#and she responded saying she doesn’t what i’ve done either and its more à feeling she has

[jentlemahae]

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[miscellaneous-oxy]

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My account of the first night of Junho’s FLASHLIGHT tour in Nagoya (3)

 Nagoya! Nagoya!

This is really good.  (In Korean and then in Japanese, referring to our cheers.)

Are you having fun?

Are you all hyped up?

Nagoya! “Ii kanji?” (Are you feeling good?) [“Ii kanji!]

 As I sing one song and then another, each song reminds me of the time I spent with you. And I feel really honoured to be able to spend this moment with you now. Are you happy (“shiawase”) to spend this moment with me, too?  [“Shiawase!” (We are happy!)]

“Hontou-desuka?” (Truly?)  [“Hontou!”]

 In the midst of this happy time, I’m afraid . . . [Nooooooooo!] (Junho looks at a loss but simultaneously a bit content.) In the midst of this happy time, it’s really sad that I have to make this announcement that we are coming into the final section of the concert, though there are still lots to enjoy. Still, I’m afraid the time has come for me to bid you farewell.

 Junho has to hush us again and then breathes a sigh. Looking at his fans in their eyes, he laughs a bit (out of embarrassment), to which Hottests respond with accommodating smiles. It seems like he cannot find the words to express his feelings for a while. He looks all around slowly, smiling, as if he’s trying to see us all, and then he gradually starts to talk.

 I’m really sad about this, and I don’t want to part with you. But like I always say, I hope you have fun with me now to the very end . . . so that you won’t have any regrets. (“koukai shinai youni”)

 I guess I’ve just given you all a huge let-down, and you might feel not doing anything right now.

Everybody! Everybody! Are you feeling OK? (“daijobu”)  [“Daijobu” (Fine!)]

[How about you, Junho?] “Daijobu” . . . not. Okay. Hmm, I don’t know any more! (This sounds like a spontaneous response in a casual conversation, and makes us feel like we are having a tête‐à‐tête with Junho!)

 The fact that all of you are feeling this way, really, though this is a sad moment, somehow makes me happy. Do you understand how I feel? I feel sad, and I don’t want to go home yet, but this is fun because I can feel that you and I are feeling the same way.

 However, I’m afraid this is the last part . . . 

[Noooooooooo! Start it all over again!]

I can’t start it all over again. I myself want to do it all over again from the beginning all the time! Personally, if I can do as I wish, I want to do it all over again from the Kimi no Koe tour. [Hottests scream with delight.] 

The Kimi no Koe tour, and then FEEL, LAST NIGHT . . . what’s next? [HYPER!] HYPER . . . and the next? [S/S] Nope, there was LAST HYPER NIGHT, even though this was not a tour. And then? [S/S] S/S, the next? [Fuyu no Shonen] Fuyu no Shonen, and that leads to today’s concert, doesn’t it?

 All of you! Shall we make this more exciting to the very end!? So that we won’t have any regrets, to the last moment . . . 

Wait, your voice . . . let’s try again . . . Everybody, your voice is . . . [“chiisai!”] . . . isn’t it? 

Your voice should be . . . [“ookii!” (loud)] . . . “ooki-ku”(loudly) please! For your cheers will give me strength.

 Everybody! All of you in Nagoya, shall we go on to the next song?

Before that . . . (to Kazu-san) could you bring me my jacket? (He puts on the jacket.)

Okay now. [Hottests: Sooooo coooooool!]

It’s really hard to go to the next song . . .

I don’t want to proceed, but I have to because this is a concert.

 Junho stands still for a moment, looking like he cannot find the words to express his feelings. Meanwhile, the screen in the back shows Junho, and we scream. Junho doesn’t get why we are so excited at first, and when he finally looks back and sees himself on the screen, he says; “It’s just me.” (In a “so-what’s-new?” kind of manner.) Even his matter-of-factly reaction makes us happy. Then the cameraman on his right begins to shoot a close-up of his profile, and Hottests begin to gasp and yell how handsome he is. Responding to our voice, Junho makes cool faces at the camera. After making a few poses, he suddenly gets shy and that makes him more adorable.

 Teacyeon-san is good at this kind of things (making cool faces), isn’t it? He always takes off his sunglasses like this . . . and looks cool, but I feel so embarrassed I can’t do it. (Junho actually imitates Teacyeon here, and then smiles in embarrassment. Hottests like his shy act, and begin to shout at him, “Do it again!”)

