'Feminist' TripAdvisor Review Removed For 'Breaching Guidelines'

TripAdvisor Removes 'Feminist Pub Review' For Violating Their Standards
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A damning TripAdvisor review has been removed after the author slammed a pub owner for slapping a waitress on the behind.

The travel site allegedly removed the two-star rating for "breaching its guidelines".

Patron Christina Fowler wrote the review of The Bell at Westoning, titled "Great food with a side of misogyny", on 8 March (International Women's Day) after apparently seeing the pub's landlord "bite a young waitress on the shoulder".

"Five minutes later he slaps her on the bum and made kissy noises when she jumped," Fowler wrote. "A huge reminder that we still need feminism, even in 2015."

After a scathing response from a female manager, the review was suddenly taken down and Fowler received an automated email saying the post was removed because it was not "relevant to trip planning and research".

TripAdvisor spokesperson said it was actually removed because users are asked not to make political or personal statements.

"To be clear, the review was not removed because the reviewer’s first-hand experience was considered irrelevant," he added.

"In fact, we encouraged the reviewer to resubmit their review in order that their experience be shared with the travel community."

The man in question, Roberto Perrini, told The Guardian his antics had been "taken out of context" and the staff at the gastropub were "like a family".

"I bite them, they bite me - we’re like a family. I’m the same with the boys and the girls.

"My manageress was very upset, which was why she posted the response.

"If you look at our reviews, they are mostly five star reviews. And that’s not just about our food it’s about the atmosphere we create. The reason we are successful is because our customers come here and feel at home.

"When I saw the review, I didn’t really know what to say about it.”

Great Moments For Feminism In 2014
Social Media(01 of13)
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If there's one thing Twitter has shown us this year, it's that there's power in numbers. Over and over again, women came together online to join virtual hands in solidarity, whether it was #BeenRapedNeverReported following the Jian Ghomeshi scandal, #YesAllWomen following horrifying shootings in California, or #takedownjulienblanc to prevent "pick-up artist" Julien Blanc from speaking in countries across the globe. And though many of these issues had a decided focus on women, it was heartening to see men also join in on the conversation.
Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize(02 of13)
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Not only is Malala Yousafzai the youngest person to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize (which she shared with fellow children's rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi), the 17 year old is fighting specifically for the opportunity for girls to get an equal education to boys. (credit:AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A Feminist In Power(03 of13)
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Kathleen Wynne was elected premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, in a majority win in June, but to us, her best moment came only weeks ago in a speech at the Women of Influence conference. Among her many unapologetically feminist remarks was this:
"By making the assumption that women had no influence over the founding of this country, we are taught that the influence of women only grows as we assume the rights and privileges that were once the exclusive domain of men. As women take on the roles, titles and powers that belonged to men alone, the influence of women continues to grow until, one day, we will be equal." Read the speech in full here.
(credit:Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Girls Playing With Boys(04 of13)
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Mo'ne Davis became the first female pitcher in Little League World Series history to pitch a complete-game shutout — and in Canada, Team Canada goalie Shannon Szabados signed on for a full year with men's team Columbus Cottonmouths, and bobsledder (and athlete of the year) Kaillie Humphries will be one of the first women competing alongside men on the World Cup circuit this season. (credit:AP Photo/Kyle Terada, Pool)
Emma Watson Talks Feminism For Everyone(05 of13)
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When UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson stood up in front of the United Nations to launch HeForShe campaign, she made a point to discuss when men advocate as feminists, everyone can benefit. (credit:Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images)
Standing Up For Justice(06 of13)
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Rinelle Harper, a 16-year-old Aboriginal woman who was assaulted and narrowly managed to escape with her life, made a speech to the Assembly of First Nations last week. Her ordeal has called renewed attention the hundreds of missing and murdered aboriginal women in the country, and her bravery in being publicly identified helped arrest the men who allegedly attacked her.
Egg Freezing Goes Mainstream (Ish)(07 of13)
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For women who want the option of putting off having kids (or are still unsure about having them at all), more and more companies (most famously this year, Apple and Facebook) are offering egg freezing as part of their benefits packages. While some felt this could add pressure to work even harder at your job, we say choices are a good thing. (credit:Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
Breastfeeding In Public(08 of13)
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We're not saying that women have managed to win every battle over feeding their babies in public, but when you have a male, teen Starbucks barista on your side, you know it's becoming less of an issue. (credit:Johner Images - Nyman, Fredrik via Getty Images)
Mutual Respect For All Moms(09 of13)
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Mom guilt didn't go away in 2014 (and let's be honest, probably never will), but one blog post on our site by a doctor and mother from Australia completely blew up in the best way possible. In it, Dr. Carolyn Ee perfectly explains both sides of the stay at home/working mom quandary — and reminds mothers they're all really in the same boat.
Female Superheroes(10 of13)
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With the change from a male to a female Thor this year, Marvel Comics demonstrated its serious commitment to getting all those lady dollars — and we couldn't imagine investing our money in a better place than stories that show strong, tough women who can act as role models for young girls.
Laverne Cox On Time(11 of13)
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As the first transgendered person on the cover of Time, Laverne Cox became the face of a new way to define gender. "This is for my trans siblings out there and for anyone who has ever been told that who you know yourself to be at your core is not legitimate," she wrote on Facebook.
Men Making Their Families A Priority(12 of13)
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Dads have always played a massive role in family life, of course, but this year, it was at the forefront. The combination of a couple of high-profile stories of fathers leaving their jobs to spend time with the kids, like Mohamed El-Erian and Max Schireson, and commercials (like this Cheerios one) that worked to change the perception of dads, showed a marked change in assumed stereotypes.
Laughing In The Face Of Oppression(13 of13)
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When Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinc made statements to the effect of, "[A woman] should not laugh loudly in front of all the world and should preserve her decency at all times," Turkish women responded by posting pictures of themselves with wide grins, looking both decent AND gorgeous, under the hashtag #direnkahkaha.