The Best of Systers Blog Dear CES, Objectification is Calling
Laurian Vega
“::Ring Ring:: Yes, CES? This is Objectification calling. How nice to talk to you again. Let me start by saying, good sir, that you have outdone yourself this year.”
That is roughly what I heard in my head after watching this video from the BBC showing booth babes at the Consumer Electronic Show (sometimes referred to as CES). In the short three minute video we get to see beautiful women from near and far playing with gadgets, giving away prizes, dancing, plying company wares, and then (my favorite) standing almost stark naked covered in body paint to serve as some kind of installation art piece [see below picture]. These women are otherwise known as booth babes.
Putting aside my first impulse to fly off the handle in regards to CES, it is important to point out that the use of booth babes has been a topic covered in other posts on the Systers’ blog; it is a long running sub-theme within the larger theme of misogyny in technology. Here and here the topics of booth babes have been presented from both the point of view as a female attendee at a technical conference and also as a booth babe.
In these articles we have defined booth babes as “women who strategically work in conference booths – usually wearing provocative clothing and having little or no technical knowledge. There are times that the booth babes aren’t even actual employees for the company they represent, but are instead hired models to promote the company or product.” In addition to that definition, it is important to also define the term “work”. “Work” when used in the context of CES means more than just sitting within a booth and explaining the product or service. Some of the booths at CES went beyond using women as people who can describe a project to actually using women as objects. To “work” at some of these booths is to be the product – or at least a representation of the product.
When women or people are used as objects, this is called objectification. And, for a little tutorial that explains the dangers of objectification much more succinctly than I can, check out this short video from Jean Kilbourn on how women are objectified in the media. In the video Jean Kilbourn explains how the use of women’s bodies are depicted in media ads and why this is dangerous: “We all grow up in a culture where women’s bodies are turned into things, into objects… It creates a climate where there is widespread violence against women.”
Objectification is a much larger issue within the media. With the images shown in Jean Kilbourn’s video, Killing Us Softly, the use of women as objects is demonstrated quite clearly outside of technology. This means that the finger isn’t directly pointed at CES, but more at the larger media arena. Indeed, the balance between CES being part of of the technology industry but also being a media event is a juggling act. This juggling is demonstrated with the quote in the BBC video from the woman from the media industry saying that to not use sex to sell at CES would almost be “negligent”. It might be argued that the use of women in an event like CES makes it have all of the media fanfare and turn out that it has.
The use of booth babes is important at CES. CES is perhaps the largest consumer technology conference. It is followed in almost every technical news website that I read and I couldn’t *not* hear about it last week. CES is run by CEA or the Consumer Electronics Association. From the CES website:
“CEA is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships.” [1]
And that is to say nothing of how large each of those individual 2,000 companies are. This event is a really big deal and the impact of CEA on each of those companies is expansive. The impact on the consumers, again, is expansive.
How does the use of women at technical conference make people feel? Well, it makes some of us in tech feel a bit icky. Now take it with a grain of salt that I am a liberal feminist, which means that my social network is also filled with flaming feminist (both male and female). But here is what a few people said (all quotes were obtained with permission):
“There’s another sad but unintended consequence I have seen — sometimes at shows with booth babes, some people will assume all attractive women are booth babes and then ignore them at booths, marginalizing the actual knowledgeable employees. I personally try to let companies know that I feel that their choice in entertainment was in poor choice, usually via email.” ~ Leslie
“I was at Cisco Live last year, and there were some booth babes. Definitely not as prevalent as at CES, nor as scantily-clad as CES, but still women in tight clothing who are only there to get you into the booth and have nothing to do with the company. I think it’s also important for us… who work for companies who have booths at conventions and conferences to remind our companies that we don’t want to be represented by booth babes. If our companies sponsor their own conferences, I think that we should raise the concern about booth babes. In this case, it’s not enough to just make sure that our showcase booths not have booth babes, we should also figure out how to keep vendors who have booths at our conferences from having booth babes.” ~ Nadyne Richmond
“I wonder if the male attendees focused on the sexy sideshow even notice the underlying technology. I suspect not.” ~Judith
