Can somone explain this "booth babe" thing to me?

[Vault101]

At E3 and other gaming convictions "booth babes" are hot chicks dressed as the main character of a game,or promoting a game.

Basically sluts.

now HOLD ON just a second there

first of all having alot of sexual partners doenst nessicarily make you a horrible person (but thats an issue for another day)

THIS has NOTHING to do with sexual partners

the women doing this are doing it BY CHOICE....and if your going to refer to them like that then what about the drooling man-children who like that kind of thing (thats not my opinion but you see where Im going}

I may not be 100% ok with the booth babe thing but I find that kind of offensive (and my "issues with women" alarm bells are going off)

Slut also means a girl who "shows" her stuff.(not in a stripper way)

But its NOT in the same way

Im assuming by "shows her stuff" she dresses tarty to attract attention

thease girls are being paid...AND its really no different to moddelling or somthing similar, its just a job

exactly what i meant.

well forgive me but I was under the impression slut was a derogatory/nasty name which also has alot to do with double standards

but what ever

 

[Hagi]

...but doesn't the word 'hot' encompass anyone's personal idea of an attractive woman? There isn't one type of woman that counts as 'hot'. That's a very simple minded view of women.

If you don't want me to take it seriously, don't rant.

I don't think it does, which is why I included what I thought about it in my post. Attractive refers to someone's personal idea of an attractive women. I don't think 'hot' women are attractive. I like cute, nice and confident among many other things.

If you think that's a very simple minded view of women I can live with that, there luckily are many other people on this world with many different opinions.

And I don't think that second part means what you think it means, it logically implies (through modus tollens) that if I rant, I want you to take it seriously. Which is false, and as such that statement is also false.

And yes, I am looking too much into that.

 

[WaderiAAA]

I don't think it shows the industry in a favorable life, but then again it is not any worse than succesful businessmen marrying babes just for the sex and to have some nice eye candy beside them when they go to banquettes.

 

[AngloDoom]

I think it doesn't help the view that most people into games are immature basement-dwelling men with sweaty fat-rolls.

I'm not sure how valid this next bit is considering I'm male, but I imagine it sort of gives a "No girls allowed" atmosphere when it's so very much orientated toward heterosexual men.

Overall it gives me the same sense of facepalm I get when I women leans over in any film and suddenly saxophones. Everywhere.

 

[BoTTeNBReKeR]

I think it doesn't help the view that most people into games are immature basement-dwelling men with sweaty fat-rolls.

I'm not sure how valid this next bit is considering I'm male, but I imagine it sort of gives a "No girls allowed" atmosphere when it's so very much orientated toward heterosexual men.

Overall it gives me the same sense of facepalm I get when I women leans over in any film and suddenly saxophones. Everywhere.

I don't get this "I think it doesn't help the view of that people have towards gamers". The car industry has been doing it for years! Yet you don't see people complaining about a pair of tits and legs on every single car in an auto saloon now, do you?

 

[AngloDoom]

I think it doesn't help the view that most people into games are immature basement-dwelling men with sweaty fat-rolls.

I'm not sure how valid this next bit is considering I'm male, but I imagine it sort of gives a "No girls allowed" atmosphere when it's so very much orientated toward heterosexual men.

Overall it gives me the same sense of facepalm I get when I women leans over in any film and suddenly saxophones. Everywhere.

I don't get this "I think it doesn't help the view of that people have towards gamers". The car industry has been doing it for years! Yet you don't see people complaining about a pair of tits and legs on every single car in an auto saloon now, do you?

Cars aren't viewed by most of the population as toys. They're functional items that are not considered particularly gendered any more: while women aren't generally expected to know as much about cars it's not big news when a woman can drive.

Games are often viewed as immature toys man-children, and sticking tits on the front for everyone to ogle at doesn't help. Every girl I've gone out with until my current relationship looked down on me because I played with "toys" on my Xbox 360 and wouldn't give games a chance because they viewed it as hyper-masculine games about shooting zombies to save an ass attached to a woman.

It's entirely different matters.

 

[spartan231490]

Nothing wrong with it. It's advertising, they use it because it works, and I have no problem with that. it's not sexist.

