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No shirt, no shoes? Come on in!

February 2, 2017   ·   0 Comments

I don’t know when the practice of putting a sign in a business window stating “No shirt, no shoes, no service” began, but they started popping up a long time ago and have become a standard greeting in many stores and restaurants. 

The real question is, why would anyone have to put that sign in a window to begin with?

At what point in 20th Century history did people decide that entering a restaurant barefoot and shirtless was acceptable? And what kind of person would even think of entering the lobby of a restaurant and asking for a table while leaving half of your wardrobe in the car?

Is it just a sign of the times that our society has become so common that people actually have to be reminded of proper manners in public?

I was going to write about the Donald Trump inauguration in the U.S.

For a country that loves to fill its history books with tales of the American Revolution and how they ‘kicked out the British’ and with it the monarchy, they seem have to spent the past 200 years trying to create their own royal family through increasing adoration of a politician and, by extension, the Queen, although they prefer to use the title ‘First Lady’.

While the inauguration with its throngs of dignitaries, supporters, and who knows what other groups were amassed on Capitol Hill on the balconies behind Mr. Trump seemed to recreate some kind of royal coronation, the real stories seemed to emerge on the back streets and post-inauguration rallies and protests.

Speaking in public used to mean you had something to say. It used to mean you had knowledge, experience, and were most likely invited to speak for a reason.

However, in American society, it now means you have a ‘celebrity’ status. Brains, knowledge, facts, figures, and class have no place, as long as you are a celebrity.

The so-called ‘Woman’s March’ the day after the inauguration had a purpose for many people. If you feel the need to protest, go ahead – it’s your right.

However, the use of ‘celebrities’ pretty much doused the fire of any meaning for that rally.

First of all, Michael Moore, the obese, cap-wearing film guy, who gained some notoriety with his less-than-honest documentary films, was some kind of emcee. Why was he at a woman’s march?

Oh yeah, he’s a celebrity.

Then came actress Ashley Judd, who provided some kind of comic relief with a recitation that she plagiarized from someone else, then delivered it in some weird pseudo-Southern drawl. As a public speaker, it was embarrassingly obvious she had absolutely no knowledge of the subject on which she was addressing. She is also a horrible public speaker.

The final death blow to credibility came when Madonna, the aging Detroit-born pop singer took the microphone.

True to her greaseball roots, she gave a profanity-laced rant better suited for the back alley of a ghetto in her Detroit ‘hood.’ And yet the crowd cheered.

Once again, no facts, no real message, just vulgarity and some ridiculous statement about blowing up the White House.

Keep in mind, this is a 59-year-old woman who thought it was correct to turn up at the Grammy awards in an outfit more appropriately worn by a 19-year-old stripper in a seedy lounge.

But she’s a ‘celebrity’, so it’s okay.

Eleanor Roosevelt was voted the most admired woman in America for 14 straight years through to 1963. She was a role model for women, an activist, and public speaker, and yet never once felt the need to use profanity in a speech. She didn’t need to – she had brains.

When you hear your 10-year-old daughter speaking like a drunken sailor on shore leave, don’t get upset. Just put it down to the fact that the new female ‘role models’ deem it suitable for public broadcast.

That goes for boys also. There’s no shortage of male celebrities who lead the way through the use of the ‘N-word’ and other vulgar terms in rap music, TV, and movies.

So, no shirt, no shoes? Don’t worry about it. Go ahead and make a reservation at your favourite restaurant.

It simply doesn’t matter anymore.

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