 What? What do you want me to do again? What? Which one? What again? Tell me what you want me to do again. I’ll do anything. So, tell me. I’ll do it all. (He makes a cool face for us, pretending to take off his sunglasses like Teacyeon, apparently believing that’s what we want, and then looks down in embarrassment, which is what we actually enjoy more.)

 I don’t get it. What do I have to do (to please you)? [Hottests: So handsome!!! Cool!!!] What is? The sunglasses? But I don’t have sunglasses on. (He makes a few poses for the camera and then laughs shyly again.)

 Personally, I think I look better from this (left) side than from this (right) side. (The camera starts to shoot his profile from his left side, and again Junho makes a cool face for us and then gets shy.)

 Oh, my, really . . . I’m doing this because this is the last, you know. I feel really embarrassed when I make these faces and do things like this. I’d do all these well when I am on stage with other members of 2PM, because it’s not like I’m doing it alone, which makes me shy like this. If there are the six of us, I feel like we are having fun on stage together, and it’s different from when I’m doing solo. . . (Hottests react to each of Junho’s shy acts and smiles, and Junho seems like he doesn’t know how to look. Junho stands still and smiles, just like that, without doing anything in particular, and he still looks just so fine that Hottests can’t get enough of him.)

 I’m happy that you appreciate everything I do, whatever I do. Thank you very much. Seems like I make you happier talking like this with you, rather than singing songs. [That’s not it!]

 Junho shyly laughs at his own words, and then tries to switch into the singer Junho.

 Everybody, is it alright for me to go to the next song?

Are you “ii kanji” (feeling good)? [“Ii kanji!”]

I’m glad to hear that.

Now, how about you, members of my band? Are you “ii kanji” too?

Katori-kun (the guitarist), Katori-kun, how did you feel looking at me doing things like that? [laughter] Can you make a cool face, too? How about a cool face? (He makes a cool face and a finger heart without any trouble.) Oooooh! You do it so well on your first try! [a loud cheer]

 Okay, so, everyone. The next song . . . (sigh) the next song . . . is a song you know.

I might make us depressed if I keep talking, so let’s stop this right here and go to the next song. So, shall we have a blast? To the very end! Are you ready? Everybody in Nagoya, are you ready? Okay, let’s go!

 “Crush”

“WOW”

“HYPER”

 A video showing the history of Junho’s solo tours. Junho’s new song “Toki wo koete”(Across Time) is used as its BGM. It seems to be about our history together and Junho’s promise to come back to us.

 (“Toki wo koete”: A short and tentative translation of the lyrics)

Holding hands, just having you beside me,

I sincerely felt this was the only thing I needed to feel happy.

I can see the light; I’m almost there.

It is shining so brightly, clearling away the painful doubts.

Looking into your eyes, I swear to see you in the future.

Your smiles bring about a bright tomorrow.

Our separation is only momentary.

I promise I’ll come and get you, going across time.

Wherever we are, our feelings will go on to bring us together.

Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter,

Even for a moment, I won’t leave your side.

 “Don’t Go – No No No –”

 Junho begins to hum and then sings a cappella. (He sang: “I don’t know who you are . . .” It has to be one of the new songs that we haven’t listened to, so it’s either “Ride Up” or “What You Want” or possibly “All Day.”)

 This is a song I haven’t performed yet. Someday . . . Later . . . Someday. The new songs in the album that I haven’t sung today will be shown to you at Budokan and Oosaka-jo-Hall. So, I have to save the talk and all till then.

 This concludes the first day of my FLASHLIGHT tour in Nagoya. Thank you all very much for always spending the beginning and the end of summer together with me. [Thank you!] You give me “the summer happiness” which is the biggest present for me. I really appreciate it. Thanks to you, summer became the signature season for me. But even the seasons change; from spring to summer to autumn to winter, and to the next year and then the next, I and all members of 2PM will always be with you. Hope you won’t forget us 2PM and wait a little bit for us to come back . . . just for a little while. [We’ll be waiting!] Thank you very much. I really love you all.

 I’d really like to thank you all for giving me your support and being with me. With the promise to meet again, I bid you farewell. Thank you very much!

[Hottests call out his name together.]

