So, I'm still digesting this, but I'm gonna rant a bit about this. One of the nice things about geek culture, about being a nerd, or both... is that it's always been fairly inclusionary. Except now... if you happen to be attractive?
http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/24/booth-babes-need-not-apply/
I'd like to talk to the people that read my blog about this...and get your thoughts.
I don't look like a troll usually (Except sometimes when I first get up I have troll hair these days) but according to that article, based on this, because of that and because of the fact that I have boobs, I have no geek cred? Really? Now I understand my "street cred" might be up for debate... but...
my time playing video games, or reading sci-fi and/or fantasy, or building rockets or playing with science or devouring books...my knowledge of spreadsheets and love of math and numbers... renders me... a poser?
I think not and I'm kinda offended.
Isn't that a bit judgemental? To me this is like an employer not hiring me, despite my qualifications
because since I have a uterus (or used to anyway) I must not have a brain. I have a brain, a good one and I use it frequently.
Cosplay as a whole I think attracts people who like attention. Also, attention to detail and the fun that goes along with it. Think Halloween.... whenever you want. That's kinda cool. The implication that a woman must be desperate for attention and thriving on it because they are preying on men, well... see, that's an odd assumption. Are the guys feeling preyed on for one?
As far as booth babes and those hired to work CONs and trade shows... well that's a different story and ... let's be honest. SEX SELLS. Models get used for a reason....the same reason that shot girls get used in bars, and a beer company makes commercials of girls in bikinis and car companies hire girls to walk around and talk to shoppers. Do you ask the beer promo girl if she drinks that kind of beer, or even if she does drink beer? Doubt it....but I bet you drank the beer she handed you. It's called marketing, it's called promoting.
But I digressed and wandered from my original topic.
All of us nerd/geek girls come in all kinds of shapes and sizes... just like everyone else.
Basically, to me the entire premise of the article is that it's ok to judge a book by it's cover and find it lacking if the cover is pretty.
Wow.
Discrimination is discrimination...and it's wrong.
Now, excuse me while I take out my contacts and put my glasses back on... I wouldn't want to be called a fake.
It must be Rant Day here at blogpost. :-D
ReplyDeleteIt is. It pissed me off. WTF.
DeleteI just read that article you linked to, and three words came to me: Never. Been. Laid.
ReplyDeleteThis is the real problem. Can you hear the bitterness in his tone as he wails about the pretty girls?
Also - according to the article intro, he dresses up as a woman at events. Which is totally not just doing things for attention, right? What a douchebag.
I don't know, you two seem to agree on quite a few things here. I think he is speaking distinctively about women who are only in it for the attention. Of course one could argue that we all like attention once in awhile. He does say that women in general being interested in geekdom tend to elevate the industry to higher standards or something like that -- sounds complimentary. So he is sending a few mixed messages here. When really he should probably keep his simplified generalizations to himself, let the women talk about the "5 of 9"ers. :)
ReplyDelete