Good Riddance To Booth Babes 210
Colin Campbell has an editorial at Next Generation in which he applauds the decision to fine risque outfits worn by the traditional 'booth babes'. From the article: "Exhibitors at E3 employ a whole range of human beings to attract attention to their booths and excitement to their live events. The ones who attract the largest crowds are either celebrities (fair enough), well-loved industry-creatives (quite right) or so-called 'booth-babes', often behaving in ways that at least mimic the lowest sort of strip joint. People do not dress this way in normal life, not even in Los Angeles. There are some companies that seem more susceptible to this kind of technique than others. It's difficult to imagine, say, EA or Sony or Microsoft or Nintendo bothering with this nonsense."
Conventions should move to private property (Score:1, Insightful)
I don't have a problem with scantily clad women at conventions and at shows (car shows). They're part of the reason some people go to these events, and then they stay to actually look at the products being sold or promoted. It is a marketing tool.
If women have great bodies, why shouldn't they make money with them? I could care less if they're clothed, naked, whoring themselves out -- it is their body to use as they please as long as it is voluntary trade with another consenting adult.
It blows my mind that this Colin Campbell guy would prefer to see regulation over clothing. Clothing is expression. Expression can not be controlled per the 1st amendment. Of course, our governments can also control expression on private property, which is a bigger atrocity than the regulation on public property.
If a private convention center wants to regulate clothing, they can. A government-run convention center (subsidized by taxpayers usually) should stick with the law that controls their powers. The 1st amendment tells government they have no right to control expression, it is a freedom every human has, and no one should worry about a law abridging this freedom.
For the rest of his article, I'll give you a secret about E3: the real industry insiders don't care anymore. E3 is a consumer show now, no matter how much they try to say it isn't. The industry wants schmucks to go there, gawk at the hot scantily-clad babes, and crow about the next big game. E3 years ago was a blast when it was real insider scoops and communications with industry heavyweights. Now it is just another festival to get drunk, get laid, and then go home and tell everyone about the great new gadgets and games that you saw. The girlies are just a great way to get the geeks to come and take part in the festivities of consumer marketing.
(Disclosure: I am currently working on a convention center so my opinion might be skewed by the lack of steady payments by the customer)
Boo! (Score:3, Insightful)
If you want things more family-friendly, why not just apply the old anime-con cosplay standard of "30% coverage minimum, inlcuding all the obvious places", instead of applying an ambiguous rule that outfits can not be "too risque"?
Not that new of a decision (Score:3, Insightful)
More important is the press day... (Score:5, Insightful)
Reducing the booth babe exposure (literally) won't prevent people from hiring pretty young women and placing them in the booths. I don't think that practice will ever end (check any other convention and see who is most prominently displayed in each booth: the best looking women of the company or some "spokeswoman" who they hired because the women at the company refused to be so exploited). It will hopefully reduce the circus like atmosphere and restore the event to something that industry actually interacts at.
(On the flip side of the coin, the private parties are even more outlandish than the show floor. Make of that what you will.)
Re:Boo! (Score:3, Insightful)
it's simple politics: if you don't specify what you mean, when you have to justify actions later you can use your earlier ambiguity.
Re:Conventions should move to private property (Score:1, Insightful)
well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:4, Insightful)
This will come as a shock to you, but I agree with Colin Campbell's take on the booth babes. I do think that they are silly.
My problem with booth babes is that while hiding behind 'free expression', these companies are trying to push their moral standards upon me trying to tell me what I should be looking at while going to a game show. I don't associate games with scantily clad women at all and resent these companies trying to merge the two. I say, get rid of the booth babes and make a product that can stand on its own feet. If people want to see scantily clad women, they can go to places that specialize in that.
Re:Conventions should move to private property (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I fully applaud (Score:3, Insightful)
That was plenty of pics for me
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:5, Insightful)
When it comes to the industries that I am in, I expect my sales people to give me a preview of items before the masses get to see them. I don't go to industry conventions, and I buy first from the sales people who give me dibs on seeing a new product. Girlies in bikinis do nothing for me (if you want nudity, just go to European beaches).
Yet my problem with Campbell is his desire to enforce morality by LAW. If a private convention center said "we don't allow bikinis in our center" I have no problem with it. I have a problem with giving someone the right to use force against another. Voluntary cooperation is fine, force by mandate of the law is not.
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:2, Insightful)
And how is banning them no imposing your moral standards on people?
Just because you don'y think it's fitting, doesn't mean to say that everyone else agrees with that.
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:3, Insightful)
Hypocrite.
Many people do consider such things "part of the event."
Just Get Around It (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Conventions should move to private property (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:5, Insightful)
Forbidding something has never made it go away. If the marketing guys think near-naked women makes things sell, then they will find a way to use near-naked women. Video, pictures, sexy voices, whatever,... you can't forbid everything. If necessary they'll put a booth babe in the game and have a "game-character" show up. Then what?
However, if they notice that too many people find their ways undignified and take their shopping and attention elsewhere, the booth babes will magically disappear.
