Discussion

The Presidents Club scandal – A Massive Overreaction?

Leave a comment

I was sat down working on Wednesday with the news on in the background when ‘The Presidents Club’ news story broke. For those who have been on Mars this was the men only charity dinner near parliament where hostesses were made to wear skimpy gear and were reportedly the victim of lewd behaviour. By the afternoon there was an ‘urgent question’ in parliament, with MP’s from both sides describing how awful it had been (despite not being there).

The Presidents Club

This all came to light after a Financial Times journalist worked undercover at the event as one of the hostesses.

She told Newsnight: “I was groped several times and I know that there are numerous other hostesses who said the same thing had happened to them.

“It’s hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.

It seems that hostesses were requested to be tall, slim, and pretty. They were asked to wear skimpy clothes and even told what underwear to wear.

She continued “The worst I was told by one of the hostesses was a man taking his penis out during the course of the dinner.

“The other one was another man telling a hostess to down her glass of champagne, rip off her knickers and dance on the table.

“I can’t believe that it still goes on in 2018, I think it’s quite shocking.”

A Disgrace, But Let’s Keep Perspective

Now if these allegations are true then not only is it shocking, it is also criminal. However, it is the fall out that has blown me away.

It seems that £2 million was raised for charitable causes which is now being refunded, including from Great Ormond Street who as we know deal with sick kids. I can understand the revulsion at some of the alleged behaviour, but those sick children need that cash. A child who can’t be helped won’t be thinking ‘hey, I am sick but at least I didn’t get my money from the Presidents Club’. Them and their family just want the kid to feel better. In a time where health funding is arguably too low, virtue signalling and giving it back seems ridiculous.

What also annoyed me was the feminists who were all over my TV talking about how having hostesses was sexist and should be banned. You know the type, they have a look where you know they would never ever be asked to perform a service like this, but feel the need to tell other women what they can and can’t work as. Of course they managed to conflate it with the gender pay gap, and one even called for all strip clubs to be banned (I shudder to think what she would make of our site).

Obviously sexual assault is bad. If sexual assault occurs the police should be contacted. However, IF a woman wants to work as a hostess, wear revealing clothes, and act as eye candy for guys then they should be allowed.

No-one should ever be pressured to do that kind of job of course. They also have the right to say ‘fuck off, I am not doing that’. Yet there are those who want to use their body, but there is a massive difference between being eye candy, and wanting sleazy guys touching them up.

What Real Choice Means

Real choice means people being allowed to do things that you may not ever do. The pompous ‘holier than thou’ feminist attitude that even the women who enjoyed the night were victims, but they were just too thick or ‘conditioned’ to realise it is the ultimate in patronising.

So yes, punish any individuals who may have transgressed, but don’t ban events like these to fit a preconceived agenda. We are starting to become a puritanical state. Maybe just stop people acting like jerks when they are there. And for god’s sake, find a way to get all that charity money reimbursed.

Martin Ward
Follow me
Latest posts by Martin Ward (see all)

Please log in here to leave a comment.