It’s not just the hip-hop crowd that’s seemingly unwelcome at the new Power & Light District. Apparently, they can do without members of the debate squad and deep thinkers, too.
“No argumentative or profound language,” reads one of more than a dozen no-no’s on the laundry list posted outside a district restaurant.
“That’s obviously a typo,” a P&L Ddistrict spokesman said when I asked him about it and then rolled his eyes.
Hey, you can’t be so sure. These Cordish Co. guys don’t have the greatest track record in recognizing their own mistakes.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in the midst of this public relations nightmare over dress codes that erupted Thursday afternoon at a Kansas City Council meeting.
“It’s gone on too long and now we expect to see some progress,” Councilman John Sharp said of the need for Cordish to address complaints that P&L District dress codes — yes, there are several — are enforced inconsistently and seem targeted mostly at hip, young black men.
Otherwise, warned Councilman Terry Riley, Cordish can forget about getting city assistance with future projects.
“That’s not a threat, that’s a promise,” Riley told Power & Light operations director Kevin Battle after Battle read a statement that completely ignored the dress-code issue.
Yes, it’s an awful mess of its own making that the P&L District developer finds itself in. Sure, Cordish has every right to demand that restaurant patrons abide by dress restrictions. It’s supposed to be a classy area.
But it’s almost as if the Cordish folks and some of their tenants turned on “MTV Jams” one day, took note of what the rappers were wearing, then said to themselves, “Heavens, we musn’t have any of that. Can’t those young men wear Dockers?”
And it’s only gotten worse since the P&L District opened in March, with the restrictions now running to two pages outside McFadden’s Sports Saloon, for instance.
My favorite, though, is at the Mexican joint, Tengo Sed Cantina, which has that ban on profound language. The full sheet reads:
“No profanity on clothing. No sweat suits. No work/construction boots. No excessively baggy clothing includes parkas and puffy coats.
“No ripped clothing. No sleeveless shirts on men. No hats. No repeating graphics on sweatshirts. No du-rags, skullcaps or beanies.
“No chains or necklaces longer than 6” from Adam’s apple for men. No sunglasses worn inside.
“No argumentative or profound language.
“We reserve the right to refuse services.”
You ain’t a kiddin’, they do. And so do some of the other places that specify men’s shorts can’t be below the knee cap and their shirts can’t be so long as to cover their pant’s pockets.
Of course, some of the restrictions no one has a problem with. Ripped clothing? Profanity on shirts?
I don’t want to see some guy’s hairy armpits, even at the corner saloon.
But pants lengths and the restrictions on men’s jewelry, etc. — come on. It’s pretty obvious.
Cordish and its tenants can claim all they want that the dress code is race-neutral, but I’m not buying it.
More important, neither is the City Council, which means something considering that Kansas City backed $300 million worth of investment in the district.
If for some reason Power & Light fails to live up to its promise because, say, young people of all colors get the impression they might not be welcome there, then that’s a huge problem that can’t be ignored.
“You can cripple this city with its investment,” Riley warned Cordish.
It’s not clear what happens next. After Thursday’s dress code dress-down at City Hall, Power & Light District spokesman Jon Stephens refused to give reporters any specifics about what the company plans to do or when it plans to do it.
(In an interview with one of my colleagues, Stephens said it’s “flat-out wrong” to say the dress code is racially motivated. “We believe the goal is not to turn people away, it is to set a standard of attire,” he said.)
Anyway, until P&L makes some changes, the complaints are bound to continue, as will the growing popularity of the area’s unflattering nickname: the Power & White District.
And no, that is most definitely not a typo.
Dress codes -- Is everyone saying "up yours?"
Wrapping yourself up in racism is no different than patriots who rap themselves up in the flag.
Both groups are saying "up yours."
Regarding the Prime Buzz "dress code" on how to discuss politics, I often say "up yours."
To me "up yours" says I'll do it my way. And if you don't like it -- too freakin' bad.
You probably won't find the following "up yours" in any P & L jukebox. Because they, too, can say "up yours."
So here's my "up yours" answer to the issue of "up yours."
Signs
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply,
So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why,
He said you look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you'll do,
So I took off my hat I said imagine that, huh, me working for you.
Sign, Sign, everywhere a sign,
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind,
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign.
And the sign said anybody caught trespassing would be shot on sight,
So I jumped on the fence and yelled at the house, Hey! what gives you the right,
To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in,
If God was here, he'd tell you to your face, man you're some kinda sinner.
Sign, Sign, everywhere a sign,
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind,
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign.
Now, hey you Mister! can't you read, you got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat,
You can't even watch, no you can't eat, you ain't suppose to be here,
Sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside.....
.....And the sign said everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray,
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all,
I didn't have a penny to pay, so I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign,
I said thank you Lord for thinking about me, I'm alive and doing fine.
-- "Signs," Five Man Electrical Band