Here’s a news flash for guys who attend conventions: it isn’t okay for you to treat booth babes without respect. Gizmodo posted a short (under four minutes) documentary of sorts in which they asked a number of CES booth babes about unpleasant encounters that they’ve had with male attendees, and boy, some of their stories are pretty outrageous (and even sickening, at points). Click through to the Gizmodo post to watch the video.
Whether you’re a geeky shut-in with “Internet-bred social skills” or not, I would hope that you at least have the common decency to resist whatever primal urges might lead you to attempt things like an ass grab (or worse). And don’t give me the “well, they’re booth babes -- they knew what they were getting into when they signed up for it” argument. These women were hired to get your attention, yes, and they’re probably very attractive, which obviously helps with that. Being ogled? Sure, they’d probably acknowledge that that’s part of the job description. But being objectified? That’s crossing the line, and I must say that while I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the kind of stuff that these women describe actually happens, I’m still appalled at stories like the one that “Bob,” the Suicide Girl, tells here.
Bob’s tale of Puzzle Quest, ticket-stealing, and hand-holding was the most disturbing one for me -- it gradually got more unnerving, and by the end, I was almost ashamed to be a member of the male sex. I may be socially awkward, but I’m not a creep, and I hope none of you have ever engaged in any similar shenanigans. My point is this: Booth babes are people, too. They’re eye candy, sure, but they’re not objects. Read through the Gizmodo comments if you want some more awful stories (oh, and by the way, here’s something enticing: they’ve got pics of the booth babes, too).
Booth Babe Confessions [Gizmodo via GoNintendo -- thanks, Brian!]
Samit Sarkar is a founding Destructoid editor and go-to Sports guy. Samit was the son of the Duke of Knees, rescued from a burning village in the afghan desert by a golden condor. He is an ace Backgammon player and lost both legs in a whaling tour. He lives for free in a nursery in Scotland where he teaches monks how to capture butterflies without hurting them.
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Contest:
10:00 PM on 01.11.2010
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My heart goes out to these guys who cannot understand females.
You know,I bet there are some nerdy girls who go to CES as well for the same reasons the most guys go too.
As someone with a little bit of experience and friends in the fashion industry I can only say it is a LONG and dreadful march to the top of the modeling world. And I do think a lot of those girls are models.
That's the kind of work most models end up doing. It's kind of sad but it's really not that bad of a gig...most of the time. In a loud ass nerdfest like E3 where you have no clue what you're doing, why you're wearing these strange clothes, and why these guys are using these weird memes (I'd Ninja her Gaiden har, har, har), I'd imagine it's hell.
Still work is work.
Then "eye candy" may be a poor choice of words in this instance...
I mean, sure, it's not right. But who in their right mind takes a job as a booth babe and doesn't expect to encounter freaks? It's like taking a job in customer service and hoping you'll be lucky enough to not deal with assholes. When you use your...ahem, assets to pay the bills, some ignoramuses will treat you like an object? REALLY?
Obviously, men are the real victims here.
...
Lol, but seriously, some guys just need the shit knocked out of them.
I'd say that it's a dream come true, but I'm sure she was past her expiration date.
Wow that was mean.
Most guys are respectful but some are not. Why focus on the few bad apples?
As far as getting hit on, my god, that's insane to complain about that. My wife gets hit on at the supermarket! She says NO! and walks away and that's it. Don't blow it out of proportion. Models thrive on attention, so of course they have stories. I'm sure they have just as many good ones if asked.
Seriously, this issue is such a nonissue to me and you know why? Women are every bit as shallow and physically focused as men by far and large. Take a super nerdy looking guy like MC Frontalot and have him approach one of these booth babes and her immediate reaction will be "Oh god, oh god, oh god, another creepy nerd. This $80 an hour is soooo not worth it." Take the exact same person and put him in a Dane Cook looking shell and the reaction will be "Oh my god, cutest fucking nerd ever. Can I like get his number and not be fired?"
Don't cross a line with these females, certainly. But don't pretend that they are some mystical creature above us mortals when they are just as shallow as the nerd breathing heavily.
i have no sympathy for these girls. i bet there are a hundred others that wish they could get work looking pretty and standing around all day. i have to wonder if they realise how fucking ridiculous their jobs are compared to the kind of back breaking work many people who aren't "beautiful" have to do.
Good on you Samit.
Still, never touch a woman without permission. Ever.
Anyways... video games?
Dress like a whore- Treated like a whore.
I find it easy to treat everyone like they're people regardless of their job but that being said it's naive to expect such of the world.
Its like a chick bitching about dudes oggling her tits when she has a unessecarily(read: DIY after market) low V-cut shirt. Or agreeing to be a painter when your scared of heights. No sympathy, grow a brain... or an agent.
These booth babes already know who they'll encounter. None of them think "I'm gonna be a booth babe and nothing bad is gonna happen." They were asked if they had any horror stories, they weren't complaining.
...and no, I didn't see the video (it won't load rightly).
shes been in all kinds of geekery lately
the female barista/bartender isn't flirting with you either, and what about the cougars for god's sake! the cougars. don't tell me there aren't armies of them stalking their prey between the booths and surrounding back alleys. somebody make this ces video please.
I will say that uncomfortable airplane story is uncomfortable.