-hubba atmosphere insulting and degrading. Their very work place uniform is meant to titillate. And while the young women may in fact wear more than on the beach, they are not sun-bathing but serving you food and drink. I think there is a difference in what someone does on their own time and what they are required to do for employment. I don't go to strip-joints and I don't go to Hooters.

 

[joeokw]

OK ... Just a few thoughts here. First I do have a life!!! I have 13 son and a nine year old who we are trying to raise as gentlemen. Trying to explain to them exploitation of women is done to make other people rich. Secondly, How can we teach them about repecting women if it is ok for them to see on MTV, PG 13 movies or R movies how women are portrayed in "teen friendly" films. Thirdly, I know Hooters girls have hot pants and t-shirts showing their midriffs. and we all see more at a Disney resort pool. So what we are saying it is ok for parents to say it is ok for their 10 -16 yo sons to go to Hooters and see how the "real world" is. " yeah to see how good it is to sit there and pay double the usual price to watch some jiggle that they can see at their next swim at Disney for free. Why don't we have Minnie's Hooters Dolls at Disney for all of your Disers. . Ok you guys lets see how great the " real world" is, if say your 10- 16 yo daughter was working at Hooters and having real world experience having their goodies oogled by young men . And yet if these young male teenagers stare at a their female peers like they will do at hooters they will be liable for harrassment. Then some parents will blame TV, society , the schools, but heavens forbid not themselves if one of them sons ever got into a inappropiate situation with a female.
In the news here in New York, 13 high school baseball players on a spring training trip in Cocoa Beach , Florida were suspended for the rest of the season , after school authorities found out they broke school and atheltic dept. code of conduct , when a parent took them to a strip club where they drank and had according to one of the students " some juicy " lap dances. At a a school board meeting parents of these students were angry and upset at school authorities because the punshment was too severe. They blamed the parent for letting them go. The parents said "peer presuure" was the reason they all went. Come on.. yes the parent who bought them should be arrested for this.. but shouldn't the boys should bear some responsibilty? If they did not recieve any punishment.. that would teach them is ok to do what everybody else does and know they will not have to worry about the consequences.
We are letting a whole generation of young people grow too fast and giving them everything what they want without giving them resonsilblilty for their actions. . therefore stunting their adult maturity. I explaind to my then 11 yo Ds a sitting president was wrong having oral sex being performed by a subordinate in the Oval Office and I told them them the pattern of his behavior started when he was young . . What has happened to parental responsilbilty, to say no. Yeah I sound like a one of those nuts to some of you but I can sleep at night knowing that can say no to my kids.

 

[Saphire]

Well said, robinb and joeokw.

 

[Evil Princess]

It's really no big deal. Half the girls in school dress worse than the hooters waitresses. You can turn on the TV, go to the movies, and walk down the street and see girls who are dressed wearing much less than the Hooters waitresses.

I've been there (18 year old girl here) and I really didn't see the big deal. It was not NEARLY as bad as I thought it would be. Kind of boring, if you ask me It's not like you're taking your kids to a strip club like that baseball team in Massapequa (totally different situation...it was a STRIP club, they were underage therefore breaking the law, and it was during a school baseball trip).