Terrifying anachronism if you ask me. Made worse by the fact that the demographic who attend these things probably don't socialise with many real live women, and the depictions of female characters in many games is horrifyingly sexist. Somewhere along the track that must harm real women.
I met some Monster Girls once working a MotoGP in France and some were very nice, one even rode a BMX and had a shot at the pump track - most never eat or spoke and just took large amounts of drugs.
It is not about the individual girls and to say that just beacause they are getting paid doesn't make it wrong is fatuous.
Why do you need to explain this to your wife? Are you suggesting that as a woman, she’s not capable of working out the concept for herself?
I would imagine a wife might ask why he's watching something that seems to objectify women so much and he thinks the answer, I like BMX is a bit lame
I would imagine a wife might ask why he’s watching something that seems to objectify women so much and he thinks the answer, I like BMX is a bit lame
If he thinks watching BMX is a bit lame, why is he watching it then?
yes, im sure the ad men were thinking “lets get some scantily clad girls in to attract the lesbians
Hah, comment of the week.
They know the target audience is 15 year old boys with ADHD.
Thud is 14 with ADHD.
He's still asleep but I very much doubt he'd be impressed by Pit Girls.
Thump - 16 - and his girlfriend will most certainly not be.
It's lazy marketing.
If you need a board held up, fair enough - but let a range of people do it, wearing suitable clothing.
What’s wrong with being sexy?
Nothing, I find. 🙂
The question really is 'what's wrong with not being 'sexy'?' in the mind of viewers like OP's lass.
It's not an issue for for the girls doing it, I'm sure they're well paid, body confident etc. Or for the sad dads drooling over them. But do we want TV coverage for supposedly inclusive sports to be aimed at middle aged blokes rather than the next generation of potential participants?
Thump – 16 – and his girlfriend will most certainly not be.
It’s lazy marketing.
My lad (19) wouldn't be impressed either. Things have moved on.
@martinhutch - "whats wrong with being sexy?" is a reference to the film Spinal Tap where one member of the band can't differentiate between sexist and sexy.
Oh, ha! Didn't pick that one up! <Turns sarcasm detector up to 11>
Turns sarcasm detector up to 11
Touche
It just makes the x games look a bit naff. Oh, hang on...
I mean it confirms them in their naffness, not that i've seen anything of them for a decade or so but this thread suggests I'm not missing out. I mean I'm sure there's some excitement and fun stuff amidst the naffness but cba tbh.
I worked in a pub with a girl who was also a pit girl occasionally.
She loved it as a day out and because day as a pit girl paid the same as a week or two in the pub.
She spent her time as a pit girl ogling the racing drivers who were stripped into half race overalls. The rest of the time she was working on her tan.
It perpetuates objectification. Flip the "they're being paid" argument around - how many women are missing out on jobs because the recruiter can't see them as anything more than an object of desire?
Just checking in to make sure middle aged, predominantly white middle class men are still the arbiters of morality.
It’s all just a bit retrograde isn’t it? While you can’t stop members of the opposite sex enjoying looking at the other half, I don’t think we should encourage the re-institutionalisation for the benefit of just one sex
we don’t seem to have made much progress despite #metoo
It seems anachronistic, though I've not checked to see what they are wearing. I noticed the Tour still had podium girls, but dressed smartly and not appearing to do the whole last century flirty/sexy thing.
I've known women who have worked as grid girls, models, "exotic dancers" and even harcore porn stars/escorts. All seemed happy and comfortable with their choice. I might think it's outdated, I might not want my daughter doing it, but I won't look down on women who work in those roles.
This place is great sometimes.
yes, im sure the ad men were thinking “lets get some scantily clad girls in to attract the lesbians
Must be alot of that in thailand
And for balance
I don't think i've read anyone criticising the girls themselves for taking on what might be a reasonably well paid gig. If they want to use their physicality to get paid, fair play to them. I think this is more about the messages that it sends to those who watch it - Boys do the main thing, girls stand to the side and look pretty.