What about the other new regulations? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:4, Insightful)
Thanks for that - I needed a good laugh this morning. By that definition, anything anyone does in a public space is "pushing their moral standards" on everyone else in the area. Settle down, already! If you think you're going to turn into a pillar of salt for looking at a booth babe, just don't look!
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:5, Insightful)
Oddly enough, that sounds like exactly the opposite of what's happening. "Moral" standards are being forced upon the companies who make up this game show.
I don't associate games with scantily clad women at all and resent these companies trying to merge the two.
I don't associate cars with scantily clad women. I don't associate football with scantily clad women. I don't associate beer with scantily clad women. It's advertising. Most companies do associate the male demographic with scantily clad women.
I say, get rid of the booth babes and make a product that can stand on its own feet.
I can agree with half of that.
If people want to see scantily clad women, they can go to places that specialize in that.
Yes, if all you wanted was to see scantily clad women, you could go to a strip club or some such establishment. What's next? If you want beer, don't go to a game, go to a bar? I don't want to sound like I'm making a slippery slope argument, but saying that because some people don't think two items have a strong and appropriate bond they should not be used jointly is kind of ridiculous.
The games themselves (Score:3, Insightful)
For that very reason, FFX-2 sits uncompleted on my shelves to this day...
Balance the booth babes with booth hunks (Score:3, Insightful)
Where is might be said to be on shakey ground is if both sexes aren't fairly represented, because then the do-gooders start talking about "objectifying women". Bring on the booth hunks, too
Post up directional signs for "Booth Babes here" and "Booth Hunks there" and increase the merriment and general fun by clearly laughing at ourselves for doing it.
Vive la diference!
Re:Boo! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Conventions should move to private property (Score:3, Insightful)
-1 OFFTOPIC (Score:5, Insightful)
No government intervention involved or called for. RTFA.
You have your own blog in which you can bemoan government as much and as often as you want. This isn't it. Fight the power somewhere else please.
Bullshit (Score:3, Insightful)
You mean like when Microsoft brought in the Laker Girls? Or when Sony got Denise Harris to dress up as that half-nekkid elf chick? Please.
Re:well this will come as quite a shock to you (Score:2, Insightful)
Longer lines (Score:3, Insightful)
Ah, a kindred spirit (Score:3, Insightful)
Then again it is hard to imagine an area of public sales where a pretty girl won't do the trick. Wether it is the stewardes or the receptionist a pretty face works better.
As for it being sexist. Advertising aimed at women either uses the most perfect male or a mental retard. "Normal" men need not apply to sell products to women.
Hell a lot of ads aimed at females use pretty females themselves so what is wrong with ads aimed at men using sexy females.
This guy probably got a serious case of the right wing nutter disease and starts enforcing his own impotentency on the rest of us. Just because he can not longer enjoy looking at a pretty girl he must ruin it for the rest of us as well.
Booth babes are a way to dress up your booth, to get eyeballs on your stand and then once you got them there you can make your sale. It is very old, it happens in every industry and it won't go away. I seen these kinds of restrictions being proposed before and they are always worked around. When you are selling the next DOA game you can hardly have it being advertised by a couple of guys in suits.
What's the point? (Score:1, Insightful)
I think one year at E3, it was in the same building as a real porn, err excuse me, adult entertainment, conference
It's kind of fresh, e3 knows who they are selling to and don't hide from it.
I've worked from some of the legitest, straight shootingest big companies in the world and it's just a fact of life, looks matter. Our presidents are picked in part based on looks, you think there have been many short presidents? You think Ms. Zeta-Jones is hocking T-Mobile services because of her mad GSM skillz or because she is one of the sexiest women in the world? Go to any conference or convention you want and you'll see companies with mostly men in their engineering groups and an incredibly disproportionate number of women representing their work. Not always overtly sexual but generally attractive women. Never big fat ugly women, almost 100% nice looking, fit, attractive ladies.
You think Lara Croft is a real female role model? With her oh so realistic and common anime like proportions? Come on. Men and boys like big tits, hot chicks, long legs,all that stuff. We will buy products if you have that.
Re:Boo! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:how can I make an informed opinion?!! (Score:4, Insightful)
I mean, I agree as a rule with the concept of labelling NSFW links, but this seems like a fairly slender thread on which to hang your response.
Where are we?! (Score:2, Insightful)
If somebody is willing to pay a beautiful woman to wear a skimpy outfit, and she is willing, then hey so be it! As for those that do not like it, do not look at them or go to these shows! Remember freedom of choice applies to you as well!
Coming out article (Score:2, Insightful)
This guy also knows nothing about trade show exhibits. Its about getting the audience to your booth so they can see your wares. Offer some gimmick (free something), contests, flashing lights and babes in tight clothing and your going to attract the crowds. Attract enough of a crowd and the audience is perpetual, more are drawn to the congregation to find out what is going on which draws more people. Eventually, some of them are going to look at your product as opposed to your competitor's who are sitting alone in the corner with their bow ties and morals intact.
It may be garish or immoral, but its marketing at its finest!