Chinese Gaming Expo Bans Booth Babes

[SonicWaffle]

Ladies and Gentlemen this is a clear win for feminism.

Well, technically, as they've banned those items of clothing for everyone, you could probably stretch it to be a victory for feminism. Presumably I'd get thrown out too if I showed up in a bikini. Equality!

There should be no model that should be revealing too much clothing and it is the model that should be held accountable and not the company that employed the models for their services.

Models are A) the visible manifestation of the problem and B) expendable. By dismissing models, the expo is unlikely to lose any business, whereas by expelling companies they risk lasting effects. Hazards of the capitalist system; big wheels, little people, yadda yadda yadda.

What we need is to look back to more traditional forms of clothing standards on how people should dress themselves.

I vote we go all the way back. Bring the fig leaf back into style, the very first fashion trend!

Possibly ban all outfits that reveal the ankle and neck would be more appropriate. That will show those companies and models to not be hussies and not promote their product utilizing the creative talents of tailors, models to interact with potential clients and investors by actually engaging with them on a personal level to encourage them to try their product.

Be honest, do you really think this is about the creative talents of tailors or models who engage with people on a "personal level"? Unless "personal level" is a euphamism for "gives me a happy in my pants", which is admittedly fairly personal, the clear intended function of these models isn't to reel people in by making a deep and spiritual connection with you. One could even posit that they are counter-intuitive by their very presence; they may attract potential customers, but those customers are going to have a hard time dragging their eyes away from the exposed titties in order to focus on the game. Those customers who are already inclined to buy the product may enjoy the attentions of these ladies, but then you're not advertising to them, because by that point all you need to do is have a solid product to get their cash into your wallet.

Booth babes assuredly garner attention, but it seems mostly focused on them rather than whatever they're trying to flog.

EDIT: Ya know I'm gonna be serious for a moment. What I honestly find ironic by the posters here is that the people who are posting want to see even LESS of booth babes.

I don't have a dog in this fight either way, not being a con-goer, but to an outside observer the presence of booth babes seems both tacky (and wholly innapropriate for a medium which is still trying to shrug off a public perception as a boys-only-club aimed primarily at hormonal teenage males) and unnecessary. If I'm at a games expo, it's because I want to play me some damn games. I'd go to a strip club if I really needed to see boobs that badly, but I'd be very surprised if the titty bar felt the need to entice me in with videogames. It'd show a lack of confidence in their big, bouncy product, so why don't we perceive the reverse in the same way?

I mean just think for a second at how much work has actually gone by the way side because people who don't even attend these events are somehow offended. When was the last time you saw a woman for a big title boxing match carry the "ROUND X" sign? It's been at least half a decade if not more for me. Or models that interacted with the audience? I remember when DOA 3 was coming out at E3 they had a booth where models were on stage and the MC would pick people to interact and they either won a prize or a picture with the model. Also note one other huge factor, a majority of these events are usually for businesses which mean you don't have children around to worry about.

Are...are you trying to use "I want to see titties!" as an economic argument about job creation?

Dude. I salute you :-D

I mean where is the line when people will stop complaining about models and actually let them use their talent that could actually help their career?

I'm not sure "being hot" qualifies as a talent. An advantage, certainly, but not really a talent.

As for where you draw the line, it works both ways. Why do we have this arbitrary designation that a woman isn't actually topless until you can see the nipple? Where would you, personally, draw the line about how far these models can go with their attire? When a girl clad only in a Rambo-style belt of bullets is grinding her fanny on your leg while you queue up to play the new CoD?

Oh, ew. Someone is definitely messing with me now - CAPTCHA: 'fishy smell'

EDIT 2: I gotta say that more people here are honestly disconnected from the actual reality of the world and their local area and just take the news and go to the worst case scenario as the norm. People here are just relying on assumptions as facts and have that shape their world view. Honestly it's just damn depressing reading the posts in this thread so far.

Why, exactly? I can't even understand what this paragraph is really supposed to mean...

 

[Fappy]

This is why Dragon*Con is awesome. The dress code is, "don't be naked". >

 

[Scarim Coral]

First thing, danm! That LolliChainsaw booth babe second costume is danm saucy!

Second, ok so the reason was just "think of the children" which is justify althought it wasn't for the true reason why some of us are fed up with Booth Babe (Gamers are no longer the sterotype who lust at a sight of hot skimpy costume women).

Third thing, they should of inform all of the attending companies beforehand about the new dresscode as it was rather unfair to sprung it up on her face as she was just doing her ob.

