"Ladies" and "Things" are Pretty Much Analogous
So this is the first thing you'll see as you enter the "NE Minneapolis Arts District" on Central Avenue. I could be wrong, but I think that part of town is full of people who wouldn't want any part of this. I'd wager the majority of artists at Art-A-Whirl are among them.
I'm Not Their Target Market
I'm gonna start by coming out and saying I just find the NE Minneapolis tap room scene weird. Not bad. Not wrong. Just strange to me. I'll go out on that scene if I'm with friends who want to, or if I'm in a show, but it's not the scene I go for when I'm just out on my own. (Although I do like that one cider place.) That's the only reason my familiarity with the 612 is passing, at best.
So I don't know much about what it's actually like there. I look at this sign and think to myself, "That seems like the kind of place where women aren't safe - like a place where dudes think misdemeanor sexual assault is hilarious - and I want to warn every woman I know."
Since I've only been there once, I don't know how much of it is true. All I do know is that, to me, the sign suggests that this is what you'll find at both the 612 and Art-A-Whirl.
"The Ladies" Are Not Amused
I get that it's a joke. As far as I can tell, everyone who's bothered by it understands that it's a joke as well. The problem is that it's not funny. Even if we put aside the sexism concerns, we've still got a joke that's just poorly executed. The delivery is for shit, and the shit delivery invalidates the joke. If your joke isn't even a little bit funny, you're no better off than a tree falling when there's no one around to hear: If you tell it so badly that the joke's lost on everyone, is it still a joke?
If it's not a joke and it leaves people wondering how safe "the ladies" are there, what is it then? If it's not a joke and people are offended that a business is playing dudebrah at the expense of "the ladies," what is it? If it's not a joke and "the ladies" just generally dislike being compared to things, what is it?
It seems like it's something they should take down as soon as they can.
Again, I get that they probably didn't mean it the way it comes off, but that's the way people are taking it. It's a gross, uneasy joke that isn't any good and it's making people feel gross and uneasy about both the bar and the festival. It isn't doing either establishment any good and it needs to come down.
Oh, and if they're looking to hire an experienced joke writer for the next sign, one who probably won't alienate "the ladies," I know lots of people.