Chinese Gaming Expo Bans Booth Babes

[grumpymooselion]

I never understood the point of booth babes. They typically knew nothing about the games they were representing, and more often than not just stared confused if I ever saw someone ask them a question. They never belonged. They should be banned everywhere, and not just in China.

 

[themind]

Repressing people's freedom to choose how they dress, in China? Neeeeeever.

 

[Tony2077]

ah censorship and feminism both are really annoying at times

 

[Eternal_Lament]

I feel conflicted about this particular story. On the one hand if the con has set up a dress code that attendees must abide by, well then it shouldn't be surprising when they tell you to leave or change if wearing something that goes against the dress code. On the other hand I find it bizarre that the model was outright banned from the con for the next two days. The con runners could have given her the opportunity to change into something more acceptable by the dress code, but instead tell her she isn't allowed back in for the rest of the con, which to me seems unfair. As well as not giving her a second chance, the onus of the costume isn't on her but the company she was modeling for (assuming that it is the company that provided the costume, which seems to be the case). If the company is showcasing at a con, then it is their duty to talk with the con runners to figure out what parts of their showcase is suitable and what isn't. The con runners should have complained at the company running the showcase instead of the model, since for all intents and purposes the company either didn't know the costume wasn't appropriate (in which case the company wasn't diligent in determining what was and wasn't appropriate) or they knew the costume wasn't appropriate (in which case the company knowingly screwed the model over).

In regards to the model's outfit, it makes me wonder what the con's guidelines are. Sure it's a little revealing but a) not as revealing as other cosplays out there and b) not as revealing as some modern fashion. I guess it's a little stricter there then other places, can anyone confirm?

To also give a quick rundown on the my opinions on boothbabes: if your booth has representatives that can give you info on the game and also happen to look like characters from the game (even if it's a little revealing) I honestly don't see a problem with that, and can't think of many arguments to ban that type of marketing. If your booth though has simply women there to look good, I just don't care. If it actually attracts a larger demographic then fine, whatever works I guess, but chances are I'm not going to the booth SOLELY for that reason and would care little about whether that type of marketing is banned or isn't banned from a con.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

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

The same people seeing these booth babes likely have access to the internet and/or video games. Have you seen the women in gaming? This is just a moronic decision as sex appeal has been a part of gaming for a generations.

 

[WickedSkin]

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.

THAT is very wrong. They should at least compensate the company and her for that.

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.

Why? You can pull huge pay-checks off of modelling. She might enjoy modelling, the job itself. I wouldn't look down on models, hey if I could earn money on modelling, I probably would. It's just another job that people do. They aren't victims or ill somehow.

Models have made great careers and really gone long ways. Worthy of envy. I mean programmers, carpenters, plumbers or accountants probably never enjoy the glamour they can live.

 

[antipunt]

b..b-but....but

.but...

T_T

 

[theultimateend]

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.

It's also not hard to come up with examples of things we should light on fire.

Doesn't mean we should light booth babes on fire.

So I don't see your point.

Basically if that seemed silly note that any example you can give of things that should "always be banned" are extreme and any connection between them and women of any type is moronic.

So I took the initiative and saved you the embarrassment.

Am I the only one who thinks this is great? Good riddance...

Using sex to sell things is abhorrent.

It's a lost cause to bring up why that sounds silly but I'll at least poke at it.

"Why?"

Why is it abhorrent? I'm not going to tell you why that's silly, because maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is a profound answer lying underneath the skin of this statement.

I crave to know. Enlighten me.

 

[weirdee]

I don't think ejecting her from the expo altogether was appropriate, but at least they're showing initiative.

 

[bafrali]

A pointless gimmick is banned from a convention? Well that is good.

 

[LadyRhian]

Personally, I have to say that the second Chainsaw Lollipop outfit looks extremely impractical for fighting. It's so tight and covers so little of her assets, it looks as if she does anything more strenuous than slowly raise her hands over her head, her boobs are going to come flying out of her outfit. And running around with your boobs flapping in the wind is damn distracting.

