Oh, those wacky Australians. According to Agence France-Presse, the surprisingly piously named Saint Hotel in Melbourne is coming under fire for its newest promotion, "No Undie Sunday." It offers a free glass of champagne to any woman willing to flash her bra or panties to the bar staff -- or, kicking it up a notch, 50 Australian bucks' worth of free drinks to anyone who hangs her undies on the clothesline above the bar.
I have several things to say about this:
1. I don't know about the state of your underpants, but I can't imagine that standing at a bar with a line of used panties dangling above my head would make me, at least, feel like having a beer.
2. I'm just making sure I'm reading this correctly: Women get $50 of free drinks after they have already voluntarily removed their undies?
3. I love this quote from the acting premier of the state of Victoria, Rob Hulls, who thinks that No Undie Sunday is a bad idea (?): "In this day and age, in 2008, to be promoting the drinking of alcohol along those lines, I just think is part of a bygone era," he told AFP, prompting the question of which era, exactly, was marked by women trading their underclothes in exchange for free alcohol. (The Age of the Gilded Panty?)
4. If we are choosing our offensive promotions based on what elements of a woman's sexuality rhyme with weekdays, I worry about the bar's future promotions. "Give Head Wednesday!" "Fuck a Guy Friday!" "Shave Your Pubes Tuesday!" (Ever popular. Always messy.)
5. But lastly, before we all get our panties in a bunch over the Saint's bar staff's sense of humor, let us keep in mind what has come before. As AFP reports, "The same hotel drew criticism in June when it employed a shirtless dwarf to pour shots of liquor down the throats of patrons."
Maybe, in some twisted way, No Undie Sunday is a step up.
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