Company Takes Stand Against Booth Babes

Swank1 writes "At this year's E3 (May 17-20) Agetec will launch its Anti Booth Babe campaign. Believing that booth babes take attention away from the games, Agetec wants to change the focus back to where it should be. They plan on doing this not by refusing to have booth babes, but instead by hiring ten unattractive women to work their booth. Agetec, a producer of video games and hardware for console systems, has launched AntiBoothBabes.com to get their idea going. Right now the site is just a splash page and a sign-up form for a free T-shirt, but the real fun will come at the Expo. In Los Angeles, during the convention, Agetec's anti-babes will be handing out 'Granny Panties' with Agetec's logo on it. An article discribes the initiative at XYZ Computing."

Gosh...

I feel sorry for the people who have do the hiring, and those who will be hired to do it. First, having to decide if someone is really that ugly, and, being told that you are ugly enough to do it. People these days are so superficial...

Re:Gosh...

One could argue that this Agetec is doing the exact same thing: treating women as objects, and drawing attention away from games. If they want to protest boothbabes, this is not the way to do it.

Let's not forget that this is very likely a marketing ploy. Just think, a company that normally might not get much if any coverage or press, suddenly is the centre of attention due to their, and let's call this what it is, their marketing campaign.

Oh, let's not forget that they're being particularly demeaning to women by hiring them on the sole basis of how ugly they are. What a wonderful boost of self-confidence for these women.

"Congradulations! You are one of the ten ugliest people out of the thousands that applied!"

Degrading.

This is just as degrading to women as Booth Babes. At least the Booth Babes can go back to their jobs stripping or doing BangBros videos when the expo is over. These "ugly" women get hired for being "ugly" and doesn't that just boost the old self esteem?

This is crap. And by saying things like this, I can hopefully score some points with these "ugly" ladies. I'm desperate. And lonely. Somebody call me? Please?

Still women...

I notice how it's still women that they are hiring. If they really wanted to make a statement, they'd have a mixture of men and women.

But I suspect this is just a "look at us, we're controversial!" publicity stunt. And hey, they got a Slashdot story, so it's working.

Being paid the highest complement

They plan on doing this not by refusing to have booth babes, but instead by hiring ten unattractive woman to work their booth.

And I'm sure those ten women were flattered when they said, "We want to hire you because you're ugly."

One gimmick for another?

We want to put the attention on the games so we created this attention grabbing gimmick to do so.

Who cares if, for a few trade shows, male (and possibly some female gamers I guess) oggle boobies?

Wtf?

That's not only an insult, it's also discrimination. How about just hiring people who are qualified for the job?

Just another Marketing Ploy

Employing booth babes is a classic marketing strategy used to draw attention to your booth.

This news isn't about sticking up for women or not treating them as objects, it's just a twist on the strategy. They're in fact still treating women as objects to further their own advancement. How is this any better?

Their claim of "putting the focus back on the games" is bullshit. If that were the case, they would have just not hired "ugly women" (their quote, not mine) and not made mention of their anti-booth-babes stance.

All this is is a press stunt to get some extra attention apart from all the other vendors using booth babes.

stupid

This is stupid I can't believe that slashdot posted it, this attention grab is more insulting and hurtful to women than booth babes are.

Just don't post dumb stories like this.

How about...

Booth "KnowSomethingAboutTheProduct"s?

I mean it. What I would love to see at an expo is someone at the booth that I can talk to about the product at hand. Sure, its nice to have beautiful women standing around, but it isnt going to make me any more likely to buy the company's product.

I agree. They make girls look stupid

When I first saw booth-babes, I thought it were some sort of sex-industry show. I think this would NEVER happened in Norway, and I was a little disappointed when I realized that it was for real.

World, the time has come to stop using girls to attract attention!

Kind of cruel...

...considering that a "booth babe" is the closest most game geeks will ever come to having an actual date!

Won't someone think of the booth babes?

Imagine if this sort of thing catches on? There could be hordes of attractive women, suddenly unemployed, mostly unemployable, and in desperate need of help. Who will help the booth babes?

Well, I will. I know it's a huge sacrifice, but dammit, someone's gotta step up to the plate here. If there are any former booth babes out there who need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, or a bed to sleep in, I'm completely available.

That is, I will be - as soon as my wife reads this post. :-/

better idea

Find 'booth babes'(tm) who actually know something about gaming! AMAZING! I have met a few (albiet not many) women who are avid gamers. Some are attractive. They exist, so why not spend a little more money on finding and hiring those who know the product.

If car shows didnt have reps who knew their shit, the company they worked for would be pumled by angry consumers, consumers who refused to purchase that product due to poor representation. Same should be done here.

basic flaw

There is a basic flaw in their reasoning, which is to assume that everybody likes the "booth babe" type. Here's a hint: some guys like mature women, some guys like full women. Some guys even like guys, from androgynous boyish looks to furry bears. And some of the audience is women, straight women even, who would be physically more attracted by any male booth staff (although might still generally prefer chatting with female booth staff).

Hire people for personality, not looks, and you'll do well. And most people with the right personality for customer contacts will also know how to dress appropriately for the event and their body type. Of course, if you force everybody into some ridiculous booth outfit (skin tight pink T-shirts, etc.), then many people will look bad.