 

[FPSMadPaul]

I find it amusing that there was this typo:

Every copy of The Saboteur ships with a special card that contains a code to turn on The Midnight Show, which removes the bras and pasties from some of the dancers in the Belle du Nuit.

Nothing more erotic than a stripper taking her pasties off... (though to be fair, I'd imagine they make terrible underwear...)

There's no typo
Pasties - plural of past·ie (Noun)
1. A decorative covering for the nipple worn by a stripper.

 

[ms_sunlight]

I don't get this "I think it doesn't help the view of that people have towards gamers". The car industry has been doing it for years! Yet you don't see people complaining about a pair of tits and legs on every single car in an auto saloon now, do you?

What car showrooms are you people going to that hire PR women to lounge all over the merchandise? I've never seen this in my life! Trade shows may have models, but I can guarantee you when it actually comes down to the nitty gritty of selling the product it's all about the vehicle!

Hell, the auto industry markets to women. They are not stupid. They know this is not the 1950s and that women earn wages and buy cars themselves; they also know that women have a big say in the purchase of family vehicles.

This is the difference: overwhelmingly, I still feel that most sectors of the gaming industry - certainly the AAA end of it - are marketed overwhelmingly towards young men, to the extent that many women and girls feel unwelcome. No wonder so many end up playing crap like Cityville - the casual gaming companies know that women have money too and are not afraid to market to them.

 

[funguy2121]

so first of all I dont know much about this or if its even commone anymore

so Im GUESSING that its attractive scantiliy clad women at game conventions and such used to promote..uh games I guess?

so what Im asking is how do you feel about it?

is it just innocent promotion...like no one complains when you have the same thing at car shows? AND it is true that gaming is still very male orientated...

OR do you find it off putting? and think it really needs to go if we are ever going to be taken seriously?

Control yourself! Ok, fine, I'll control myself!

"Sex sells." What else would it be? Why are near-nude women used to sell dishwashers? It is, of course, objectifying and demeaning. But I disagree with your last statement. Besides, marketing people are some of the most insipid, hateful fuckers out there.

 

[Matt9102]

Ask yourself this: What's more pleasing to look at, a nice set of titties on a fit young woman or a badly aliased low-res xBox 360 screenshot of Space Marine Simulator 9001?

I'd go for tits on that one cause I'm not a space guy. But seriously, I don't really understand the mass appeal to tits. They're just nipples with lumps below them. I like them, of course. I'm straight and saying that. People don't like MANLY NIPPLES OF MANLINESS for some reason, but they like lumps. If it was showing off the lower regions it'd make more sense but I still disprove.

 

[Kargathia]

One way to solve this little conundrum of yours would to be talk to them. Discovering there's a person attached to the boobs might just help you realise they're actual people, doing their job.

Realise that, and you'll be a lot less fazed by what exactly they're wearing. (Or more precisely: what they're not wearing.)

 

[Sansha]

Sex sells.

Putting a pair of titties or a hot ass next to your product is a very efficient way of getting attention. Video games is, really, a male demographic, so I guess it works.

And hey, it makes conventions more fun. Eye candy can improve any event.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Should have made this a poll really.

Do you like boobs?
Are you indifferent to boobs?
Do you dislike em?

Thats pretty much what it comes down to, as far as I can tell. Most of those results would be the top one, and that would give you your reason why booth babes are employed. Tis eye candy.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

One way to solve this little conundrum of yours would to be talk to them. Discovering there's a person attached to the boobs might just help you realise they're actual people, doing their job.

Realise that, and you'll be a lot less fazed by what exactly they're wearing. (Or more precisely: what they're not wearing.)

I think the OP was well aware of that, just asking why its necessary to have them doing that particular job.

 

[EHKOS]

And no amount of breasts make a game better.

I disagree, The Saboteur Midnight Show.

You forgot God of War 2....

 

[Strain42]

I don't mind it. It's simple advertising. Like the OP said, it's no different than having hot chicks at car shows, or even in commercials. Unless the game gives a serious vibe of "You should check out this game, we have a hot chick at our booth" then I don't have a problem with it.

