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From: pd@eisx.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Sexism in Consumer Electronics Shows - A Dialogue.
Message-ID: <553@eisx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jun-83 10:15:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: eisx.553
Posted: Thu Jun 16 10:15:40 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 23:20:10 EDT
Lines: 40

Has anyone been to the consumer electronics show in Chicago ? From
what I understand, scantily clad women adorning Booths and handing
out literature were de rigeur. I just had a long discussion on this
with my office mate, Carol the Weiss Man, and basically had to agree
to disagree. I would like to hear how other men & women feel about
this issue.

I definitely enjoy looking at scantily clad, attractive women
However, the implicit message here is, "Look at these Sexy women. All they
are is T. & A. They look nice standing over here, parading our
(and their) wares, dont they ? It's OK to look at them and feel
like you want to jump on them, because that's what women are there
for, anyway. Come buy our stuff, won't you ?". Lot of men go for
this sort of thing. I have to conciously resist such pandering
to my baser instincts. 

The attitude that this engenders in men, I feel, is carried over into
the workplace, and since we men are in the position to impose our
attitudes, will necessarily degrade women.

Therefore, if I was a woman, I'd organize a demonstration to call 
attention to what was going on there. 

REBUTTAL. (carol)

It simply pays to have these women there, because it sells
products. The only way to change the state of affairs is to get
women into positions that make the buying decisions, and by 
influencing management. When 50% of EE's of women, then things
will change.

I am strongly comitted to changing sexist attitudes in the workplace,
and to me, this does fall into that category.

End of REBUTTAL

Opinions ??


Prem