Have the sports that have dropped Grid/Pit girls revenues dropped?
The Tour de France now has a podium man and podium woman handing out the flowers and yellow lion. They seem to be doing OK.
COVID has caused them to no longer do the cheek kissing but man or woman makes little difference to this in France.
It seems anachronistic, though I’ve not checked to see what they are wearing. I noticed the Tour still had podium girls, but dressed smartly and not appearing to do the whole last century flirty/sexy thing.
Is it relevant to the thread that you didn't mention the smartly-but-not-sexily dressed podium 'boys'? Did you notice them or were your eyes occupied by the podium girls?
Its easy to read this thread and believe its just not OK to fancy women any more, not fancy men or say I'm not turned on by transgender people in the slightest, even if any of them choose to use their beauty or sexuality to promote objects in return for making a living*
If saying that makes people a pariah then we've become a very sad society.
*accepting that people are not forced to do it unwillingly nor abused for doing so.
You’re in a sales role, right?
Why don’t you take a scantily clad pretty girl to client sales pitches?
I mean, I assume you don’t…
Because that would be deliberate exploitation to attempt to attract customers. I expect all my colleagues to dress professionally according to their role, and in my opinion a sales role in my profession isn't one that should trade on sexual attractiveness.
The XGames role however is to deliberately and openly exploit those women's attractiveness to gain an audience. As long as they know what they are doing and why they are there, as long as they voluntarily accepted a role to do that with "eyes open" because their attractiveness allows them to earn a living, and as long as an equal opportunity for a male or transgender or any other person to do the same existed, what's the issue?
Its not just pit girsl or the like though. It's still institutional everywhere.
I've seen a few articles about fuel prices on the BBC and they always seem to have a leading picture of a nice looking female in clothes that show a bit of flesh or something nice and tight.
This sort of thing. Just isn't needed really.
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I don’t mean one of your colleagues, I mean pay a model the going rate to wear a bikini with the company logo on and stand next to you as you give the pitch.
How is that different to pit girls?
a sales role in my profession isn’t one that should trade on sexual attractiveness.
But sports and fizzy drinks are?
do you genuinely think there [I]are[/I] such opportunities? If not, you've identified the issue, as defined by your own criteria.and as long as an equal opportunity for a male or transgender or any other person to do the same existed, what’s the issue?
Its easy to read this thread and believe its just not OK to fancy women any more, not fancy men or say I’m not turned on by transgender people in the slightest,
...you get that belief from my saying pit/podium girls make an event look a bit naff? Are you sure?
I’ve seen a few articles about fuel prices on the BBC and they always seem to have a leading picture of a nice looking female in clothes that show a bit of flesh or something nice and tight.
This sort of thing. Just isn’t needed really.
I have some insight on this, as an online news editor of many years' service.
Yes, it is kind-of a thing. There will be no editorial policy for or against it, but it'll come down to individual editors' choices and what is available on the picture library they use. Some editors will favour that kind of pic.
You can spend a surprising amount of time scrolling through stock pics looking for a normal, real-looking person doing the activity you are depicting. And they still often look a bit like a model (because they are).
Also, the editor will probably try to match the picture to the current season, and it is summer at the mo.
Hope that's been of interest. Personally, I think they should have to use that pic of Rishi Sunak filling up someone else's Kia on every fuel price pic.
you’ve identified the issue, as defined by your own criteria.
Has anyone proven that an XGames "pit person" opportunity is open to "attractive young females only" as yet?
If it is then yes I agree, its unfair. Do we need sexual attractiveness to gain more audience members for sports or products, not in my opinion. But unless its proven unfair or people are coming to harm over it, again - what's the problem?
I don’t mean one of your colleagues, I mean pay a model the going rate to wear a bikini with the company logo on and stand next to you as you give the pitch.
How is that different to pit girls?
My mate is a sales rep for Red Bull. This is pretty much exactly what they do at any event he hosts.
