A Day In the Life of a "Booth Babe" 687
jfruh writes "Booth babes," promotional models paid to showcase products, are ubiquitous figures at tech trade shows. Ever wonder what they think of their jobs? Well, it may not surprise you to learn that standing up for eight hours in heels isn't much fun. Some enjoy the work, while others don't enjoy being the subject of stares. And one model adds that 'The industry is now moving towards making models show more skin.'"
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:3, Interesting)
You are missing the point. This is not about the booth babes.
I read the title. Then I read the summary. Then I even read the article. Then I concluded that you have done none of these things.
I don't care about the booth babes.
Yes, we know. You just want to make yourself feel smarter.
It is about how companies view women.
No, it is about how everyone views women who sell (or rent) their bodies as objects.
Would you take your 15 year old daughter who happens to be interested in computers and science to one of these conventions?
I wouldn't have children.
If you say no, is it because she would be exposed to an industry that shamelessly objectifies women?
On that basis you shouldn't let her do basically anything.
Could you imagine your daughter wanting to work in one of these companies?
If I had a daughter working as a booth babe then I would be a big fuckup as a parent. If she went to work for a company that hired booth babes not as a booth babe, that would be OK. I'd rather this hypothetical daughter work for a video game company that fills their booth with sluts — even EA — than Chevron, or Monsanto, or McDonald's (even as an execurive.)
Re:sexism (Score:5, Interesting)
As it is here in Sweden. The last woman I saw in a booth at a computer convention was there because she's the CEO of a gaming company.
But it still happens, and is common everywhere except a few countries in Europe. Not cool.
It's just karma coming back (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:2, Interesting)
Have you ever taken a crap job because you needed the cash (especially when you were younger)? You might not have, but many others have, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of the attendees at these trade shows have, too.
Well if you read the article they are getting paid north of $50 and hour. Even if they need the money its hardly the case they are being abused. People should have the right to strike whatever contract they want with some very limited protections.
The reason this money is so good is because they have to be prepared to give the customer what they want. What the customer wants is for their customers to enjoy the fantasy these girls are attracted to them and at the same time be able to place themselves above them; in the hopes it will put them in a buying mood. I am not a woman but this job does not sound like much fun to me, but then that is why you can make $50+ an hour at it!
These 'models' know what they are getting into going in; its hard to be especially sympathetic. Personally I think they should be happy that they were blessed with features that make this 'option' available to them when the 'need the money', plenty of other women and men alike don't have that.
Re:I don't do business with lowlife scum (Score:4, Interesting)
In the case of booth babes, I doubt all these women have the luxery of picking and choosing which events they attend. I'm sure there is fierce competition for the positions and that if you want the good modelling jobs you also have to do some of shit ones too. Everyone here seems to be treating it with a "put up and shut up" attitude without thinking beyond their own limited perception. Just because a women, or a man for that matter, is a model doesn't mean they are talentless, doesn't mean they're bimbo's, doesn't mean they're stupid and most importantly, doesn't mean they are without emotions. There is also a difference between being looked at and being leered at.
Re:There was a talk show with models (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:5, Interesting)
Aren't medical companies notorious for hiring hot ladies as product reps? The idea being middle-aged male doctors are easy to manipulate if the manipulator is young & pretty...
The sexism argument with computers doesn't make sense to me at all. There's a ton more sexism in other industries (try modelling in general, or Hollywood or around the boardrooms of big companies or merchant banking or even working in a bar when the drunks come in). The difference I guess is that nerds are seen as the bottom of the social pile by a lot of people and this perception of the geeks being tragic sleazes has immersed itself in our culture. I'm sure some nerds are sexist pigs, just as I'm sure some bankers are coke-snorting hooker-abusing vermin. However we tend to make TV & movies showing the bankers as kind of bad-boy cool and glamorous. Whereas the geek crowd get the world's best hacker played by Kevin Smith living in his mom's basement...
