Alex Sidtis, managing director of the Upright Citizens Brigade in Chelsea, just sent along an e-mail about the group's Hot Chicks Room sign on their new home on Avenue A at Third Street:
Rather then fight, the UCB have decided to change the sign. Our goal is to make people laugh by presenting the best comedic material in town and not to cause a stink over a silly sign.
They have decided to take my suggestion — Hot Hick's Room.
Kidding!
What will the new sign say?
"Not sure yet, but we're not likely to be provocative in this case."
Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Your 'Hot Chicks Room' sign update
[Updated] Resident starting a petition to have the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign removed at the Upright Citizens Brigade
30 comments:
God, so all you need now is a THREAT of a petition? Very curious to see if Phil is paying for it himself. The is the most fascinating god damn sign drama I've ever in my life. What's the over-under on how provocative the new sign is? If it's called the Cargo(shorts)Hold I'm moving.
The humor the sign conveys is lowbrow. I understand why women find it offensive and why parents don't want their children to be exposed to it.
I'm pleased that UCB responded positively and care about the community. Their actions demonstrate their intention to be part of the community, not outsiders.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I bitched about the sign a whole bunch *here*, but I never signed any petition (nor would I, hating petitions on principle) or went to any community board meetings to complain (despite what some hyperreactive pro-UCB fellow anons would have you believe -- and btw, I'm a woman, doofii).
I would have accepted the sign just as I accept a million other things I don't like in our neighborhood, but I appreciate that Sidtis listened to what people were saying (and I really did dislike the sign, sorry).
So thanks, UCB, and welcome to the EV. I think it's great that you're here.
peace
So sad. Has Bloomberg had this town's sense of humor removed along with his own?
Bloomberg had nothing to do with it. It was all on the community level. The community spoke (loudly) and the space owner heeded (albeit 'disgruntingly' I'm sure).
Dave on 7th, why is the first defense of sexists and racists that the people offended need to get a sense of humor?
Maybe you need to get a sense of diversity and respect?!
UCB: here's the summary of why many people are upset. First, it seems that this is some very self-referential joke that only the "in crowd" of your fans will understand. So by putting it out there you immediately distance yourself from anyone not in that clique.
As well, to an average person in the neighborhood that does not know the in-joke, it seems like yet another invasive club for the WOOOO! shouting crowd is about to move in.
forgive us for being sensitive, but many of us have been pushed too far by the frat boy centric nature of the streets in the evenings and I'm glad that you were able to step back and realize that you might have unintentionally gotten off on the wrong foot here.
However, I am saddened by the statement that you will change the sigh rather than fight about it. We love good debate around here. What I'd rather see is you show an understanding of why this became an issue.
It's not about some people not having a sense of hrmor, it's about how in context, many things just are not funny
I'm a little late to this discussion, but I, for one, welcome our new UCB neighbors. Not only does this add represent a NON-frat-addled-club/bar space (believe me, improv kids are mostly docile, good-natured nerds, I'm one of them!), but it also seems totally in line with what could be called "traditional" East Village "values". A venue for new, young, fringe entertainers to showcase a craft they're dying to gain respect for, and to bring anyone who's willing to have a good time exactly that? Yes, please! More venues for creativity and expression in the Village seems like it's always a good thing.
Of course, hanging up a "Hot Chicks Room" sign, relative humor or non-humor of the sketch it's referencing aside, seems to be just asking for misrepresentation to the general public. BUT, they listened to the expressed distaste, and acted graciously to appease their new neighbors. Kudos to the UCB. They can come up with something funnier anyway.
There will be a CB 3 meeting at JASA in the near future where lowbrow residents will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their "child-proof" qualifications and apply for community membership and thus shed their outsider status. All qualified candidates will receive an "I like Mike" button.
Dear Anonymous, That's a catchy tag, BTW. Let me understand this. You are offended by the sign and believe that anyone who understood the joke is a sexist and racist. (Don't forget xenophobe). You see the sign as a potential magnet for rowdy outsiders who ruin everything you hold dear, but you actually didn't want UCB to change the sign (even though that is what you wanted) but that you would rather go on spraying your spittle all over the face of anyone who might have found the COMEDY club"s sign funny. Got it. Hope you find an intransigent opponent you can stay mad at. Just don't make it me.
peace
UCB thank you for changing the name - i hope to one we can all appreciate. i'm sorry you thought it not worth fighting about and wish you had understood the objections of local folks. but it's a positive move, and again thanks.
it's not only about the name "hot chicks", it's about the 24-hour-a day playground this neighborhood is turning into.
if we were not so inundated, perhaps hot chicks would be funny.
as would the 13th step on second avenue.
but amid the drunken, loud, disrespectful hostile attitude of so many (mostly visitors) it is hard to keep one's sense of humor about it all.
and uncle waltie -- it is not about child proofing, it is about respecting.