Okay, that’s enough, thank you. So, everybody. I did say goodbye to you, but it’s not the end till it’s really the very end, is it? There are still some songs left, and I’d like you to sing the next one with me. I’m sure you all know this song. Surely. Absolutely. You have to. I’ve performed it so many times! I’ve done it as a solo, and we as 2PM have done it, too. I hope those of you who were expecting a new song won’t be disappointed by my choice of this (familiar) song, but I feel that this song suits the ending of this concert perfectly. I feel like I’m raising your expectations too much as I speak. Anyway, shall we have more fun to the end? Please sing together. Let’s go!

 “SET ME FREE”

 I’m going to introduce the members on my dance team and my band for this solo tour. (He introduced some new members and some familiar members on his dance team saying; “she’s new,” “he’s a regular,” “he comes from time to time,” and so on. And then he spoke in Korean a bit, which I couldn’t get. BTW, a friend of mine who went to Got7’s concert told me that she recognised some of the dancers from Junho’s previous tours there. That might be part of the reason he’s got new dancers on his team.)

 Next are my band members.

On the keyboard, the band leader, Sonoda Ryo-san. Always the same . . . (I couldn’t catch it). I always enjoy reading your tweets on Twitter! Higeshiro Ken-san on the drums. Always the same hairstyle. Thank you very much. Nikamoto Ryosuke-san on base. Always the same hat. Thank you very much. And the next is . . . (to Katori-san) Let’s make a cool face! A cool face! (They make a cool face together at the camera.) He’s been supporting me since my first solo tour in Japan. He is younger than I.  

 And now . . . (Junho was about to show his gratitude to the staff when some fans pointed out he hadn’t called out Katori-san’s name.) I said it. I did say it. I called him “Katori-kun.” Well, then, Katori-kun! I’m going to call his name again. Katori-kun!

 And now, there are so many people on the staff who made this concert possible. Thank you very much.

 Lastly, I’d like to give a big hand to all of you who came to this concert today. Thank you very much.

 My mother was kind enough to come and see me, too.

Where are you? Can’t see you. Ah, you are over there. (In Korean)

 Okay, please look at me now. (as Hottests were looking back to find Junho’s Mom.) This is my concert. So, all of you in Nagoya, did you enjoy today’s concert? [Yes!] Really? [Yes!]

 Having spent this fun time together, I am very happy, aaaand I enjoyed it a lot, aaaand it was really good, aaaand I’m really grateful. Oh, my, what am I doing today? . . . “arigato-gozaimasu-shi” wouldn’t do . . .

 (The conjunctive particle “shi” can be used after verbs and adjectives when the speaker wants to express two or more things that are similar in nature or concepts together in one sentence. Junho’s use of this “shi” has become one of his signature Japanese usages since he made a charming mistake of adding “shi” to words that require “dashi” instead long ago. Now he knows it’s not the correct usage, but he still uses it for us as it has become something like a code between him and the Japanese Hottests. And this time, he added “shi” even to “arigato-gozaimasu” which made him laugh himself.)

 Thank you all very much for coming here today.

This has been Junho from 2PM!

 [Lee Junho!]

 The next song? Shall we do it?

Just a moment. I’m thirsty.

Now, everybody, please sing with me. Let’s go.

 “Zero Point”

As he sings, Junho chokes and we see tears welling up in his eyes. He manages to sing to the end, but big drops of tears roll down once he finishes singing. Watching him cry makes Hottests emotional, too. We cannot do anything but call out his name. Junho responds to the Hottests but the cracking of his voice affects us more.

 Thank you very much. This marks the beginning of this summer. Please enjoy this summer with me to the very end. Of course, there would be some people who wouldn’t be able to come to the following concerts, but that’s fine, too. Your feelings will still reach me. Cheer for me from your home.

 . . . I sincerely thank you for coming today.

 Junho tries to tie his towel into a ball, but fails on his first attempt.

Once he makes a tight ball, he throws it quite far back which surprises us. (It actually went in somewhere behind the equipment.)

 Everybody, thank you very much for coming. His voice is still cracking. Junho says “ki wo tsukete kaette ne” (take care on your way home).

 The way Junho says “ne” is really nice here because it makes us feel that he really hates the fact that we have to part as the concert ends and that he is really praying for our safe return.

 Thank you very much. I’ll be back again.