 

[DaRigger420]

I personally think that the gaming world in general needs to back up and take a deep breath. What this model is wearing is TAME compaired to most of the female game characters out on the market. Banning "Booth Babes" as they have come to be know as is just a dumb idea. One of the truest things ever in advertising is that sex sells. Every game, no matter how they dress the character, portray the female form as a perfected and unattainable ideal. Now they want to try to take a step back and claim that it has no place in the industry? Terms like "jiggle physics" were MADE by the game companies. Game conventions, If you, the game designers and conventioneers, want to try to take the moral high road on items like this, you shouldn't have started your journey by visiting a strip club to design your newest female characters' outfit (I am looking at you Dead or Alive, Tekken, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, etc).

I say.... LONG LIVE THE BOOTH BABE!

 

[SonicWaffle]

Well done, Escapist, about 10 people completely missed the point on the first page alone thanks to that completely false title.

They're not banning booth babes, they're banning overly-revealing clothing.

...which, under the current system, appears to be the only kind booth babes are told to wear.

If the term "booth babes" is understood as "scantily clad woman manning a booth at an expo" (which certainly seems to be true), then by banning revealing clothing they are in effect banning what people consider booth babes to be. If you ban men with moustaches from your show, you are not outright saying that you're banning Tom Selleck from your convention, but he'll get the point anyway. He always gets the point. It's a ban on what booth babes are perceived to be, but implemented indirectly by targetting the clothing that makes up a supposedly necessary part of the job.

Of course, this is all part of the problem, that "booth babe" and "dresses like a hooker" are pretty much inextricably linked in the public consciousness. That's a much bigger issue. It'll be interesting to see if any companies keep the women but start to dress them more conservatively, or if they just do away with them altogether.

 

[WickedSkin]

I think it's great. The whole expo babe thing is just silly and doesn't belong in the gaming community.

Yeah, it's silly. But not as silly as a banning booth babes.

I don't think you actually mean that. I don't think it's hard to come up with example of things in our society that simply should always be banned or illegal.

I don't see how booth babes are egregious enough to be lumped in with murder. Banning them is just silly.

Well the post I replied to was:

Yeah, it's silly. But not as silly as a ban. Banning is never a good thing.

I certainly thing that there are a great many things that should be banned or outlawed, and I don't agree with the notion that banning is never a good thing.

Sure, nudity should be banned from cons. But making your dress code so draconian that it really restricts actual cosplayers is a terrible idea.

Absolutely. I think the problem is that due to the clothing of some video game characters, or rather the lack of clothing, it can be hard to make a clear distinction between what's constitutes as booth babes or a girl who's just hired to dress like a bikini-wearing video game character promoting a game.

I think we can all agree on that there is no place for the former in any serious game convention. The problem arise when we have to discuss where to draw the line.

Why?

Also what is wrong with nudity? Is it really that dangerous?
Did sex and/or nudity become more dangerous since the 60's/70's? Have we really gone backwards or forwards since then?
EDIT "Dam-dam-dam"

 

[BENZOOKA]

China, the home of freedom and tolerance.

If the audience is mainly kids, then some kind of loose restrictions might be in place. Teenagers though, they'll anyways be watching porn for 5 hours a day, so why bother.

Also, hawt.

 

[WickedSkin]

Well done, Escapist, about 10 people completely missed the point on the first page alone thanks to that completely false title.

They're not banning booth babes, they're banning overly-revealing clothing.

...which, under the current system, appears to be the only kind booth babes are told to wear.

If the term "booth babes" is understood as "scantily clad woman manning a booth at an expo" (which certainly seems to be true), then by banning revealing clothing they are in effect banning what people consider booth babes to be. If you ban men with moustaches from your show, you are not outright saying that you're banning Tom Selleck from your convention, but he'll get the point anyway. He always gets the point. It's a ban on what booth babes are perceived to be, but implemented indirectly by targetting the clothing that makes up a supposedly necessary part of the job.

Of course, this is all part of the problem, that "booth babe" and "dresses like a hooker" are pretty much inextricably linked in the public consciousness. That's a much bigger issue. It'll be interesting to see if any companies keep the women but start to dress them more conservatively, or if they just do away with them altogether.

As long as it's not the government "banning" something like that it's fine. If you organize a con, and want it backwards or "child friendly" or something, you probably should be able to do that. But only if there is some sort of agreement with clear rules you'd need to follow if you want to promote your game there. But after that another question comes up; What about that poor girl who probably lost 2 days income? Ooooh.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

I'm female, and I still I stopped caring ages ago about booth babes and scantily clad women in games. It just doesn't really bother me.