 

[Mr Mystery Guest]

Good, ban them all. Developers (EA Cough)use women to distract from how terrible their games are. The more flesh on display the more terrible the game.

 

[Zerstiren]

Normally I would respond with a self-righteous "freedom of speech" schpeel, making it okay for gaming companies to put on whatever T&A they want for the kiddies . . . but the EPSN Olympics "body-issue" (they really didn't consider a double-meaning to that phrase) has left me confused. I question what the purpose of it all is, and I don't agree it's meant to make the global audience take female athletes more seriously, promote feminism in the Middle East, or any worthwhile feminist expression for the matter.

The moral grounds of sexual objectification, in entertainment, will always be a toss-up for me . . . I think the booth-babes are okay, but overshadowing the glory of the Olympics with cardinal pleasures does not help their cause.

 

[maninahat]

My friend went to a Shanghai games convention - man are they keen on the booth babes. Here is the playstation presentation:

Spoiler

and not to be out done:

Spoiler

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

While the regulations seem a bit excessive, it's nice to see conventions taking steps to take get rid of the tasteless pandering.

Although... just to have an interesting turn of the tables, it'd be interesting to see hot [http://passionatereads.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/hot-cop.jpg] cops [http://bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/calcoppromo13.jpg] being used to promote the games and see who's against the shameless pandering then

 

[Zerstiren]

While the regulations seem a bit excessive, it's nice to see conventions taking steps to take get rid of the tasteless pandering.

Although... just to have an interesting turn of the tables, it'd be interesting to see hot [http://passionatereads.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/hot-cop.jpg] cops [http://bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/calcoppromo13.jpg] being used to promote the games and see who's against the shameless pandering then

--everyone loves the Village People, even Westboro Baptists (the cognitive dissonance doesn't need mentioning).

All the attending straight males would accept it, though it would be fastidious, taking photos with the dudes and caption them with "this guy followed me to my hotel room!" or some other shenanigans. I know I would.

 

[AlexanderPeregrine]

Models have made great careers and really gone long ways. Worthy of envy. I mean programmers, carpenters, plumbers or accountants probably never enjoy the glamour they can live.

Modeling as a full-time career is anything but glamorous or enviable in the long term for either men or women. It's at-will employment based on short-term contracts with no real job security or much of any legal recourse for discrimination or workplace bullying. Most successful models need to either be born with really lucky genetics (as in extremely specific facial structure and fat/muscle processing) or dump a ton of money (as in hundreds of thousands) into surgery and physical management to be considered for jobs.

At the highest levels, it's an extremely stressful 24 hour job with basically no personal freedom to so much as even buy a bag of Skittles or browse the local mall. To get that 20% underweight Vogue look, they need to be on about a dozen questionably-legal supplements and push themselves to unnatural limits. They aren't healthy, they're rarely happy, and once they're no longer getting jobs (typically their late twenties), they're left with no real marketable skillset and a whole host of health problems (not to mention the detachment from reality detachment of most models and actors).

This is not to say "booth babes" (something about that phrase just pisses me off) have it anywhere near as bad as magazine models, but modeling as a career is anything but "great".

 

[dnazeri]

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

That is absurd. I find those girls quite hot. I enjoy large breasts and exposed crotches, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Its one of the reasons I go to Pax, E3 and comic con. Seeing as how over-sexualization has infiltrated every facet of the media, I don't understand why we can't give it the option of existing in the gaming world as well. Its all this "gaming has to be friendly towards everyone so we can appeal to a wider audience" bollocks.

BOOTH BABES HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST!

 

[dnazeri]

Good, ban them all. Developers (EA Cough)use women to distract from how terrible their games are. The more flesh on display the more terrible the game.

That is the idea. Developers reward us with attractive women cause their games are shit. A fine deal to me.