Poll: Should we get rid of Booth Babes?

[Korolev]

It's demeaning. Pure and simple - to both us and them. Frankly, people who stare at women paid to stand in skimpy outfits at booths look like perverts. I don't want to be thought of as a pervert. Do you? Of course not. And that's what goes through my mind when I see booth "babes" - the idea that all male gamers are perverts. And I don't like that sentiment. It makes me feel uncomfortable, and it should make YOU feel uncomfortable too, if you have any sense of shame.

I mean think about it - what must go through the minds of the women who are doing this? They obviously think you're a pathetic pervert for staring at them. They MUST be thinking that - that's what I would think at any rate. And even though they are paid to smile and act nice, the thought is there in their minds - they are judging you and they all think we're perverted.

 

[Korolev]

So to sum up - I can't help but shake the feeling that it's all REALLY CREEPY. Staring at booth babes is sort of thing a sweaty bald 40-year old guy in a leather coat (wearing nothing underneath) would do.

And yes, for that matter, girls being paid to stand over cars in short skirts also makes me uncomfortable. So do overtly sexualized film actresses or news reporters. It's not as uncomfortable as booth babes, because they can't see me, but it is still uncomfortable. But with Booth women, the level of social awkwardness reaches epic proportions. Making eye contact with them is near impossible for me. Because I can't help but have the feeling that to ogle them would be the act of a pervert. And I don't want to be a pervert, not in my private life and certainly not in front of anyone.

Now, don't get me wrong - I think women have the right to be there, and wear what they will. But when women wear a bikini on the beach, for instance, they are doing so to either attract a man or to be fashionable. But with booth babes, they are being paid to cater to what developers think are the sexual appetites of man-children. I do feel uncomfortable looking at women on the beach, but I can bear it as I know it's not about me, it's about them and all the pretty people off over there on the other end of the beach. But with women at these conventions, they are there to be ogled at, and then it becomes extremely uncomfortable. I don't hate them for it - they have every right to be there. A few might not even mind. And it is a way to make money.

What I can't understand is how many male over the age of 10 can look at them and NOT feel an intense feeling of shame and despair.

 

[Deofuta]

If I ever become a Games Director, and people are still using booth babes, I will hire Booth men.

Yeah... That'll put 'em off.

Calumon: I can't see that going well in marketing. :S

Exactly what I was goign to say!

It would be hilarious to have both booth ladies and booth lads. Dressed as Twinkle. It would be amazing!

 

[Korolev]

And the whole thing isn't helped by the fact that gamers.... aren't the most attractive bunch. Ever seen an average picture of an E3 crowd? Not a whole lot of lookers, and I'm certainly not very handsome either. Just imagine what goes through the mind of a woman being paid to pose next to an extremely obese man with 100 pimples and greasy hands and small eyes!

Maybe it's because I posses an extremely high level of empathy and social awkwardness, but if I was a woman, you'd have to pay me an exceptional sum of money to do that. I get the feeling that their job isn't pleasant, even if they do take it on of their own will. And I don't resent them for being there or making money.

What it comes down to is a question of empathy - can you imagine yourself in their shoes? I can, and it gives me the shudders.

 

[crudus]

I think they're totally unnecessary. It doesn't bring anything to E3 /quote]

girls. They bring girls to E3

I think so, if we ever want to be taken seriously as a medium by the more established mediums.

If you want to look at it that way, games are probably the only medium that should be taken seriously. Movies and television do far, far worse than booth babes. There are entire industries built around a booth babe equivalent. It is really destroying our image or are people just biased against gamers?

 

[kingpocky]

It seems that the only argument justifying booth babes is that so many other industries/forms of media have things that are just as bad or worse. "Everyone else is doing it" doesn't hold much water as an excuse.

 

[LorChan]

As a marketing thing, it's fairly effective. Gaming tends to favor male protagonists, at least in most games worth buying, but, as I believe was mentioned, women make better sales people. I have trouble supporting games that make me, as a woman, feel like I'm not supposed to be playing them, like they're 'for guys only'

By the time I became a gamer, for example, everyone knew Samus was a girl. That's what attracted me to Metroid, and with Other M coming out at the end of the summer, I'm glad I did. If Samus were a man, from the outside it would just look like a generic shooting game.