Anyway, her outfit is nothing compared to some of the things you see in Soul Calibur or whatnot. Really, now, banning *backless* clothes? American women wear halter tops that are backless, all the time. Is China just really conservative? There are plenty of backless dresses. WTF? They're not normally considered skimpy. You can have backless outfits that cover your boobs very well.

Anyway. (I might really like backless clothes, because I overheat all the time.)

Also, why is Saint Seiya so popular in apparently tons of countries but not America?

 

[rbstewart7263]

You know noone has asked the booth babes how they feel. It's there job you know. It could be a side job to help w buying a birthday gift or god knows what but the gaming industry is so easily spineless and malleable that it caves to whatever accusations are thrown at it! Irreguardless of the effects it has on others. Well everyone can keep their prudish sensibilities if they wish I for one will not pretend to feel guilty for being a human with very human desires and qualities!

 

[newwiseman]

iiniku ushijima is pretty frequently in trouble for what she wears to cons, and rightly so since no one else can compete with her hotness... wait what was the topic?

I don't care about booth babes, do away with the lot of them; so long as they still allow scantily clad cosplay I'll pay for an admissions ticket. After all, why risk the diseases in those crowds if not for the gawking, and a genuine chance to meet an attractive woman who has similar interest to yourself; though it is pretty damn hard to distinguish ones self from the rest of the drooling masses...

 

[SonicWaffle]

As long as it's not the government "banning" something like that it's fine. If you organize a con, and want it backwards or "child friendly" or something, you probably should be able to do that.

This is true. It's also why it's so hilarious when someone gets banned or warned on a forum and starts to complain about their right to free speech being repressed. You're in a privately owned space which operates under its own rules that you agreed to, so shut up about your damned right to say idiotic or offensive things.

Ahem.

/tangent

But only if there is some sort of agreement with clear rules you'd need to follow if you want to promote your game there.

Also true. However, the point in this case (or one of them - I seem to have a lot of points today) is that these rules weren't brought into effect while there was time for promoters to change their planned costumes, they sprang the new rules mid-show and punished the first person they caught.

But after that another question comes up; What about that poor girl who probably lost 2 days income? Ooooh.

Depends on the girl. Why was she doing the job in the first place? Maybe she just really enjoys video games. Maybe she's studying for a PhD in neuroscience and doing this to earn money. Worst case scenario, "standing around looking pretty" is her only bankable asset, and in that case the future really isn't looking very bright for her either way.

 

[esperandote]

I wouldn't have said shes dressed that bad there, but I guess if thats their new rule system then they need to follow it to the letter otherwise you'll find people starting to push the boundaries.

I find the Lollypop Chainsaw one more amusing.

The first picture on the left is the actual outfit worn by the main character, so saying that's too revealing is saying a lot really.

It doesn't look THAT revealing. I agree it something to be addressed, but with a fine touch and not a sledgehammer.

Could it have something to do with that cameltoe she's sporting in that pic?

...

I'm not the only one who noticed right?

That's already toned down

I personally think that the gaming world in general needs to back up and take a deep breath. What this model is wearing is TAME compaired to most of the female game characters out on the market. ... I say.... LONG LIVE THE BOOTH BABE!

I saw these pictures a week ago

Spoiler: Maybe NSFW

On my defense, she's wearing underwear+NSWF alert

The picture in the OP makes me think they agreed she worn shorts.

<3 booth babes

 

[aba1]

I find the Lollypop Chainsaw one more amusing.

The first picture on the left is the actual outfit worn by the main character, so saying that's too revealing is saying a lot really.

That is sorta along the lines of what I was thinking. Can you really say it is wrong when it is cosplay and how the character actually dresses?

I dunno I see why they are doing it I feel bad for the model as she likely was asked to wear that and only doing her job. They really could have just implemented this rule better.

 

[Call Me Jose]

Only kidding. I do think strutting around in underwear is a bad idea and shouldn't be allowed, but really? What has this girl in the picture done wrong? I see girls at work (workers!) dressing as exposed as this.

+1 for the image, made me lol (literally), and the girl in this image has done nothing wrong, I'd just go up and talk to her rather than play a game thats for sure.

 

[Paragon Fury]

God damnit.

And yet another fine part of gaming gets the axe in the name of political correctness and "equality".

Though more likely just prudishness in this particular case.

 

[t3hmaniac]

"Underwear is no longer optional."

Wait, what?

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

What's interesting is that this news article actually brings up the question: "Are you gamers here for the games or the babes?" Truthfully, if I'm going to any gaming convention the "booth babes" are definitely nice to look at...but I'm not spending a gabillion dollars of my savings for admission, food, and lodging just to look at some scantilly clad members of the female gender. There are PLENTY of places online to do that.

So...good on them for toning down the skin for the sake of the kids that might be there.