A Wisconsin restaurant owner has found himself at the center of a growing controversy after making a string of remarks about female servers during a podcast interview. His comments, which included claims that men make better employees and that women are harder to work with, have since gone viral, drawing fierce criticism and prompting protests outside his restaurant. Days later, the owner added fuel to the fire by dancing outside the business in front of protesters, a moment that quickly spread across social media and sparked another wave of reactions.
Footage shared to Reddit shows a protest taking place across the road from Angelini’s Ristorante on Highway 35 in Onalaska, Wisconsin. But while demonstrators gathered outside, restaurant owner Tony Angelini appeared unfazed, dancing outside the restaurant in what many viewers interpreted as a counter-protest of his own.
What likely prompted the protest were comments Angelini recently made on his podcast, Angelini Special, in which he singled out women as being less effective servers than men and harder to work with in a restaurant setting. During the podcast, Tony Angelini weighed in with his thoughts on the matter, stating:
I’ve been in the industry since I was 11 years old. I prefer hiring male over female — all [expletive] day. ‘Cause these females, they’re [expletive], they just [expletive] about everything. And when they have their time of the month? Forget about it. Nobody can talk to ’em. And the [expletive] drama they create amongst employees. They are drama [expletive].
via Angelini Special on Youtube
As you can see, Angelini said he prefers hiring men over women and argued that female employees are more difficult to manage, citing workplace drama and even women’s menstrual cycles as reasons for his preference.
The comments quickly made the rounds online, where many viewers criticized Angelini’s views on women in the workplace. As footage of both the podcast and his response to protesters spread across social media, the debate only grew louder.
Backlash Grows Online
The videos quickly spread across social media, where many viewers mocked both Angelini’s comments and his decision to dance outside the restaurant while protesters gathered nearby. On YouTube, one user joked, “Just in time for Pride Month. Bunch of guys sitting around talking about how much they love guys,” while another wrote, “Imagine filming this, rewatching it, and then thinking, this is great guys, let’s post it.”
Others focused on the remarks that sparked the controversy in the first place. On Reddit, one commenter explained, “From what I’ve read the protest was because the owner said he prefers to hire male waitstaff because they are more reliable and less whiny.” Another user added, “As a woman, that misogynist has got some funky dance moves. I bet if he could tolerate the presence of women he’d be fun at parties.”
When some commenters attempted to frame the backlash as politically motivated, locals pushed back. One resident wrote, “I live in this town and you are wrong. People are protesting because he said disgusting sexist things in a video podcast he posted to YouTube. To quote him ‘These females…they’re [expletive]! Especially on their time of the month.’ He and his staff spewed hatred towards women for the entire 10 min video.”
Ultimately, the debate became about more than just one restaurant or one podcast episode. For many people, the comments touched on larger questions about how women are viewed and treated in the workplace. While opinions remain divided, the strong reaction from both locals and social media users shows that conversations about gender, respect, and professionalism continue to resonate far beyond the walls of any single business.