And of course, we still have tomorrow . . . . So . . .

This has been Junho from 2PM!

 After he leaves the stage, the screen shows the ending credits.

As its BGM is “Next to you,” Hottests soon begin to sing along.

And that really concludes this very emotional first night of Junho’s FLASHLIGHT tour in Nagoya. 

FIN

[theconservativebrief]

Hooters, the granddaddy of the American “breastaurant,” has steadfastly stuck to the formula that led to its success in the 1980s, right down to its iconic uniform. Even if you’ve never set foot inside the chain, you can probably describe it: white sneakers, pantyhose, orange short shorts, and a white tank top, where a presumably horny owl’s eyes double as the Os in the chain’s name.

But that strategy — and that outfit — may not be working. Business Insider reported that the number of Hooters restaurants decreased 7 percent from 2012 until 2016. While Business Insider attributed this to Pornhub’s findings that millennials are less likely to search for breasts, there is widespread online speculation that the problem lies not with a decreased appreciation of breasts, but with the fact that the concept of the restaurant is outdated and appeals only to the most boorish of baby boomers.

Hooters employees at Hooters Manhattan VIP Press Party on January 15, 2015, in New York City. Bennett Raglin/WireImage

How much is the uniform — an ’80s throwback, right down to the “suntan” pantyhose — to blame? Does the iconic “Hooters girl” look embody a concept that no longer has a place in the modern marketplace? Could Hooters save its brand with an aesthetic overhaul?

Hooters itself is surprisingly hush-hush about the uniform at the center of its business plan. The only company-sanctioned description available dates back to 2005, when the Smoking Gun website published an official Hooters employee manual. Its contents ruffled some feathers; employees had to sign a statement in it that they “hereby acknowledge … the work environment is one in which joking and innuendo based on female sex appeal is commonplace.” It may have gotten a rewrite in the intervening years, but the Hooters public relations department did not respond to a request for an updated copy of the employee manual, or to questions about the origin of the Hooters aesthetic.

It’s difficult to verify the uniform’s exact requirements because women who work at Hooters are either very reluctant or unable to provide a copy of the dress code. Marisa, a former Hooters employee, never had access an up-to-date copy of the employee manual because, according to her, it didn’t exist.

The dress code “was verbally communicated,” Marisa (who asked to be identified by first name only) wrote in an email. She explained that “there were pictures of how a ‘model Hooters girl’ was supposed to look” posted in a staff-only area, “and there were posts on a bulletin board reminding us the amount of makeup we had to wear and how our hair could be done.” (It should be noted that different locations have slight variations in their dress codes.)

Marisa added, “The dress code was extremely strict. Our managers would meet with all the girls who were about to start their shift and check that our hair was done, makeup was done (at least mascara and lipstick), shirt and shorts had no stains, tights had no rips in them, and shoes were clean and white.”

“Our managers would meet with all the girls who were about to start their shift and check that our hair was done, makeup was done”

The chain has made a few tweaks in recent years, opting to get rid of the white slouch socks that were a hot athleisure trend in the ’80s. According to an Orange County news story from 2009, the original high-waisted orange shorts were designed by the popular swimwear brand Dolfin, but today women who work at Hooters can wear an updated dance-style short that sits lower on the hips. The pantyhose are still part of the requirements.

How does the modern Hooters employee feel about wearing hose? Another Hooters server, Samantha (who also asked to be identified by first name), said this part of the uniform didn’t give her any pause: “I’m also a ballerina, so I’ve worn pantyhose most of my life. I’m glad it’s part of the uniform because it holds everything in place and makes the shorts fit more flattering.”

Marisa has a different perspective on the tights: “I wasn’t a fan of those because they would rip so easily and we had to buy those almost every two days at $5 a pair.” But she also sees why Hooters wants to keep this part of the look — “I understand the aesthetic … they make you look tan and cover up any marks on your legs.”

The 2005 guidelines explain the nuances behind the “Hooters girl” aesthetic. “Hooters offers its customers the look of the ‘All American Cheerleader, Surfer, Girl Next Door.’” Why a “surfer?” Perhaps this harks back to the surf shops that line the beaches of Clearwater, Florida, where the restaurant first opened in 1983.

