Is America’s obesity epidemic making it more difficult for Hooters to hire thin waitresses?
I ask because the last time I went to Hooters the waitress who served me didn’t quite fit in her tight orange shorts, if you know what I mean. Have you had this experience?
But then I hear about this lawsuit in Michigan: Two former Hooters girls are suing the company, alleging they were placed on “weight probation.” Michigan has a law that prohibits companies from discriminating on the basis of weight. But the funny thing is, these women don’t have a weight problem. By most definitions, particularly by today’s standards, they are thin.
Hooters spokesman Mike McNeil says the case has no merit. He also apologized for my experience, saying Hooters aims for perfection, but doesn’t always achieve it. Not a big deal, really. I was just wondering. Two thirds of Americans are overweight, you know, and maybe the one-third that isn’t, doesn’t want to work at Hooters. But McNeil said Hooters has an image to uphold.
Meantime, it’s absolutely bizarre how marketers keep selling us fat- and sugar-laden foods and the image of sleek, beautiful bodies at the same time. Hooters is right at the heart of that phenomena, peddling chicken wings, pulled pork sandwiches and tall glass of beer with girls they put in calendars.
Click here to read my column on Hooters in The Sunday Wall Street Journal.
