It's Thursday night — ladies night — at Scottsdale bar Maloney's, and the scene resembles something out of a “Girls Gone Wild” video.

Twenty-one-year-old Hilary Balero brushes her long, blonde hair to one side as she spreads out in a booth so her friend Conner Diggs can down a body shot off her flat stomach while their friends cheer them on.

On the dance floor, a handful of sweaty women in short skirts and tight tank tops are grinding to Usher's “Yeah!’’ as a line of guys look on approvingly from the bar. Although the wall-to-wall crowd at Maloney's appears to be enjoying ladies night, the popular theme nights — which typically offer free admission and discounted drinks for women — have sparked a legal debate this summer.

In June, a New Jersey legal official ruled that a Cherry Hill, N.J., nightspot's ladies night discriminated against men. Although the New Jersey State Assembly is trying to legislate around the ruling, judges in Pennsylvania and Iowa also have made similar decisions.

Balero, a Scottsdale resident majoring in education at ASU, says she doesn't understand the drama.

“Ladies nights are in good fun,’’ she says. “I don't know why someone would make a big deal out of it. They bring in more female customers to the bar and the guys come because of that. When I'm here, I usually buy all of my guy friends drinks so they get the discount, too. That's the way to do it. Everybody wins.’’

Another Maloney's customer, Elisa Corey, 23, of Tempe, also supports ladies nights.

“Guys should look at it this way: We deal with PMS, we're in labor for hours delivering children and we have to go through way more than they do to get ready before we go out. So I don't think it's the end of the world if drinks are cheaper and we don't have to pay for a cover. When guys start having babies, then we'll talk unfair.’’

But Maya Jensen, who took women's studies courses at ASU, says she understands the controversy.

“Women fought an uphill battle to be treated equally for quite some time,’’ says Jensen, 25, of Tempe, while attending a Tuesday ladies night at Scottsdale club Next. “If we're getting $2 martinis while they're (men are) paying $5, we're not being treated equally then, are we? It makes it look like we're superior.

‘‘Honestly, I don't get the whole ladies night thing. I never did. I'm not going to stand here and say that I don't take advantage of the deals because I do, but I don't go out to the bars just because it's ladies night. Usually, like tonight, I find out about the deals when I get there. It's not the sole purpose for going out.’’

Twenty-five-year-old Len Johnson of Mesa states his position bluntly.

“Ladies night sucks,’’ says Johnson, at a Wednesday ladies night at Scottsdale's Myst. “I can see why that dude in New Jersey protested.

Bars are treating women like they're little princesses with these nights. I think it sucks that I have to pay a $10 cover and throw down almost $5 for a beer when they're getting $2, $3 drinks and getting into the clubs for free. How is that fair?’’

Many men, however, like that ladies nights bring out more women.

“There are usually more girls than guys at these things so (guys) really have nothing to (expletive) about,’’ says Jay Maliason, 28, of Scottsdale, at Next. “I think that guy from New Jersey is stupid for complaining. Guys complain when there's not enough women at a club so what is the problem with ladies night? I really don't want a sausage fest when I go out to the bars, so if you have to have a ladies night to do it then so be it.’’

Scott Unalp, 32, of Scottsdale, agrees, “Well, if it can't be all girls, you hope for at least an even ratio of guys to girls.’’

Pussycat Lounge owner Ryan Jocque — who doesn't have a ladies night at his downtown Scottsdale bar — says ladies nights are an outdated promotion tool.

“A lot of big dance clubs still do it to capitalize on the where-the-girls-go-the- guys-follow theory,’’ he says. “I think it gets a small core of people to their establishments earlier than normal, which makes for a busier night in the end. People follow crowds more than anything and drink specials are an easy way to help facilitate that. The only thing I do at Pussycat is to try and keep the guy/girl ratio equal. Sometimes guys will have to wait a bit longer if the ratio is getting skewed.’’

The Library Bar & Grill co-owner Scott Garrison, who created a Tuesday ladies night at his Tempe Mill Avenue bar a year ago, says ladies nights will continue to thrive in the East Valley because they increase clubs’ revenues.

“The music is more geared toward ladies,’’ he says of his bar's ladies night. “Ladies like to dance. We are a bit different than some bars in that we have an all-female staff. On ladies night, we have male bartenders...If a male does not like the way we promote our bar or our concept, he doesn't have to come.

‘‘In my opinion, a man that is complaining about unfair treatment on ladies night is the same as someone walking into a strip bar and being shocked by nudity. In other words, if you don't like it, don't go.’’