by Karen Hertzberg on Jul 22, 2006
Posing for Pictures with Pretty Girls
During this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ten Ton Hammer's booth babe photos were a huge hit. Why? Pretty girls in revealing clothing--duh! But Mercurie takes time this week to ponder whether booth babes are harmless fun, or whether the phenomenon objectifies women and furthers the stereotype that all gamers are just hormonal teenage boys. How do you feel about booth babes? Read Mercurie's latest editorial, then share your thoughts on our forum.
It must be pointed out that while they are controversial, booth babes are nothing unusual. Indeed, the use of pretty girls to sell goods is nothing new. In the 30s and 40s pin up artist Gil Elvgren provided Coca-Cola advertisements with paintings of lovely ladies. Throughout the twentieth century a number of print ads and television commercials would include pretty Gil Elvgren pin-up artgirls (indeed, 60s and 70s airline ads were fairly notorious for portraying flight attendants--then called stewardesses--as sex objects).