Yes, booth babes can be demeaning to everyone, but it can be done tastfully and properly. At shows, Mirror's Edge booth babes were dressed as Faith. Nothing fancy, just a costume. It wasn't ridiculously sexual, or demeaning, it was advertising. Like how Disney world has people dressed in costume. Except, y'know, totally different.

 

[clipse15]

I think they are completely harmless I mean really what is the negative to them being there? They get paid and get to add something to their resume. I mean its not like their hotness is directly making games worse so whats the big deal. We I watch a movie with my girlfriend and this a naked chick or a chick dressed in skimpy clothes I don't feel embaressed. Likewise i theres some built guy on screen without a shirt. With all this talk of maturity I feel like the mature stance would be that they aren't harming anyone and I realize they're purpose but if i don't like them i'll just ignore them and let the people who do enjoy them have they're fun.

 

[Yassen]

I think they're totally unnecessary. It doesn't bring anything to E3 /quote]

girls. They bring girls to E3

I think so, if we ever want to be taken seriously as a medium by the more established mediums.

If you want to look at it that way, games are probably the only medium that should be taken seriously. Movies and television do far, far worse than booth babes. There are entire industries built around a booth babe equivalent. It is really destroying our image or are people just biased against gamers?

I get the feeling it's simple bias. If someone who criticised video gamers used booth babes as an example of our collective immaturity, if shown the girls at car races they probably wouldn't have even considered them. But I think the main problem is that while films are far worse in this regard, films have shown themselves to be a mature, artistic medium while to the general public, games have not.

In this sense, when films do this it's a simple "Well a film for everyone I guess" but when gamers do this it's a case of "God how freaking typical of gamers to be so immature." They see it as enforcing the stereotype. If Booth babes are dressed appropiately like say Faith from Mirror's Edge and actually know something about games I'd have no problem with them. But how often is that the case?

 

[RMcD94]

I think they're totally unnecessary. It doesn't bring anything to E3 and I've heard more than a few journalists mention they feel uncomfortable around them, which is not the way jounralists should feel while trying to experience and judge a game as it will taint the playing enviroment.

And getting uncomfortable around people simply because they are women shows maturity right?

No, getting uncomfortable around woman in incredibly skimpy outfits and leather who are constanly leaning over you shows maturity. I never said 'simply because they're women.'

So, people shouldn't wear clothes you don't like near you. Also, leaning over you? How do you mean?

...What? If a game journalist is playing a game and a booth babe comes over in clothing that is obviously supposed to be sexually provocative then that journalist has a reason to feel uncomfortable, say if they have a wife or whatever. Also, if they're getting uncomfortable around them simply because they dislike the way they're being sexualised at booths then that's showing maturity from said journalist, as immaturity would be the reaction 'OMG BOOBIES'.

I don't quite know how you managed to spin my first post around to be honest..

Have they tried telling them not to?

 

[ad4m101]

yeah id say there not necessary and don't add anything to the expo. But I don't object to hundreds of people getting pretty damn easy money from big corporations.

 

[nick n stuff]

bit useless and very orange. not for me thankyou

 

[quiet_samurai]

You could say it's all harmless fun but when you think about it, these women are being treated like prostitutes. They're being paid to stand there and look pretty so us guys can say "Holy shit dude look at this photo of me with a hot chick!"

Lol really? Not everyone who uses sex appeal to get paid is equal to a prostitute.
That's a pretty big generalization, and says alot about you as well.

or am I simply overreacting and this isn't a big deal?

Yes

OT: Honestly I don't see why people get so upset about it, if you're there for the games themselves then I'm sure a hot girl isn't really going to take the magic of the convention away from you. And if she does... then she's obviously doing her job, and really shouldn't give a shit if someone doesn't like it. Even if she makes you feel uncomfortable the fact that you remember her and what booth she was at and what the booth was advertising is a clever way to get you to remember a companies product.... and it works, obviously.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

E3 has become nothing but a spectacle-- it's really quite useless, as gaming news and announcements occur year-round. So yeah, get rid of the booth babes-- get rid of E3 altogether.

 

[gl1koz3]

Are you kidding me? What's better than a hot chick... in a game? For what they are, being pretty is part of genetic destiny. Besides, I heard somewhere about a study that hot women increase productivity... not just THAT productivity, you know.