Sometimes I Don’t Mind Being Lied To
CBS threw a serious curve ball by placing Undercover Boss after the Super Bowl instead of any of their catalogue of shows with The Who theme songs. The premise involves CEO’s of various corporations going undercover and working at the front-lines of their operations. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water trope, except that the writers (read: editors) decided that instead of playing up the wacky situations ensue, they tug on the heartstrings. I mean, CEO’s are people too. Rich, decision-making and completely out of touch with their companies, but still, people.
This week I was asked to suspend my belief that the CEO of Hooter’s would be comfortable with any of his two daughters becoming Hooter’s girls. I was supposed to suspend my belief that he was unaware that post-feminist types find the outfit and innuendos to be degrading to women. And you know what, I did.
The show wants me to believe that the Hawthorne effect is not in play and that the people on-camera truly behave the way they do when there isn’t a camera and boom mic in their face. A great example came in this weeks episode. The highlight was Jimbo, the manager of an Arlington, Texas restaurant. The inevitable abuse of power came as he objectified the Hooter’s girls and forced them in a bean-eating contest for the rights to go home early. Our undecover CEO sees everything and refuses to step in and not blow his cover. By episode’s end, Jimbo gets scolded and the CEO is the freedom fighter for all disenfranchised Hooter’s girls across the world.
It may seem that I am being terribly critical about the show, but in this economic climate, I am willing to suspend my belief and take in the propaganda that CEO’s everywhere care, you know, if properly exposed to the crappy policies they’ve created for the sake of a bottom line. It puts forward that executives are out of touch with how their companies work.
And this is what got me thinking that maybe the CEO’s job is to stay ignorant. Maybe their job is to make the most macro decisions for the sake of the value of stock and detach themselves as it may tear them apart to see the faces of the folks on the losing end.
Maybe not. But CBS’ bountiful outlet for PR lies to me. The trite arcs that get wrapped up in 45 minutes or less (or it’s free) and leave me to believe that maybe that company is going to get better have won me over. They sell me a reality I’m happier living within.
I’m buying it.
Stray Observations:
The CEO of Hooter’s could have done some strong market research by interviewing me when I was 10. While on the San Antonio Riverwalk, I suggested that the males grab a bite to eat at Hooter’s, while the women grab a bite at Dick’s. Clearly, I missed the context of the word but at least I was all about gender equality.
That story becomes more disturbing when you realize I was making this suggestion exclusively to family.
The Hooter’s that Jimbo manages was frequented by me, my girlfriend and her brother once. They must really like games at that location because her brother and I played a game that required us to race in who could slurp up Hooter’s brand of energy drink from a bowl using a spoon the fastest. He ended up winning 5 free wings that I think he made a good home for. I have it on good authority, though, that I came in second.
The show placed the CEO in the Hooter’s Fort Worth store in which the manager was really attractive. My girlfiend lives in Fort Worth and by having told her this (and subsequently writing it here), I believe a visit to that store is no longer in the cards.
I guffawed when a girl asked if they could turn the air conditioning down. I have always noticed that the temperature in a Hooter’s is damn near arctic and have always hypothesized that it is for the sake of inducing erect nipples.
On second thought, other Hooter’s locations have various games. My friend and I played Chubby Bunny at a Hooter’s in Austin for 5 free wings. He won, whereas I think I came in second or third.
