Well thought out & nicely written. I appreciate especially the acknowledgement that sexualization & humanization can coexist. It's something I've always believed, but rarely seen acknowledged.

I've never been regarded as sexy or attractive myself. I felt that particularly when I was younger. It matters far less now. Thus you might think of me as the archetypical Hooters customer, but I've never been. Not because I need to virtue signal my alliance with women & show what a sensitive fellow I am. Rather there's nothing there that would appeal to me. I like to look at pretty women, sure, but Hooters overdoes it. The uniforms are absurd. The panty-hose ugly & ridiculous, & most of all, there's no need for all the servers to dress that way.

The food's certainly not a draw.

Still, from a distance, it seems as though Hooters has formulized the truckstop (remember Frank Zappa "Truck driver divorce. It's very sad. Oh the wife. Oh the kids. Oh the waitress...."), where men constantly on the road sometimes made significant, if transient, relationships.

I'm not sure I see the injustice of Hooters, however. Severs are objectified, to be sure. But also compensated, as I understand it, far better than average. If the whole thing is ridiculous, so is Chippendales. Perhaps because I'm dense, I just don't see anything here you would be ashamed of. Rather it adds a layer or two of elaboration to your background & life experience.

Thanks for sharing this.