The team of researchers set out on a simple quest: They wanted to talk with women who worked at restaurants notorious for exploitative practices.
They asked to interview employees – at Hooters, At the Office, and Tilted Kilt -- to give them the chance to share their personal stories, goals and ambitions.
They hoped to provide an opportunity for these women to publicly present portraits of themselves as substantive individuals, and dispel notions that they're merely objects.
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When corporate officials and restaurant managers replied with a firm ‘no’ to their request, the team was not caught off guard.
“We weren’t very surprised,” junior Sarah Wohler said, drawing laughter in teacher Jeff Vazzana’s A.P. English class.
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So, without access to employees, the team assessed opinion with an on-line survey. Some people wrote the revealing clothing objectified women, while others thought the employees were just trying to earn a living.
“The majority saw these women as more than just (objects). That was nice to see,” Wohler said.
The team’s feelings turned when they saw how much people worried about how the dress code affected kids. “By seeing these women dressed this way, getting attention from guys, some girls may feel that’s the only way someone will like them,” Wohler said.
“I’ve gone to a Hooters with a family with young children. I don’t feel that’s appropriate. They’re growing up in a society where everything is ‘sexed up,’” said Susanna Gutierrez.
In their research, the team learned that workers had to maintain a certain body weight and spend a lot on hairstyling, make-up, and manicures. “They have to look a certain way to keep their jobs,” Wohler said.
“I read about a woman who worked at a Hooters in Michigan,” Gutierrez said. “She was already in shape. They gave her a month’s free membership to a gym.”
“They told her she needed to lose two pounds by a certain date. Altogether, she had to lose about 10 pounds,” Kelli Flagg said.
But women discover this policy as soon as they interview for a job, the students emphasized. “They evaluate your body in the application process,” Wohler said.