Did anyone ever get upset over Lava Gina? It's dead now, so I guess it doesn't matter. That name seems much more offensive.
Wow, PIX 11 just covered this.
Dave on 7th, you seem to be addressing/mocking me, Anon 5:43 (since you repeated my signoff of peace), when you say:
"You are offended by the sign and believe that anyone who understood the joke is a sexist and racist. (Don't forget xenophobe). You see the sign as a potential magnet for rowdy outsiders who ruin everything you hold dear."
You're going to have to point out where I ever said any of those things (I didn't). All I ever said was that the sign was tacky and dumb, which I stand by.
Granted there are a lot of Anons here but really, you can simply address someone by time, instead of conflating several comments because it fits your prefab angry response better.
no love :p
This has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen in 25 years in this neighborhood. People are offended by this? They're actually changing this because of those ultrasensitive, humorless clowns? Man, the Village has definitely become suburbia. Rest in peace, my old nabe. It was nice knowing you.
thank you for removing this horrendous insult to the citizens of the EV.
I suggest Beer Pong Emporium.
new sign suggestions:
World's Best Neighbor
Neighbors <3 Us
Community Board Room
Locally Approved Comedy
Neighborhood Friendly Hotspot
New Around Here
Mistakes Made Here
Local's Only Club
Kings & 7s
Hot Flash Room
Funny, But Serious
Laugh Riot Lounge
Wooo Hooo! Room
(Seriously, this is a terrific opt' for UCB to make some funny PR out of all this.)
Ding Dong School
The replacement sign should say "Fuck You!!"
Apparently the very people I tried to get away from 36 years ago now seem to have caught up with me...and to them I say..........................
In place of the sign they should project Richard Kern's film Sewing Circle on the wall. Let's all watch the horror on the Mommy Mafia's faces as little Sally watches Kembra Pfahler sew her vagina shut.
Remember when the East Village was cultural epicenter of the world? These people and their petitions ruin it a little bit more each and every day.
an embarrassing win for humorless, uptight assholes. This sign was hurting nobody.
kind of embarrassed that this is the attitude that prevails around here nowadays.
makes me wanna yell at these busybodies on the street when I see them and ask: WHY DID YOU MOVE TO THE EAST VILLAGE, OF ALL PLACES?
this cave-in by UCB will empower a lot of people who don't deserve the power and authority they have in the neighborhood already.
WHAT DEPUTIZES YOU TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE CHANGE WHAT YOU SEE AS ANNOYING OR "OUT OF CONTEXT" OR "FRATBOYISH" ON *THEIR* PROPERTY?
you busybodies don't get the be the style police. this shit got presented at the COMMUNITY BOARD for chrissake, by Susan Stetzer herself. That's involving the government in your petty crusades, and that is WAY over the line.
1:42, does the UCB own or rent that space?
I'm just asking, so no need to capslock-yell at me in your response.
first, watch the sketch you up tight people who think "the hot chicks room" is gonna cause the world to end in your place of residents. wow. are we really at the point in society when a sign, that doesn't have any offense meaning, gets criticized because you don't know what this is all about. do some research, go to the UCB, these people are great, your acting like its a strip club and that 4 words is gonna somehow ruin all of humanity. really? get a grip. people. its a sketch, deal with it, go complain about real issues, like the banks stealing our money from us, how bout that, and not this stupid non-issue.
The locals must have misunderstood the sign "hot chicks room" to mean that it was a place FOR hot chicks and became offended because they clearly are NOT hot chicks.
Someone should inform them that it is a room full OF hot chicks, for the uggos,men and women who will appreciate the chicks hotness.
I bet horatio could have sorted this thing out.
I hope the UCB goes with something equally or more offensive. Like "Magnimus-Obliviophallocytis Treatment Center for Affected Youth" or "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin To Fck With"
Wow 8:13. If ever I wavered about the literal nastiness of the "Hot Chicks" sign (which I mostly found dumb but harmless), its sad defenders/tireless jokers give me faith that my gut instinct was correct: It sucks. Honestly, I was neutral/positive on the UCB until encountering their people here.
ps don't drag Wu-Tang into this por favor
pps WE'VE ALL SEEN THE FUCKING HOT CHICKS SKETCH, IT ISN'T FUNNY, FACE FACTS ALREADY
You know what (this is 11:56 pm) I apologize for shouting, and cursing. But I just cannot take one more comment that says "do your research" in regard to this sign. A) we have done our research, in that we've seen the sketch the sign references; B) signs that face the public should not require "research"; they should be basically understandable, and if easily misunderstood, like this sign, well, maybe it should be an interior sign in the club.
Whether or not the sign remains, at this point I am becoming turned off by the UCB because of its petulant fans/performers who keep saying the same things about "research" again and again here.
But I'm feeling pretty repetitive myself and promise this is the last comment i'll ever make about this damn sign.
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