[wmkn]

> The hula hooping moment was important because it visibly demonstrated her male coworkers lack of respect for women as people.

Maybe hula-hooping is a common occurrence in Silicon Valley offices, but if my co-workers would be hula-hooping I would be looking as well (regardless whether they are male or female). Probably I would be thinking 'why on earth are you hula-hooping in you workplace instead of working'. I guess there is a fine line between gawking and looking.

Don't get me wrong - the entire situation she describes sound horrible but the hula-hooping did not sound very professional in the first place.

[gress]

Hula-hooping is an especially complex example because it sounds like a strip-club kind of activity, but is also a kind of reclaimed hipster activity like knitting or roller-derby.

The connotations depend a lot on the context.