Hooters “isn’t even a nickname for breasts anymore”

Back then, Hooters didn’t have to deal with a slew of mediocre online reviews, piled on top of viral Twitter tirades about how Hooters should staff women who could double as therapists. On Yelp, the complaints typically ignore the cleavage and instead focus on cold food, watered-down drinks, and unsatisfactorily small chicken wings.

When reviewers do mention the servers’ looks, they often complain that Hooters isn’t offering its customers the level of titillation that customers expect. One reviewer in Towson, Maryland, said, “If you go because the girls are scantily clad, you would be better off going to the Tilted Kilt” (one of Hooters’ newer competitors in the breastaurant scene).

John M. was similarly frustrated: “Is this a Hooters? I thought it said so on the door, but when I walked in, I didn’t see any Hooters. These are some of the least endowed and ‘heavier around the waist’ Hooters Girls I’ve ever seen.”

Even unhappier is Michael P., who reports, “Girls are overweight, bitter and ugly. Yup it’s superficial but why the heck else do you go there??? Boobies and butts!!! Duh!!!!”

So it doesn’t seem that customers are clamoring for less sexualized uniforms.

Joseph Szala, a restaurant branding expert for Vigor marketing, has helped restaurants overhaul their look to appeal to younger, hipper audiences. For Hooters to revitalize its flagging appeal, he explains that the chain would need a radical overhaul. “It’s a scenario where you have to rethink the whole thing,” he says, starting with the name. Hooters “isn’t even a nickname for breasts anymore.”

But again, it’s not the revealing nature of the uniform that’s the issue. Szala points to Tilted Kilt, which opened in 2003. There, the waitresses dress like school girls, à la Britney Spears in the “Baby One More Time” music video.

“If you look at Tilted Kilt, it’s a rather modern interpretation of a sexualized woman, whereas Hooters maintains a 1990s Florida beach look,” he said. The newer chain also capitalizes on innuendo and scantily clad servers but has (until very recently) enjoyed steady growth.

Another racy fast-casual chain, Twin Peaks, has a similar story — its outfits might be the most suggestive of all the breastaurants, which Szala describes as “an outdoorsy girl … gone sexy.” Despite the recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints filed by former servers, the chain enjoyed healthy growth in 2017.

Szala points to Hooters’ menu as an issue. Tilted Kilt and Twin Peaks offer menus that are more in tune with casual restaurant trends. Tilted Kilt has vaguely Irish-themed “pub fare,” including items like “pub nachos”; Twin Peaks boasts a freshly prepared, “from scratch” menu. “Hooters was created for one purpose: to get dangerously close to showing people naughty places,” Szala says. That’s a service we can get elsewhere, and at restaurants that serve more interesting food.

A Hooters restaurant sign above patrons eating in downtown Santa Monica. Getty Images

Szala has a few other ideas for how Hooters could refresh its look. For one, it could come up with a style that’s “a bit more aligned with what is truly the girl next door.” And that means playing down the uniformity of the uniform. “Let women have the option of length of shorts, as well as style of tops,” he says. “As a brand in general, if they let the women that they hire express themselves in a way that’s more comfortable, the experience feels less forced.”

It’s not unusual for businesses to update their uniforms — Szala points out that airlines change their uniforms every few years in order to keep up with changing fashions.

Interesting he should mention airlines. Hooters had its own airline from 2003 to 2006, which ended up losing the company $40 million. What happened to Hooters’ willingness to take risks?

Hooters has experimented with revising its business model, but with none of the boldness that brought us Hooters Air. 2017 saw the opening of Hoots, a pared-down version of Hooters that offers only the most popular menu items. Sex appeal isn’t part of the package; male and female employees wear standard fast-food uniforms of khakis and orange polos.

Jean S. said in a Yelp review of the new Hoots in Cicero, Illinois, “the young women get to keep their dignity and aren’t revealing any skin.” Matthew Torres X has a more ambiguous take: “It’s like you get to enjoy your wings without the inconvenience of beautiful women all over the place.”

Hoots’ dull approach to uniforms underlines what the chain has in common with so many from the baby boomer era: Like a dad who trades in his zany ’80s sweaters for a North Face jacket, Hooters’ response to change has so far been to become a blander version of itself. If its “1980s Florida girl next door” look doesn’t fly anymore, it seems Hooters would rather not have a look at all.

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Original Source -> Hooters is closing restaurants. Is its offensive uniform to blame?

via The Conservative Brief