Booth Babes?

Lesley said something that I wanted to respond to: that girls are referred to sometimes as "a bit of fluff". I've done that in a particular instance that truly annoyed me. I submit "a pointless bit of fluff" on one of our favorite car shows: I cringe every time she is on screen. Pretty? Yes. Brings anything useful to the show? Hells no. I feel bad for her because she actually detracts from the program but she's the one who signed up for it. Knows nothing, does nothing and generally just gets in the way.

On the other hand, they once had a young lady I'd be proud to install an engine with and let her get away:

Welds, gets greasy, knows what the hell she is talking about and doesn't look like a vegetarian who prepares all her meals in a blender. Jessi is WAY sexier than any of the other "pieces of fluff" that have wasted screen time on Overhaulin'.

Sexy is more than just appearance as Lesley tried to point out. Sure, pretty will get you noticed but skills and talents will keep you interested.

Leslie, I love you I think you are being at best inconsistant.

You have made many posts "objectifying" Mike Rowe, obviously staged models in fireman suits and other male images, including in the GGA thread, yet you started this thread disagreeing with females being used at car events for the exact same purpose.

Having your beefcake and denying our cheesecake seems unfair and very unbalanced.

I love to see a pretty girl but am not impressed if that perdon cannot discuss the product with inteligence.

At the 24 Mazda reps were discussing the new diesel Mazda engines, our rep was a very pretty young lady who was a Mazda sales person and absolutely knew her product, she was impressive, now do we have to chastise Mazda because she was too attractive? (Yes this is silly, but where is the line drawn)

Booth babes love me. They always laugh at my jokes.

SVreX wrote: BTW, media portrayal of men as clowns, side-show acts, or buffoons is also a harmful image to plant in the psyche of our young people (both boys AND girls). I can't think of a single media image of a man that I would want to be like, or want my kids to be like. It's either perfect abs, completely absent, or a guy who can't keep his beer (or his beer belly) out of the Doritos. Occasionally there is a guy who dominates people with his brain power, and is a social misfit. Bottom line, don't look to the media for your role models.

Paul, you nailed it.

In reply to ddavidv:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about Overhaulin'.

Be careful Lesley, this is a trap!!

I suspect that this "colleague" of yours only wrote the piece as part of an elaborate scheme to get you naked.

...^said the fireman...

Bwahahaha

Wally wrote: I don't think it's as awful a thing as he makes it out to be. It's not like they are having sex with people to get them to buy a Camry.

I disagree. I have slept with literally hundreds of booth babes on the promise that I will buy their product.

I didn't write the piece.

In no way do I object to admiration of sexuality – as I said in my first post. Do I like Mike Rowe and firemen? Hells yeah! Do I want to see models posing with a firetruck? Berk no. Real, dirty, charismatic firemen = hot. Vapid, shirtless models, nope. And it's not just sour grapes. I don't want to see guys in speedos draped on the cars either.

I think I'm going to talk to some of the girls at the Detroit auto show and get their side of the story. Might make an interesting read.

I doubt it

In reply to Lesley:

That would actually be a interesting read.

Yeah, I've often thought about doing such a piece. Would be even more timely now.

In reply to Lesley:

I'd like to see you do it. At least then I could have faith in the source. I'm betting it's a split. Some of them will feel objectified, but need the money; some will think it's a blast and the money is of less important.

Then again, I'm a guy, so I'm already wrong.

Lesley wrote: I think I'm going to talk to some of the girls at the Detroit auto show and get their side of the story. Might make an interesting read.

I remember a blog I found in 2010/2011 that was written by a car show model:
"An anonymous auto show model dishes about what really goes on behind the scenes, our interactions with visitors and what you need to know about how to behave in public. Hint: Don't touch me."

http://doyoucomewiththecar.blogspot.com/

Her earliest posts are pretty eye-opening and most in line with this discussion.

I asked my wife how she managed to buy a new car her senior year in high school.

She said she was a waitress, and flirted with the guys. Big tips. She also said she saw it as using the resources available to her, not objectification. She never went further than basic flirting, and didn't wear provocative clothing.

