In defense of Booth Babes: Thanks for the mammaries

CptStern

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tongue in cheek article in defense of the recent E3 crack down on Boothbabes

disclaimer for those who tend to be morally outraged by the mere suggestion of anything to do with that awful awful word: S-E-X:

Opinion: Booth Babe Outrage

John Geoghegan (right), former VP of Global Marketing and Sales for LucasArts, has written a humorous, tongue-in-cheek editorial on the recent hubbub surrounding the ESA's decision to crack down on E3 booth babes. Click here for hilarity...


By John Geoghegan

I was shocked, just shocked to read about the ESA's decision to enforce a $5,000 fine against companies that employ scantily clad women at E3.

First, Hurricane Katrina, then domestic spying, and now this!

As a game industry professional, I have to come down firmly in support of scantily clad booth babes promoting video games.

First of all, booth babes serve a necessary industry function. For the vast majority of guys in this business, they provide first contact with the female species (even if it's only for a promotional photo, and "no touching!"). For those who can get dates, they offer something to aspire to (unless you're married, then it's just depressing).

Secondly, as anyone who has ever played a video game knows, female video game characters tend to sport large breasts, or, as they're referred to in the industry by their technical designation: "major league yabos."

I for one have always been curious what type of woman could possibly have inspired animators to create a video game character that looks like she fell on a rack of hormone needles.

The answer is booth babes.

Look, we're not talking about prostitution here. We're talking about an under served and definitely underemployed market: the bimbo. At the very least the ESA should consider booth babes a hiring initiative like affirmative action or finding a QA job for your cousin who smokes too much dope and thinks Fallujah is a Gyro with extra cheese.

I also think it's a disservice to say these women play to crude stereotypes. Hey, they need the money. Why else would they walk around in sub zero air conditioning wearing a G string that finally proves nano-technology has a killer app. Half the time I don't even know where to look when I'm talking to them.

Finally, the only way I can think of balancing the claim that there's too much violence in video games is by upping the sex quotient. Booth babes can help us address this imbalance faster than you can say, "thong wedgie."

What does the ESA have against bathing suit bottoms, anyway? They say this kind of outerwear makes E3 seem like a strip club. Well, this just shows how out of step the ESA is with the times. Women in strip clubs haven't dressed like booth babes since the 1950s. Today, women at a strip clubs are COMPLETELY NAKED.

Now, nobody is advocating booth babes go naked. However, if they do, please contact me with their booth number at [email protected].

Hey, if chicks are offended, let them hire a couple of Aussie guys from the "Thunder Down Under" show in Vegas. They can have their own booth babe contingent. I'm all for equal opportunity especially when it comes to bad taste. That's why we have Paula Abdul AND Simon Cowell.

And if that doesn't suffice, well I'm sure a few of the booth babes would be happy to lend their costumes in the interest of sisterly solidarity and a Polartec pullover.

Yes, I live in California, and yes, I'm fed up with the politically correct environment we've created as part of our brave new world. But, hey, half the British cabinet have been caught wearing booth babe outfits AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.

But come on people. Has Judge Alito enjoined the ESA board's sense of humor? Has Hillary Clinton threatened a fashion investigation by the Independent Counsel?

You can't take this stuff seriously. What ever happened to "boys will be boys?"

The bottom line is this: guys are dogs. OK, we admit it. But allowing us to be our doggie selves at a carefully monitored, heavily patrolled trade show ("No touching!") is a productive way to channel our "doggieness." Why, it's practically guaranteed in The Bill of Rights.

Otherwise selling video games starring large breasted women while banning booth babes is the height of hypocrisy (or some other Greek philosopher).

After all, what made "Lara Croft" a success? Her sunglasses? No, it was having boobs like a pair of dashboard airbags.

And don't you have to be 18 to attend E3 anyway? What's the problem?

Can nobody keep this thing in perspective? I don't know if you're up on your current events or anything but the industry had a pretty slow quarter. A few booth babes might be just the thing we need to get product moving again.
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So, I say, hail to the booth babe! It's time to protect this endangered species (and for Maxim to put every ESA staffer on the comp list).

Now it's our turn to show booth babes our gratitude, honor their contribution to the video game industry, and declare, "Thanks for the mammaries. We couldn't have done it without you!"

After all, Detroit has been using booth babes for decades and look what it's done for the American auto industry.


http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=11697


thanks to the wonderful girls of E3 for their dedication to wear as little as possible so that geeks the world round can pleasure themselves while catching up on all their gaming news


Thanks for the mammaries :LOL:
 
sorry just bumping my post after an hour of no activity
 
:rolleyes: Well, up till about halfway, Thomson could've learned a thing or two about genuine satirical writing. Although I understand this was properly in jest, rather than misguided failures at intellectual superiority and - Sorry, where was I? Oh yes...

To be honest, I don't think the "Booth babes" are a good idea as such. They just reinforce the idea that games should be sold with boobs rather than genuine quality, which in turn perpetuates the image of gamers as grubby little sociopathic perverts. Which, personally I don't like.

But maybe that's just me being picky. I mean, as fun as it is picking up PC Gamer from the same shelf as "Horny Grandmas" or whatever...
 
el Chi said:
I mean, as fun as it is picking up PC Gamer from the same shelf as "Horny Grandmas" or whatever...

It is fun! Though it was just me..
 
I don't know, I thought it was a pretty well-written article.
 
el Chi said:
:rolleyes: Well, up till about halfway, Thomson could've learned a thing or two about genuine satirical writing. Although I understand this was properly in jest, rather than misguided failures at intellectual superiority and - Sorry, where was I? Oh yes...

To be honest, I don't think the "Booth babes" are a good idea as such. They just reinforce the idea that games should be sold with boobs rather than genuine quality, which in turn perpetuates the image of gamers as grubby little sociopathic perverts. Which, personally I don't like.

But maybe that's just me being picky. I mean, as fun as it is picking up PC Gamer from the same shelf as "Horny Grandmas" or whatever...
Agree't :)
 
It doesnt matter to me, for one Im not going to E3 anyway. Two, the last thing that our (by 'our' I mean the Western World) culture needs is more stereotyping the image of what the "perfect female" should look like. It just doesn't make sense to have them at E3, its unprofessional and its using sex to sell. They were never a good idea, IMO.
 
Oh my god, no more booth babes! Now all we have to look forward to are hastily cobbeled together alpha builds and concept footage that'll never make it into the final game.
 
Xune said:
Oh my god, no more booth babes! Now all we have to look forward to are hastily cobbeled together alpha builds and concept footage that'll never make it into the final game.

This man speaks the truth.
 
Booth babes are what these things are all about, ferchrissakes! It certainly isn't the half-finished games and CG renders posing as ingame graphics.

I'd like to see them try banning booth babes in Japan, where perversion and chauvinism is enshrined in culture. Whole legions of photographers descend upon car expos without ever taking a single photo of a car over there.
 
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