They called it the Mumsnet election and there is no doubt that the forum for mums has a lot of clout in the media and political world.
It was mumsnet who accelerated the debate about sexualisation about young girls and set up a large and widely recognised campaign to try and put an end to it.
So successful, that British shopping PowerHouse Marks and Spencer signed up, committing themselves to help end the commercial sexualisation of young girls.
Imagine this mumsnet member's surprise then, when she discovered Marks and Spencer were helping Hooters set up in Bristol.
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/1038867-Marks-and-Spencer-support-new-Hooters-in-Bristol
Hooters is the bar that not only sells babygrows (see post below) but tried to host an under 5 pageant, Little Miss Hooters (they didn't succeed)
Surely it is naive at best, and seriously hypocritical at worst for M&S, who have so proudly waved the mumsnet flag in their desire to end the sexualisation of little girls, to lease their buildings to a business who call themselves a breastaurant, host iced water wet t-shirt competitions, and generally prescribe to that charming notion that women are objects to be leered at, who should always laugh at mens' jokes and live to serve. But who, of course, are disposable once their hooters looks fade.
We haven't had an answer from M&S as to why, unlike Ask Pizza, they think it is ok to be associated with the Hooters business. Perhaps Mumsnet will have more success?
Hurrah, Hooters in Bristol has closed! But it's still festering in Cardiff, and the threats of one in Brighton continue. The licensing committees, despite their dedication to gender equality, believe Hooters is a family friendly restaurant that doesn't encourage sexual objectification of women. We disagree.
The UK does not want 'Hooters'. It is a retrograde step for a country dedicated to gender equality
Let's hope the possible coverage in some of the nationals at the weekend speeds up M&S's decision to think again.
ReplyDeleteHave been boycotting M&S for several weeks now and, selfishly, am missing their food. I won't cave though. Down with M&S.