Like right now there is a game coming out for the 3DS called...something something: Portraits of Girls. It's a hack and slash game that looks mediocre at best in its gameplay. However, wanna guess what this game is being sold on? 3D BOOBIES!!! with BIG JIGGLE PHYSICS. Seeing so many people drooling over this game almost makes me ashamed that this is what it's come to. This is how your average gamer is seen. (and yeah...if it gets localized I'm probably gonna get it...but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it )

Like Yahtzee said, to a nerd the promises of boobies are what a bacon sandwich is to a starving wolf.

A while back there was a big video where they wanted to test if booth babes actually knew anything about video games and so they asked them five "General Knowledge" Questions. The reason why I put general knowledge in quotations is because it's laughable. The closest they had to general gaming knowledge questions were asking who were the original 3 starter Pokemon and who is the hero in Ocarina of Time. The other questions asked about specific knowledge into games like Bioshock and Bayonetta. They weren't general knowledge, they were stuff that you'd know if you played the games.

The worst part is though that the gamers flipped out, insulted the women for being dumb and said that they weren't "worthy" of being booth babes.

Booth Babes are what they are. Their job is to lure you in, it's the games job to keep you there. If they ever try to shift that balance, that's when things start to fall apart.

 

[Slayer_2]

Nerds. Closest that many of them will come to a scantily-clad woman. Good for promotional purposes, and I guess it makes 'em happy. Which is nice.

It does, however, ignore the fact that some nerds are women - the only thing this gamer needs to do to see a scantily-clad woman is take off her own clothes.

Do I have a problem with it? No, not really - the women are being paid, nobody's breaking any laws. Do I think it helps discourage women from becoming involved in games and the gaming industry and community - yes, actually I do think it does. It helps tell women who are interested in games as clearly as anything possibly could that they are not the target audience.

thats the ONLY problem I would have with...I havnt been to any conventions of the sort but I would find it a little off putting

but then again the "male-ness" of gaming in general doesnt bother me (was a little unsure when I started) so this kind of stuff doesnt make me want to quit

but I do feel it kind of re-enforced a negative sterytype...then again its the same withcars and such

so yeah I agree mbaye its not worth banning

Attractive women unarguably attract (straight) male attention. 99% of gamers are male, and most of those are probably straight. From a marketing perspective, it's a perfect solution to drawing more attention to something that might not be worth any.

In my personal opinion, it's slightly insulting that someone out there thinks that my smaller head does all my thinking. Yes, I'm a teenage male, and yes I'm straight. I definitely enjoy attractive women, BUT having some beside your booth does not make me want to buy your stuff. In fact, it makes me opposed to the idea, as I feel a bit peeved about being treated like a drooling sub-human.

If the roles were reversed, and the conventions were filled with females and a few attractive males wearing speedos, I dunno how much I'd care. I suppose it might be a little off-putting, but from either perspective, it's not terrible, just slightly annoying.

As it is, males dominate the gaming market, and booth babes are likely to be a popular marketing tool for the foreseeable future.

 

[SckizoBoy]

There's no typo
Pasties - plural of past·ie (Noun)
1. A decorative covering for the nipple worn by a stripper.

Damn... how young and naive I am, here I was thinking Cornish pasties! =P

 

[Kargathia]

One way to solve this little conundrum of yours would to be talk to them. Discovering there's a person attached to the boobs might just help you realise they're actual people, doing their job.

Realise that, and you'll be a lot less fazed by what exactly they're wearing. (Or more precisely: what they're not wearing.)

I think the OP was well aware of that, just asking why its necessary to have them doing that particular job.

Necesary on a level of necessity: as much as games are necessary in the first place - not at all.

Necessary as in: why does it exist - a very simple "sex sells", nothing new to see there.

These things are pretty straightforward, my post was based on that apparently the OP feels slightly alienated by the whole concept, and I'd rather post the pragmatic solution than to get out my soap box and start protesting against the objectification of women.

Especially as the best way to fix objectification of women is to stop treating them as objects in the first place.

There's no typo
Pasties - plural of past·ie (Noun)
1. A decorative covering for the nipple worn by a stripper.

Damn... how young and naive I am, here I was thinking Cornish pasties! =P

Don't worry, I've also only known these as "nipple stickers".