My wife is as conservative as they come.

In reply to Lesley:

I think that would be an interesting read. This issue is always presented as something wrong that men are doing towards women (keeping them down). I suspect the women in the industry might give a different perspective.

I only know 2 women who have done it, part time. They said they could make more money than prostitution, and keep their pants on. They felt it was good work, and they were appreciative of it.

But I would value your perspective.

In reply to Lesley:

Agree that it would be an interesting read.

On a semi-related note. I saw a news program over the weekend, I think it was Lisa Ling doing a piece on strippers/exotic dancers. It was kinda interesting to hear different points of view from the women working and why they were doing it. I dated an exotic dancer years (and years) ago and her unwillingness to give it up was the reason for our split. Although she did make more than I did at the time.

Lesley wrote: I didn't write the piece. In no way do I object to admiration of sexuality – as I said in my first post. Do I like Mike Rowe and firemen? Hells yeah! Do I want to see models posing with a firetruck? Berk no. Real, dirty, charismatic firemen = hot. Vapid, shirtless models, nope. And it's not just sour grapes. I don't want to see guys in speedos draped on the cars either. I think I'm going to talk to some of the girls at the Detroit auto show and get their side of the story. Might make an interesting read.

When I see models teetering high heels, wearing a dress that they obviously have to work at to keep their personal parts personal, I think, "Well, that's interesting, but useless." Now, show me a woman dressed as you are in your avatar, wearing flat shoes and a baseball cap, talking about stuff she understands, and I get, well, interested.

I've always been a function over form kinda guy.

In reply to Lesley:

These might be interesting reads as well:

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/orza5/as_requested_iama_booth_babepromo_model/

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fkvc/hi_reddit_im_a_former_promotional_model_booth/c0clcym?context=3

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/wcmom/iama_promotional_model_ama/

OK, I am both a heterosexual male who appreciates the aesthetic of the female form and the father of two daughters who cringes at how women are portrayed in….well everything and everywhere in society. Yes, that makes me a hypocrite just like everyone else on the planet to a greater or lesser extent.

I don’t go to SEMA, custom car shows, drift events etc. But I do go to NAIAS every year, Indy car events, F1 races, classic and marque shows/club/events.

Maybe I have too sheltered a life, but these days I don’t see the massive objectification and exploitation of women at the Detroit show that apparently happens in some places. Especial compared to Indy and F1 where ‘pit babes’ are flaunted and pushed in your face everywhere. The exception to this tends to be Lamborghini and other high end exotic makers. But when you move away from the exotics to the mass market manufacturers (particularly Ford and GM), while you do tend to see far more women than men, many stands have men on them as well. Most stands that have a concept car, new or major refreshed products have some kind of raised rotating platform where every 30 mins or so a presenter (model) will stand up and give a rundown of the features and highlights. These can be men as well as women, and when women the hem length of their skirts seem to be at the knee not the crotch. Think slim perfectly tailored business suit rather than 8 mile try out. Ditto at the information booths where you get brochures etc. Men and Women, all just as knowledgeable as each other on the products, options, specs etc. Maybe the LA show is very different from the Detroit show being in the middle of the Hollywood hype and Beverly Hills life style.

Personally I think the mass media, films, TV and adverts are a far bigger offender than the modern auto show circuit (Lambo excepted). Percentage wise there was far far more average or unattractive men on screen than women. The ‘average’ women on screen (according to my wife) all had boob jobs, this nipped, that tucked etc. Like it or not TV, film and print media leads what we society deems acceptable for fashion, dress code, decency etc. As I say, I don’t see the mass misogyny that without used to be the auto industry and auto show circuit, but until mass media comes a little more into line and stops telling our 13 year old daughters they should look and dress like centerfolds to go to school or the shops, then I’d say there is no chance of car promotion reining itself in any further.

