Photo: Conman17/DeviantArt
The downside of a too good social idea is that it can have unwanted effects. Started in October 2017 as a means to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, the #metoo movement is beginning to show strange side effects.
Usually, a doctor would tell you that it is better to prevent than to fight an illness. Taking on the same logic, the automotive industry reacted to the #metoo onslaught in very peculiar ways, and justified recent decision with mind-boggling logic.
Generally, #metoo refers to men behaving inappropriately towards women colleagues or subordinates while at work. The proven cases have led to men loosing their jobs, their money and, in some cases, their freedom. The companies for which these men used to work had it hard as well.
In the automotive and related industries, there have been two high-profile such cases: Shervin Pishevar, an angel investor who set the basis for Hyperloop, and Ford’s North America president, Raj Nair. Neither have been formally charged with anything, but both left their jobs as a result of inappropriate conduct allegations.
The 2018 Geneva Motor Show, taking place right now in the city’s Palexpo, was the perfect opportunity for some automakers to draw public consent by inexplicitly joining the #metoo movement. Although nobody asked them to, some decided its time to ditch the use of so called booth girls at the event.
Historically, cars and girls have gone hand in hand for as long as auto shows have existed. Officially called promotional models, the girls have stood by the most recent vehicles for ages. Such much so, that they even got their own names. The largely used term “booth babes” was introduced in 1986, followed by “booth bunny” in 1989.
With very few exceptions, the two aforementioned terms were the only reasons that have at times been blamed for making models feel offended or degraded. That and idiot show-goers trying to touch or take photos of private body parts.
As far as we know, there hasn’t been a single inappropriate behavior incident that involved an automaker, casting shadow on years of auto shows.
Regardless, companies the likes of SsangYong, Nissan, Lexus, Fiat, Peugeot, and Renault have decided that it is time to change tactic and not use booth girls anymore. A decision towards which I wouldn’t have had any opinion, hadn’t it been for weird reasoning used to justify the measure.
I for one could have accepted without reserve a statement going something like “due to the #metoo movement and out of respect for women, we decided to...” Clean, concise, refreshing.
But no. All of the spoke-persons working for the above mentioned carmakers decided to make fools of themselves and throw years of auto show habits down the toilet.
Reason 1 Spokeswoman for Nissan - “it makes more sense to use product specialists because we’re selling cars.”
Judging by what the woman said, the company conducting business in the auto sector ever since the late 1920s just realized that. On account of a very serious error, it took Nissan decades to realize it is selling cars, not girls.
Using trained professionals to present cars at auto shows is the right idea. But their presence there does not exclude the possible use of booth girls to attract more visitors to this or that stand. Most of those girls, professional models, saw the Geneva Motor Show as just another gig, a limited-time one that paid well. Taking that from them by using such idiotic reasoning is beyond me.
Reason 2 Pierre-Oliver Salmon, PSA spokesmant: "PSA Group won’t convey a degrading image of anyone, neither of women or men.”
A very politically correct statement, but one by which the French group pretty much admits to have used such images in the past. Because, what do you know, up until last year Peugeot’s, Citroen’s and Opel’s booths were teaming with models.
In general, professional models like those used by carmakers know what they are getting themselves into. Inevitably, there will be the average hillbilly trying to touch this or that, or spitting insults. But, as professionals, models are trained to deal with that. And, as professionals, they usually they not feel degraded by the career they chose in the first place.
Reason 3 Toyota’s HR policy - we do not use models, we use hosts and hostesses.
Potato, potata.
The overall feel of the decisions announced for this year’s event is that the carmaker’s do not try to protect the models’ feelings, but rather themselves from being dragged in a hypothetical sexual scandal. For all intents and purposes, carmakers doing this show signs of fearing something, just like a dormant sexual predator would fear.
Using the “we do this for the girls” excuse does not save face, nor does it do anything for the industry as a whole. It only mimics similar decisions announced by various organizations over the past few months, including Formula 1’s ban of grid girls use.
Generally, #metoo refers to men behaving inappropriately towards women colleagues or subordinates while at work. The proven cases have led to men loosing their jobs, their money and, in some cases, their freedom. The companies for which these men used to work had it hard as well.
In the automotive and related industries, there have been two high-profile such cases: Shervin Pishevar, an angel investor who set the basis for Hyperloop, and Ford’s North America president, Raj Nair. Neither have been formally charged with anything, but both left their jobs as a result of inappropriate conduct allegations.
The 2018 Geneva Motor Show, taking place right now in the city’s Palexpo, was the perfect opportunity for some automakers to draw public consent by inexplicitly joining the #metoo movement. Although nobody asked them to, some decided its time to ditch the use of so called booth girls at the event.
Historically, cars and girls have gone hand in hand for as long as auto shows have existed. Officially called promotional models, the girls have stood by the most recent vehicles for ages. Such much so, that they even got their own names. The largely used term “booth babes” was introduced in 1986, followed by “booth bunny” in 1989.
With very few exceptions, the two aforementioned terms were the only reasons that have at times been blamed for making models feel offended or degraded. That and idiot show-goers trying to touch or take photos of private body parts.
As far as we know, there hasn’t been a single inappropriate behavior incident that involved an automaker, casting shadow on years of auto shows.
Regardless, companies the likes of SsangYong, Nissan, Lexus, Fiat, Peugeot, and Renault have decided that it is time to change tactic and not use booth girls anymore. A decision towards which I wouldn’t have had any opinion, hadn’t it been for weird reasoning used to justify the measure.
I for one could have accepted without reserve a statement going something like “due to the #metoo movement and out of respect for women, we decided to...” Clean, concise, refreshing.
But no. All of the spoke-persons working for the above mentioned carmakers decided to make fools of themselves and throw years of auto show habits down the toilet.
Reason 1 Spokeswoman for Nissan - “it makes more sense to use product specialists because we’re selling cars.”
Judging by what the woman said, the company conducting business in the auto sector ever since the late 1920s just realized that. On account of a very serious error, it took Nissan decades to realize it is selling cars, not girls.
Using trained professionals to present cars at auto shows is the right idea. But their presence there does not exclude the possible use of booth girls to attract more visitors to this or that stand. Most of those girls, professional models, saw the Geneva Motor Show as just another gig, a limited-time one that paid well. Taking that from them by using such idiotic reasoning is beyond me.
Reason 2 Pierre-Oliver Salmon, PSA spokesmant: "PSA Group won’t convey a degrading image of anyone, neither of women or men.”
A very politically correct statement, but one by which the French group pretty much admits to have used such images in the past. Because, what do you know, up until last year Peugeot’s, Citroen’s and Opel’s booths were teaming with models.
In general, professional models like those used by carmakers know what they are getting themselves into. Inevitably, there will be the average hillbilly trying to touch this or that, or spitting insults. But, as professionals, models are trained to deal with that. And, as professionals, they usually they not feel degraded by the career they chose in the first place.
Reason 3 Toyota’s HR policy - we do not use models, we use hosts and hostesses.
Potato, potata.
The overall feel of the decisions announced for this year’s event is that the carmaker’s do not try to protect the models’ feelings, but rather themselves from being dragged in a hypothetical sexual scandal. For all intents and purposes, carmakers doing this show signs of fearing something, just like a dormant sexual predator would fear.
Using the “we do this for the girls” excuse does not save face, nor does it do anything for the industry as a whole. It only mimics similar decisions announced by various organizations over the past few months, including Formula 1’s ban of grid girls use.
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