When I was very young, I remember when boys would return from family vacations — tanned with big smiles plastered across their pre-pubescent faces, wearing their brand new Hooters t-shirt. It seemed like a rite of passage. Every boy wanted to have their pictures taken with the girls, bragging about how they had "copped a feel" or gotten a number. Eventually, I saw working at a "breastaurant," as restaurants where girls wear specific outfits came to be called, is taboo. Those girls are labeled "slutty," "dumb," and "vain." But, when a friend jokingly told me that I should work at a Hooters, it became a sort of fascination of mine to be hired at one of those very places. So, when the Tilted Kilt was built in Quincy, Illinois, I immediately decided that I would apply as soon as I turned 18.
I was hired to work very soon afterwards.
My first shift was a few days after I had turned 18, with a fresh tattoo and an upcoming graduation at the end of that week. I was fitted into my very own costume and was trained by a girl who had worked both as a "Kilt Girl" (as the entertainers/servers are called), and a manager at that location. I very quickly learned that working at a restaurant with a full bar is not a simple task. First of all, we are expected to pass tests and complete training both in the restaurant and online. Those tests included not only the conduct Kilt Girls were to specifically uphold, but also the ingredients of items on the menu and alcoholic beverages. I can now name the majority of the draft handles, bottled beers, gins, liquors, rums, vodkas, tequilas, etc., as well as what comes on each dish the restaurant serves.
For some reason, though, people automatically assume that we are unintelligent simply because of where we work.
Personally, I find it funny when I see the look on peoples' faces when I tell them I am a Cell and Molecular Biology major in college. The stereotype that attractive girls are dumb has to be eliminated. Moreover, we should not be judged purely on where we choose to work either. We are not exotic dancers or strippers (not that those jobs are necessarily bad either.) In fact, a lot of us use the money we earn as a way to pay for higher education. We are just confident enough with our bodies to wear more than what a bikini covers anyway. To suggest that we are stuck-up or vain is a laughable assertion, at best. If our confidence really bothers you that much, perhaps you need to re-evaluate what's going on in your life first. However, because we are confident does not mean that we have to accept perverted, unwanted attention. If you think that makes or breaks our tip, you are better off going to some other establishment where you won't objectify your server. We deserve the same respect and courtesy you afford to your waitress at any restaurant. So, the next time you think about going to a brestaurant, remember what this article has taught you:
If you plan on being cool with us, we'll be cool with you.
