Category: Odd + Funny Author : JR Posted: January 28, 2009
Tags : hawaiian tropic, hawaiian tropic zone, hawaiian tropic zone nyc, melody morales, melody morales hawaiian tropic, melody morales hawaiian tropic zone, melody morales image, melody morales photo, melody morales pic, melody morales picture
Melody Morales, a one-time Hooters girl, is suing New York City’s Hawaiian Tropic Zone for not hiring her as a bikini-wearing waitress.
Melody Morales vs. Hawaiian Tropic Zone
Melody Morales — who is Latina — says the manager at the Times Square Hawaiian Tropic Zone told her she “[didn't] speak white” and was “ghetto,” the New York Daily News reports. Morales, 21, claims the manager went as far as to say: “I am not going to ruin my business with your Latin accent.” She says she was told she had a “speech problem.”
Morales alleges she is more than qualified for the position.
“Not to brag, but I look good in a bikini,” she told the Daily News.
The Hawaiian Tropic Zone has called the suit “without merit.”
The restaurant is also facing a separate lawsuit from four former female employees who say they suffered sexual harassment on the job.
Jan 28, 2009
Ummmm, isn't that photo obviously photoshopped??? Looks like someone stole baby's love handles…
Jan 28, 2009
What a precious irony that bimbos who go work for a company based solely on their sex appeal, for a company that peddles their sex appeal to drum business, should turn around and sue said company for sexual harassment. Hookers that don't put out? What's the point?
Jan 28, 2009
Melody should not be allowed to sue and or place blame on this club because she is linguistically inept. She should sue her mom for raising a pretty fool. Being a native New Yorker, I am all too familiar with the typical NYC Puerto Rican and or Dominican accent. I'd rather poke my eyes out than listen to such drivel. This is not an accent but proof positive that ignorance exists and is tolerated so much so that it can actually be passed off as an accent. Melody's biggest problem is not her poor language skills but the fact that she is another underachieving beautiful girl with extremely low aspirations. Be that as it may, she could have very well gotten the job, but that urban twang has got to go. KUDOS to this club for saying ENOUGH ALREADY! The truth hurts .. so now Melody has to deal with it! She should try a diction/speech coach instead of a lawyer with clearly more time than brains on his hands.
Jan 30, 2009
Hey urban dweller, those of us who live in the rest of the country have heard how you New Yorkers speak as well, and I have to tell you that it sounds pretty ugly from our perspective. If you are going to judge speech on aesthetic standards, then you should be able to take it as well as dish it out. Or is it that you are not really worried about LANGUAGE but rather, have certain attitudes about Hispanic people and are just using language to hide your racism? Hmmm, think about that for a minute.
Jan 30, 2009
For most jobs you need to speak proper english to represent the business and come across in a professional manner. It is not about race, it is about having the proper skills for the job and taking responsability to educate ourselves for the workplace. Many people are always looking for easy money these days through lawsuits instead of improving their skills.
Jan 30, 2009
I thought it was because the Health Dept. had her down as the one who was possibly the Hepititis carrier at her old job? Wasn't that the deal? She just recovered from jaundice and she wants to get back into a kitchen?
Jan 30, 2009
Ms. Morales is a very sexy young woman. She has previous waitressing experience and the body of a goddess, so it seems that she is more than qualified for this job. I'd be more than happy to have her as my waitress
Jan 31, 2009
I've seen her myspace and she has about 100 pictures that she took in her dirty apartment, while wearing dirtier clothes. It's actually sad that someone lives in those conditions. Looking and speaking the way that she does, it's not hard to believe that they did not want to hire her. As a business owner you want to hire people that will aide in the success of it, not chase customers away. Maybe this experience will help her decide to update her image from 90's prositute to '09 grown and sexy.
Feb 3, 2009
Not for anything but I think Hawaiian Tropic's decision of not hiring her b/c of her accent was the right one. I don't think it's discrimination when a company or agency has certain set of standards expected from their employees. I don't think the fact that she has a latino/ghetto accent has anything to do with the fact that she's a latina herself. The company just wants to cater to a certain group of upscale customers, and her ghetto accent did not fit in within those standards. So you don't speak proper english, you don't get the job, plain and simple. By the way i'm a latino.
Aug 2, 2009
I'm sorry, but I agree. An employer has a right not to hire someone who doesn't fit with the image they're going for. I don't care how good she looks in a bikini. (It's hard to say since this pic is clearly Photoshopped.) She wears dark lipliner and is wearing a tacky PR flag bikini. I can only imagine how she speaks. It's not about being Latin–it's about being tacky.
Aug 5, 2009
I am sorry but you are not attractive. I have taken photos of models and actresses (I guess now called actors) for over 25 years and I have to say, I would pass on you as a model. And just for the record, that is an atrocious photo.
Plus, I would lay off using the flag for a swimsuit for modeling, it is in violation of the guidelines on how to display a flag to use is as clothing.
If it were my establishment I too would have passed on you as a model/waitress.
Aug 30, 2011
I BET IF SHE WOULDVE GAVE UP THE BOOTY SHE WOULDVE GOT THE JOB. THAT's WAS THE PLAN.
Jan 25, 2012
Dat ugly ho could sux the chrome off a trailor hitch wit dem getto lips…LOL, I can't even type that stupid!
Jan 28, 2012
If the guy actually said, "you don't speak white", and that was the reason behind not hiring her, then he was out of line. However, if he said "you speak ghetto gibberish/ebonics" and she interpreted that to mean not speaking 'white' that would be a different story. What exactly does it mean to 'speak white'? There are plenty of people from all races who speak clear English with proper diction, and plenty from all races who choose to speak ghetto slang. One thing I've noticed though, and it never ceases to amaze me, is that while educated white people put down other whites who speak ebonics, the reverse seems to be a bit more prevelant with blacks and Hispanics/Latinos, or at least that's what I've observed in many cases. I've seen many instances where the uneducated of the black community will put down their educated counterparts with the argument they've forgotten or cast off their roots, and choose to speak and dress 'white'. If acting 'white' means to have an education, dress well and speak clearly, then their argument is completely invalid, and only serves to promote whites. It's been awhile back, but I remember seeing a middle aged black woman wearing a T-shirt that said, "It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand". She's right, I don't. What am I missing?