I doubt it would be as appropriate a strategy when selling IT hardware or the like..
To Kryton - why do you not think what's going on in paragraph 2 of your last reply is applicable to paragraph 1?
Personally, I think they should have to use that pic of Rishi Sunak filling up someone else’s Kia on every fuel price pic.
Thankfully he isn't pictured wearing branded budgie smugglers. Although you must admit that he's got the vacuous grin nailed
I doubt it would be as appropriate a strategy when selling IT hardware or the like..
😂
WBO - I didn't say it wasn't, I'm asking for someone to explain what's wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited. No one seems capable of answering that as yet.
Yes, it is kind-of a thing. There will be no editorial policy for or against it, but it’ll come down to individual editors’ choices and what is available on the picture library they use. Some editors will favour that kind of pic.
You can spend a surprising amount of time scrolling through stock pics looking for a normal, real-looking person doing the activity you are depicting. And they still often look a bit like a model (because they are).
Also, the editor will probably try to match the picture to the current season, and it is summer at the mo.
I don't mean to be flippant, but thats all pretty obvious really. The fact is that the pics being used don't need to be used. Someone is making a choice to use a pic of a nice looking woman when a picture of a petrol pump or something will do the job perfectly fine.
WBO – I didn’t say it wasn’t, I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited. No one seems capable of answering that as yet.
Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you're a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.
I'm trying to be offended but can't find any pictures. 🙁
Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign
There's a differentiation between holding a sign an participants. There are plenty of extremes sports participants of all genders in the world.
With regard to pit sign holders, they can and should be a job for anyone. Again, XGames has used scantily clad young ladies which most on here don't agree with, but haven't proved they aren't the only willing applicants and therefore thats the result, or they're being exploited for the role.
PrinceJohn
Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.
okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?
I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited
It promotes sexism
okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?
Not the greatest argument, it's wasn't that long ago that women competitors where having to threaten a boycot of the x-games.
So yea, it does come across as exactly the problem people are complaining about, that there was money to pay women to stand arround in bikinis, but not enough that the 1st place women was paid less than the last place man (pre-boycot).
okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?
Yes I am aware - however, is the prize money equal, are there equal numbers of competitors in both mens & womens events?
thisisnotaspoon
Not the greatest argument, it’s wasn’t that long ago that women competitors where having to threaten a boycot of the x-games.
So yea, it does come across as exactly the problem people are complaining about, that there was money to pay women to stand arround in bikinis, but not enough that the 1st place women was paid less than the last place man (pre-boycot).
Lol nice try drawing me in but i'm not making an argument, merely pointing out that PrinceJohn's post, and i quote...
PrinceJohn
Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.
...is a loada shit
I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited
It promotes sexism
Did you read the question?
Look at it this way - if it just so happens that only good looking girls applied for these roles, should we then deny them all the job until an appropriate mix of gender/race etc is met on the basis that it might look sexist? Is that then unfair to them?
Genuine question.
Again, XGames has used scantily clad young ladies which most on here don’t agree with, but haven’t proved they aren’t the only willing applicants and therefore thats the result, or they’re being exploited for the role.
It's not about 'exploitation' of the models themselves, I'm have no reason to think they aren't well paid or that they don't enjoy their job. Rather it's about the image it sends to impressionable young people. The boys are here to sport, the girls are here to look pretty for the gratification of the boys when they're not sporting. That's not a great message to be sending to teenagers of either gender.
Correct me if I'm wrong but you seem to be arguing that the only reason there aren't pit boys is because no-one here can prove that the organisers aren't offering jobs to them, rather there simply isn't any blokes who want to do it. And I find it hard to believe that anyone could genuinely be that naive.
if it just so happens that only good looking girls applied for these roles
That they apply for the role is a big assumption, I'd imagine its more; organiser contacts model agency asking for 20 hotties > agency goes through their list to see who's available > skimpy clothes applied
