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Comment by route66 | Hacker News Reader

> I think nobody is to blame here

An industry who employs women as booth babes, apparently because staring at a booth babe sells tech better? Stinks.

While yes,I am completely against the usage of booth babes (they don't work anyways[1]) But... I kinda feel weird about just blaming the industry as if it was a human-trafficking mafia. Booth babes aren't slaves you know... they CHOSE to work in that role. So they have a share of the blame, no?

PS: Not saying all women are to blame! But you smart intellectual ladies gotta agree that they contribute to the problem (just as the people who employ them)

[1] techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/booth-babes-dont-convert/

I am probably not smart, maybe not intellectual but most definitely not a lady.

As for the industry: seemingly the industry thinks that showing ass and tits on a booth is worth it. That alone says enough. It is not about the ones who are earning their money there but the ones who think that their industry needs that. No discussion of "choice" needed.

So, all industries then.

Fracking would be so much more popular if they gave Stark Expo-like presentations with booth babes.

Oh okay. We'll blame the entire obviously monolithic industry then.

How about we blame the individuals within the industry that participate in and perpetuate the culture that thinks it's okay to use female sexuality to sell software products. It's patronising to men within the industry, it's off-putting to women within the industry and it makes the industry as a whole look extremely unprofessional from the outside.

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