I’ve mentioned Lamborghini several times as they are the one manufacturer that I seem to recall always has very very attractive women by the cars all the time, not talking or giving information, just walking around as an ornament trying not to look board. But even the Lambo models are reasonably tasteful dressed. Compare that to any underwear add on the side of a building, in a magazine etc. where you literally have teenage ‘girls’ with fake boobs and bulimic bodies advertising almost nonexistent lingerie who are then air brushed to look ‘perfect’ when blown up to 30 feet tall for a billboard. Really, which is doing more harm to women or giving a more misogynistic view to an adolescent boy? But but but the lingerie advert is target for women and the car show at men. Bull E36 M3. The lingerie advert is target at society so men pressure their wives and girlfriends to dress like that and women feel pressured to dress like that to conform to ‘the norm’ Two, three, four wrongs don’t make a right. But I see media and advertising as massive ‘wrongs’ and (at least the ones I’ve been to over the last couple of years) auto shows as being minor transgressors who continue to move closer to doing it right. In fact I would say the average Detroit auto show I’ve been to is downright prudish compared to your aver daily paper, TV news crew, general interest magazine let alone sit com, reality show, drama, block buster movie etc.

I don't go to many events where this phenomenon exists, but it doesn't do much for me. Models usually aren't particularly invested in the event or the products, so not much the gleam there. I am also happily married and uninterested in other women beyond a covert glance (lol).

nderwater wrote:

Lesley wrote: I think I'm going to talk to some of the girls at the Detroit auto show and get their side of the story. Might make an interesting read.

I remember a blog I found in 2010/2011 that was written by a car show model: *"An anonymous auto show model dishes about what really goes on behind the scenes, our interactions with visitors and what you need to know about how to behave in public. Hint: Don't touch me."* http://doyoucomewiththecar.blogspot.com/ Her earliest posts are pretty eye-opening and most in line with this discussion.

Thanks for the link, just spent my lunch reading some of her blog posts. Very interesting and informative woman who disproves the 'the don't know anything about the cars' myth. I was really liking her until she dissed Detroit.

Note. In one post she comments on how some of her male colleges are also harassed and hit on by the women visitors not just the female models.

note after my two posts in this thread I really hope I'm not coming off as a sexist ass. I'm really not, it's just I don't see Auto Shows as being anywhere near as bad as Society and the media at large.

Yes - good point! I've kind of been neutral when it comes to the models at car shows - and I usually make a point of saying hello to them, and thanking them after asking them to move out of my shot. But it's an interesting, many-layered topic to debate.

Lesley wrote: Real, dirty, charismatic firemen = hot. Vapid, shirtless models, nope.

So, IDK what kind of firemen you have there, but most firemen I've ever seen are balding middle aged men with beer guts......

Joe Gearin wrote: Honestly I could do without the booth babes at SEMA. They are a distraction, and the hordes of men lining up to have the babe sign a poster clutters the isles and makes it harder for those who are .....you know....working. (Right buddy...you'll say something clever and she'll go home with you) I also think it devalues a company to have bimbos wearing next to nothing in their booths. It's almost like they are saying...."our products don't have enough merit to gather your attention...so look.....BOOBS!" One exception is the Pirelli booth. Sure they have attractive women (actually EXTREMELY attractive) working their booths, but they train them. Those girls know the product, and which executives are at the show. They are always helpful, friendly, and intelligent. They really set the bar for how booth girls should be presented. They are professionals, not just a set of empty eyes with no useful information.

We had been talking about the same thing here for the PRI show. Our thinking is that having somebody in our booth who isn't able to field questions about the product is going to be a waste of time. It can take a long time to train a representative who isn't familiar with our products or the industry already, and trying to bring in anyone where we only have a week to bring the rep up to speed? It would be a complete waste of time and money. Not to mention Joe's line about it sending a message that the product itself isn't attention grabbing. We've generally been trying to think of over the top showmanship that says something more about the product - like the time we had the MS3-Pro make its debut in the middle of an aquarium.

So you'll need to settle for a group of scruffy, sometimes tattooed, often bearded men at the DIYAutoTune.com booth. It may not be as effective at drawing passers-by in, but at least the people there will know what to say once somebody's drawn in. Although we do have some other over the top things planned to get your attention...