“I am the marketing manager for an industrial computer company, so I attend one or two industry/tech events each year. As a twenty-something female, I am definitely in the minority. That doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is seeing the other twenty-something females walk around in stripper heels and mini skirts or less… sometimes much less… As a fairly modest person, I feel embarrassed for how inappropriately they are dressed for a business event… When men in suits come to talk to me, I inevitably get a few comments like, “Wow, you really know your stuff.” (In my head: “Of course I do; that’s why I’m working here.”) It seems odd to me that this is still common practice in 2013. I routinely ask my male colleagues their opinion, and generally it’s not that different from mine (and they never remember the name of the companies who have booth babes). So… why does it continue? I know some women (and men) make a living on their good looks, and I have no problem with that. However, unless you are selling “smart clothes,” I don’t think models add much value to tech conventions.” ~Anonymous
“I’ve got to say that I was pretty appalled. I expected to see booth babes on the lines of what I see at motorcycle shows occasionally (who have really toned it down), but this was a whole new level of exploitation of women’s bodies. I would leave such a show (and ironically, lose out on all the networking and career opportunities attending such a show could lead to). Whoever said that this would constitute a hostile work environment is exactly that. Not attending is hardly a viable option for most of us though. This needs to stop. Or we need to try some sort of guerilla tactics where every female attendant shows up with a hired model beautiful guy in skin tight clothing or speedos, and take pictures of the guys, so that the male organizers and attendees get a dose of what objectification feels like.” ~Anonymous
You may be asking yourself, why are a few of these quotes anonymous. Well that is because people are afraid of the negative backlash of voicing their concerns over the use of booth babes. Even in writing this blog post, regardless of how many people who read it, my husband who also works in technology said to me, “You should make sure to think about all of the technology companies who are at CES and think about the fact that you will never be able to apply for a job there if you write that article.” Indeed, he has a point. In writing this, in voicing any kind of protest, I am putting myself out there and can be labeled as a flaming feminist who possibly wouldn’t work well at a technology company. It is certainly something to think about. As a mother of two, who thinks regularly about my ability to provide for my family, the thought that by voicing an opposing opinion that I might be doing something to hurt my family’s future is upsetting.
It is sad because what I would hope is that by writing this post that companies would be more self reflective on the culture they are creating within their companies, the image they are creating for the larger technology field, and even more broadly, the impact that that both of those are creating for women in technology.
Women in technology are rare. Booth babes, to stop beating around the bush, are insulting to the minority of women who stick around in the field. To say that CES or *any* technology event is a media event, and therefore facilitates objectification of women, is a copout. Why, when technology is so widespread, so impactful, so important, so meaningful, and filled with people who were bullied and teased as kids, does it put up with the bandwagon of saying, “because this is in Las Vegas and a big deal” that it is ok to make half of the population objectified and much more feel disgusted? It doesn’t make sense to me. We can do better.
Can we not do something to make our voices heard? What is the 21st century equivalent of showing up at a place and burning bras? What can be done as protest? These are questions that are broader than my thoughts, and what I open up for discussion.
General Information. http://www.cesweb.org/FAQ/General.aspx#jumpto1-2. Accessed January 13th, 2012
January 14th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
“We all grow up in a culture where women’s bodies are turned into things, into objects… It creates a climate where there is widespread violence against women.”
That is false. Most violence against women happens in wars. Recent example Congo, past example victorious Soviet Red Army soldiers raping German women (Stalin’s army of rapists: The brutal war crime that Russia and Germany tried to ignore – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1080493/Stalins-army-rapists-The-brutal-war-crime-Russia-Germany-tried-ignore.html).
” The use of booth babes is important at CES.”
It is also important at car shows, boat shows, motorcycle shows, computer shows, software shows, cosmetics shows, jewelry shows, wedding dress shows, fashion shows and the list goes on. It is pointless to make a big deal out of it at one particular show. Tradeshow modeling is a legitimate business segment, example: http://www.models4tradeshows.com/ .
“I wonder if the male attendees focused on the sexy sideshow even notice the underlying technology. I suspect not.”
If they are interested in the product of the company, they will notice the underlying technology. If they just passing by the booth, they may enjoy the “treat” and perhaps note the name of the company or product.
” I don’t think models add much value to tech conventions.”
They do. They increase the attendance of the conventions. Models are standard marketing tools at high budget companies just like renting celebrity for the evening party. At one such a party the celebrity was O.J. Simpson whom I found to be a very nice guy, quite shocked later when I learned about the murder indictment.
” Whoever said that this would constitute a hostile work environment is exactly that.”
That is a matter of perception. Men face hostile work environment probably as often as women but not think much of it: “do your job & get the paycheck”. For example, I, a nonsmoker, had endure long meetings with 3 chain-smoking women who represented the client. That I call a hostile work environment. The best advice I can give to women: take it like men, concentrate on your paycheck.