a different perspective (Score:5, Interesting)
I live in Brazil, where booth babes are a fixture at any trade show. My daughter has been one of them. She's in college, speaks three languages and looks fantastic in a short, tight dress. She gets paid several hundred dollars a night to engage prospective customers outside the booth and qualify them as to whether to bring them into the booths for the salespeople to work them over. Speaking three languages, she's in demand for this job - she's tired at the end of a show, but it's good money and she meets interesting people. She's not a prostitute - she knows that she's being ogled, but she's worked hard on her looks and is proud of them. She gets propositioned occasionally, but she's a big girl and can handle herself. Next year, she'll graduate with a degree in Chemistry from University Federal do Rio de Janeiro, one of the best universities in Brazil, and will go into pharmaceutical research. She's not being degraded - she goes into her job with her eyes open and feels like this is a heck of a lot better than other jobs that she could get.
Jesus, I'm glad I don't live where people debate this shit endlessly.
An interesting approach (Score:3, Interesting)
I remember reading this article [standalone-sysadmin.com] by a guy who wants to discourage the use of booth babes. Here's one of the suggestions that appealed to me:
The Tactics: Actually, this part is pretty simple. When the first person at a booth approaches you, treat him or her exactly the same way you would a sales or implementation engineer. Ask questions regarding the technology. Ask about planned life cycles of the software, on use counts, and other things. Treat them exactly as you would an equal.
If this person is a booth babe (or a clueless marketing droid), they will inevitably hand you off to the lead technical (or sales) person at the booth. Here comes the important part: Demand to know why they wasted your time with manning the booth with clueless people. Don't discuss sales or tech with this person (which is what they will desperately want to do at this point). Ask why their company wastes everyone's time and their investors' money using people who provide no value. Tell them that you will not be doing business with them, regardless of their technology, because you believe that any company that needs to hide behind tricks, gimmicks, and sex appeal, can not offer you any value. Point out that a great number of their competitors don't need to use flimflam to sell their wares. Then walk away.
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:4, Interesting)
I have sympathy on these women. I work a major tradeshow every year and have seen just how bad these women have it. This last year, there was a "Booth babe" across the way from me. Around 3pm every day, booths would give out free alcohol. Around 3:15 she would have 10-15 men all trying to pick up on her at the same time. Literally. On the last full day of the show, the company she was working with threw a big party. I went to it and she was there. She was stuck at the entrance (near an ice sculpture people were taking shots out of) the entire time. She had even more drunk men hitting on her. By 10pm, she looked sad and forlorn, but no one seemed to notice. I went up and talked to her. I told her how I had seen her there all week, being slobbered on by disgusting men, and that I was sorry that she was treated so poorly. After apologizing, she got a huge smile on her face. It literally turned her entire night around. At that point (to show that I was genuine, and not just making a pass at her), I told her to have a goodnight and that I'd see her the next day at the show. The rest of the night she was all smiles.
These women may be pretty, but she was quite smart and didn't like being recognized only for her looks. She was doing this to earn extra money for school, and she had a real job in addition to this side gig. I imagine she is absolutely terrified to work around engineers now, because she is afraid that she will encounter the same treatment in the real world.
Re:Hard to feel bad for them (Score:4, Interesting)
Computer and High-Tech fields lack women because the culture is viewed as being misogynistic.
And if you are a woman, you SHOULD go into these fields, because all these tech companies WANT to hire women, if for nothing else to prove they do not discriminate.
My wife quit teaching 7 years ago, spent a year to take a few network classes at a junior college and immediately got a job that paid 40% more than teaching. In the 5 years since then she has tripled what she made as a teacher and is constantly bombarded by recruiters trying to hire her. She is very attractive (especially for a 50 year-old woman), but she also swears like a sailor and has no problem throwing sexist insults straight back at her co-workers and being "one of the guys." And she usually is the only female technical person wherever she works.
So as long as women don't have the "poor, delicate little me" hangup they can easily gain respect, money and power in the tech industry. My wife tries to teach young women this lesson, but none seem to listen.