If you want to make a statement, hire g33ks

Hiring "unattractive" women doesn't necessarily mean anything. I mean, come on. Here's an idea. Hire actual geeks. Both men and women. A woman who can talk to me about the evolution of role-playing games is ten times more attractive to me than some test tube blonde with implants whose gaming knowledge extends to Ms. Pacman. Hell, she might even make me buy want to buy their game. Having a passionate developer manning (personing?) the booth would be even better.

Instead of beign an "anti" movement, they ought to be "for" something that is lacked by placing an emphasis on appearance. Otherwise, it's just a publicity stunt...like booth babes.

Wow...

...so they couldn't just hire women, could they? They have to divide us up into "dumb but hot" or "smart but ugly".

This is why I'll always have negative opinions about the gaming industry - it makes me feel completely worthless.

ABB Slogin

"Real Games. Real People?"

So what's more offensive? Being paying to stand around to be gawked by geeks because of your better-than-average-good-looks or being told by a website your not a "real person."

That said, I really don't see what the problem is. These women are getting paid to dress up in some costume, look hot, and maybe poss with people or pass out promotional material. They are there on their own volition. They aren't being any more exploited than a game designer is being exploited for his creativity. Modeling is just like any other job that requires a certain amount of inate ability. It just so happens that this ability is to look attractive. So to summarize, if these women are being exploited then so is everyone else that voluntarily goes into a career field that needs their abilities.

Profit?

1. Fire your booth babes.
2. Hire ugly people as replacements
3. .....
4. No Profit!!!

So the logical conclusion is...

The game sucks. If they need to do a stupid marketing stunt like this, clearly the game is lacking. Plus, they aren't addressing the problem, they're simply puting a few booth babes out of work for the week.

Apologies to Chris

Emma, http://caoine.org/images/headshot.jpg [caoine.org] is, in my opinion, a very attractive woman and a great gamer.

However, last time I heard, she was doing web-design, so she may not have the time to become the stereotype breaking - Hot but Game Guru Girl....

R.

Pathetic.

This is just pathetic. To make some completely sexist remarks, the boothbabes are eye candy to draw visitors to your booth to look at your content. They get attention and drive traffic from people who otherwise might not bother with your booth. And you know what? We do it with almost every product in almost every industry.

Ford's commercial for the Mercury version of the 500 has a chick in a tight shirt, tight capri pants, and sexy little shoes jumping around the car talking about how great it is. And a little birdie told me she wasn't hired for her detailed knowledge of her automobile enthusiasm. Same with vacations and cruises, McDonald's salads, investment banks, cable news, clothing department stores, etc. Sex sells. And it's not just women. Men are used to sell romance novels, "romantic comedy" films (chick flicks), country music, etc.

I think it's time we grew up and just recognized that sex is a part of our lives, a part we like, and stop trying to live like Puritans. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play Wolfenstein with the Elite Guard, read FHM, and stop by an auto show to pick up some flyers from the competent ladies at the Yugo booth.

Our booth...

For our booth, we are hiring 10 male strippers freshly shaven, and sprayed down with PAM. This will surely make people passing by look at our game!

Hmmmm!

With a tag line like, "Anti Booth Babes. real People, real Games." It is clear to us that the PR staff at reverbinc.com are either militant feminazis or homosexuals.

To be politically correct...

They are Booth Betties. If they don't just scan your badge, but actually regurgitate some marketing speech, particularly while standing within 10 feet of a flat screen and wearing a microphone, then they are Demo Dollies.

Blind Interviews

A better way to end the "pretty" bias is to do interviews for booth attendants with a blind between the interviewer and interviewee. Think The Dating Game here. Have all the interviews reviewed and pick the women based on their verbal charisma and knowledge.

Some will be pretty, even so! Most will be ordinary, and some may be ugly, but at least you can say with a clear conscience that you hired the best ones for the job.

I'm not really sure that this is the intent of booth attendees. Let's face it, the best way to explain your game is to have it playable. The people at the booths are usually paid actors to be standing adverts for the company. E3 is about information AND entertainment. Beautiful people are more entertaining that ordinary ones.

This would make excellent thesis materiel for Social Psychology undergrads. One booth has product and no spokespeople, one with product and knowledgeable spokespeople of common stock, one with product and "babes" that don't speak at all, and one that gives all visitors a crisp $5 bill.

We'll know they're serious...

We'll know they're serious if the president of the company puts his wife in the booth. That would be interesting.

read the article - NOT UGLY

If you read the article, it says they are hiring women to staff their booth for their skills and interest rather than their appearance.

It does NOT say they are hiring women specifically because they are unattractive. Whether or not they are attractive just isn't the issue.

I think many, many commenters missed that part, including the original editor who posted the story.

Re:Dumb as shit.

If they did that they would not be getting all this free pr. This is nothing more than a stunt to get free PR.

Kind of like what goldenpalace.com does.

Your premise is wrong.

Hillary Rosen.

I rest my case.

Word.

No, actually it's because the majority of women don't realize that most geeks have big cocks and are love doctors in bed. Word.