” Booth babes, to stop beating around the bush, are insulting to the minority of women who stick around in the field.”
I understand that this is an issue for women, while for men just an interesting conversation topic over a beer. The concentration of the technology women should be focused on the nice career they have in technology. Think of it not as insulting rather just a nuisance. There are more insulting things in life then booth babes at conventions. Like not a having a job. Like growing up in USA, graduating at top of the class and starting career as an undocumented alien unable to get even a driver’s license.
January 15th, 2013 at 5:28 am
I wonder what would happen if employees of those companies started hanging photos/posters of their company’s booth babes in their offices, cubicles, and lunch rooms. I suspect they would get reprimanded for “unprofessional behavior”.
The immediate response to this idea is going to be, “but a trade show is a different environment than an office”. So my question is, “why?”. Why is it unprofessional to objectify women in the office but it’s okay at a trade show? The “sex sells” answer isn’t sufficient. Using scantily clad women to advertise products has been waning in TV and print ads for some time, and waitresses and stewardesses in short skirts has gone out of style for the most part. So why do trade shows continue to hold on to the belief that this is an acceptable thing?
January 15th, 2013 at 6:15 am
Thanks Kalman for your thoughts. They certainly are bulleted to voice your opinion on the matter.
I’ve been thinking on how to respond, because the depth of your response is indicative to me that you have dismissed the core of the discussion. And, because of this, my first inclination is to dismiss your comments because they are so shallow.
First, I wont respond to your first or last comment. Those are distraction techniques from the problem at hand.
The second, third, and fourth arguments are about the broader issues of using booth babes in conventions. And, if I were to summarize your comments they sound a bit like, “it is effective so you have to do it.” That is a bit like saying, “eugenics helps make a master race, so lets go for it. Who likes blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin so milky you need a straw?” Now my example is a hyperbole, but saying that things are effective does not justify the means. Saying that using beautiful people at conventions is going to sell more product does not mean that we should do it. Now, I’m not saying that companies should take a loss or marketers should give. What I am saying is that PERHAPS if they bothered to market their products towards the other 1/2 of the population (i.e., women), that they have a much larger market share to make up than the 10% of men who are interested in a product because a pretty woman is standing 1/2 naked in a booth.
Your fifth argument is just wrong. Please see all other posts on this blog for a broader explanation.
January 15th, 2013 at 7:49 am
I agree with Tom. The thought that because of the location or context that something that is reprehensible should go on is a fallacy.
January 15th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Hi Laurian,
“the 10% of men who are interested in a product because a pretty woman is standing 1/2 naked in a booth”
Let’s not exaggerate, only a tiny fraction of the booth babes were 1/2 naked at this show. CES is tradeshow in Vegas. Nothing is being sold here. The companies exhibiting must prove that they have the finances to market their products. Expensive booths, booth babes, celebrity evening parties and valuable giveaways are all to prove: the money is there to launch a credible marketing campaign, come do business with us.
“Your fifth argument is just wrong”
I don’t think so. Women working in predominantly male environment are exposed to significantly bigger workplace issues than booth babes at conventions. Example: Sex Crimes Continue to Plague the US Military ( http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13923-a-target-rich-environment-sex-crimes-continue-to-plague-the-us-military ).
“your first or last comment. Those are distraction techniques from the problem at hand.”
There is absolutely no proof, or even study, that booth babes increase violence against women. Nonetheless, it is plausible, that booth babes have a positive impact on the marital life of show attendants after returning home. The Soviet Red Army soldiers raped Hungarian women also not only German women, no exact statistics, around half a million. A started my life hearing about rape stories, yes, at age 4! What a childhood! My mother narrowly escaped rape after forced work of peeling potatoes for Red Army soldiers. She took a pocket knife hidden and was ready to use it. She escaped just with big punch to her back.
January 16th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
Laurian -
As a women in tech who has worked in a booth in many tech conferences, I cannot tell you the number of times I was ignored over a male colleague when I was equally familiar with the topic. At the same conferences, I’ve had men come up to me and comment on my looks (sometimes something simple and fine, like “nice smile”, but other times, … not so nice). I hate feeling like i have to totally primp before going out on the convention floor. Of course, I wouldn’t go out there looking like a total slob and represent my company, but would I worry about reapplying my lipstick so frequently? This has gotten much better at conferences I’ve attended in recent years – but I’ve never attended CES. Thank you for writing this!
Valerie