The Purple Martini Gives Men’s Night a Chance

Talking to Steve Horner, you can see that he has a slight — very slight — point about ladies' nights, although he'd be wise to stop his complaint at the disparate drink prices rather than use them as the start of an explosive screed like the one he delivered the first time I met him, about how "feminism is Marxism which creates terrorism through its inherent double standards, creating anger, confusion, resentment, feelings of betrayal, and ultimately, revenge and violence." Because it's true that women do get drink deals at many bars — but that's not because the bars want to discriminate against men. Instead, the bars want to attract men, big-spending men, and the best way to do that is to guarantee that there are plenty of women inside. And if offering a gal a free cosmo is going to do the trick, well, that's just the American way. Good old capitalism, not the feminist/Marxist/terrorist conspiracy that wears Horner to such a frazzle.

Clearly, the man could use a drink, and after reading about Horner's campaign against ladies' nights, the Purple Martini in the Denver Tech Center decided to "give him a night," says marketing director Kama Winter. Hot & Wild Wednesdays comes complete with go-go dancers and a drink special for men — the Incredible Hulk made with Hennessy and Hpnotiq. Go for it, guys!

Of course, it's not like the Purple Martini doesn't cater to men other nights of the week. When I ventured there last Wednesday, the servers all sported their regular attire of low-cut shirts and very short skirts. "I just saw someone wearing an even shorter skirt," said my slack-jawed companion, a glazed expression in his eyes. "It's smaller than the dust cloth you'd use on your dining room table."

Turned out the skirt belonged to Samantha Smith, the featured dancer that night, who let no dust settle on her as she gyrated before the DJ. But Horner wasn't there to enjoy the scene he'd inspired.

Turns out he doesn't like men's nights any more than he likes ladies' nights. "As long as you are comfortable with your cerveza fría with your elbow on the bar, bitching and whining about what's being done," he says, "you might as well kiss your liberty goodbye, because that's what's going as you drink — at both the ladies' nights and the men's nights."

Go-go, going, gone.