Less costs more for ‘jealous’ men

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 6

Less costs more for ‘jealous’ men

PA Auckland Men will have to pay twice as much as women to see Frenchmen shed their garments in a strip show in Auckland — but the ruse may be illegal. A nightclub manageress, Mrs Joyce Webb, plans to charge men $2O — women pay $lO — for Friday and Saturday performances by the Foxy Frenchmen (from Detroit) to discourge jealous boyfriends from attending and, thereby, avoiding the possibility of “punch ups” with the performers. A Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Graeme MacCormick, has said that charging different prices for male and female spectators appeared to breach section 24 of the Human Rights Commission Act.

The act prohibits discrimination in the provision of facilities and services. The commission has rejected two complaints by men who wanted to attend “ladies only” male strip shows. Mrs Webb said she would stage two mixed shows after threatening calls from men who wanted to attend the Frenchmen’s-planned “ladies only” season. “A lot of men in Auckland are madly jealous that their wives and girlfriends are going to see the Foxy Frenchmen. “But the Frenchmen don’t do anything vulgar in their shows ... they are a clean, classy well educated group of men.” The group of five men intends to perform in New Zealand for six months.