There has been another of those non-scandal scandals afoot in the tabloids lately. This one is about famed wrestler Hulk Hogan.
The story goes that the Hogan’s Beach restaurant in Tampa, Florida, has a dress code that discriminates against black people. A sign was posted at the restaurant that specified:
NO Plain White T-Shirts (or otherwise oversized T-Shirts extending past the mid-thigh)
NO Attire Containing Profanity (or otherwise deemed to be offensive by management)
NO Sports or Sleeveless Jerseys
NO Excessively Baggy Attire
NO Low Hanging Pants or Shorts (pants or shorts must be worn at the waist)
NO hats, caps or visors worn sideways or back facing (hats must be worn fully forward facing at all times)
NO Do-Rags, Skull Caps or Bandanas
NO Torn or Soiled Clothing
NO Workboots [sic]
NO Oversized or Excessive Jewelry
NO Workout Clothing (including tracksuits, jumpsuits, sweatpants, basketball, gym or mesh shorts)
NO Camouflage (unless with military ID)
NO High-Top Sneakers
Once news of this hit the Interwebs, the Hulkster himself had to make a phone call to fix the situation. This is the case, even though Hogan does not own the restaurant, he only licenses the use of his name for it.
But it turns out that this is not a dress code for the restaurant. The sign was up for a particular party at the restaurant that had a beach party theme. The party organizers who were paying to use the restaurant had listed the dress code rules.
“We do have promotions companies that come in and want a certain theme for their parties that they do present,” the Hogan’s Beach manager has said. “We actually don’t have a dress code here at Hogan’s Beach. That was for a specifically-themed beach party.”
In fact, at the bottom of that sign is the statement:
This is a beach party and beach attire is required.
If Paul Harvey were here, he would have an appropriate sign-off for this.
