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Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

bloomberg.com

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Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#81

Post by alphaalpha101 »

rad88 wrote: post #78
ardit33 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"If you want more women at the event, hire more women at the company and create a culture that encourages that." -- Yes, some magic wand will solve it? If they are tech companies and engineers are the primary value drivers, and only 16% of CS grads are female, what kind of rock will they find balanced workforce? Companies hire because they need people to feel a role, (eg. engineers, marketing, sales, hr... etc). If t…

~60% of the developers on my team are women. It's not magic. Also, in a big company most employees are not engineers, so the relative lack of female CS grads shouldn't mean there are so few women that you need to hire them for events.

>~60% of the developers on my team are women. It's not magic.

How big is your team? 5 people?

It's either a small sample size, or it's discrimination.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#82

Post by Bob2019 »

firstplacelast wrote: post #69
throwawayjava wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK. My logical brain says "it's not 1950 anymore; the PR blow-black has the potential to be truly brutal." My emotional brain says "This is horridly objectifying and super awkward."

It’s kind of sexist too. I would like pretty male models to look at please.

There are good biological reasons why there isn't a popular Playgirl magazine. That is similar.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#83

Post by teirce »

firstplacelast wrote: post #69
throwawayjava wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK. My logical brain says "it's not 1950 anymore; the PR blow-black has the potential to be truly brutal." My emotional brain says "This is horridly objectifying and super awkward."

It’s kind of sexist too. I would like pretty male models to look at please.

From the article:

> At this year’s holiday parties, however, there’ll be a surprising influx of attractive women, and a few pretty men, mingling with the engineers. They’re being paid to.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#84

Post by dbcooper »

r00fus wrote: post #34
nimbius wrote: post #18

When attendance is so important to leadership theyre willing to do anything to insist their holiday parties are somehow different than any other corporations awkward, two drink ticket catered navel gazing event. 'non mandatory employee engagement' is generally how HR describes these sterile lifeless get-togethers. This inevitably gets translated into "i strongly encourage my team to attend" by management, which in tu…

I've seen two successful approaches: 1) make it super interesting but excuse the family-types who instead take time off. 2) remove the party bit and make it an extra-curricular commitment perhaps giving-oriented like community service. Mandatory Happiness belongs in one of the circles of hell.

Nothing like celebrating the year with some community service!

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#85

Post by [deleted] »

AdeptusAquinas wrote: post #30
throwawayjava wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK. My logical brain says "it's not 1950 anymore; the PR blow-black has the potential to be truly brutal." My emotional brain says "This is horridly objectifying and super awkward."

Both ways too. When I see this sort of thing at a conference party or vendor thing, I think 'what do the organisers think we are, just rabid animals?' Its demeaning for all concerned

[deleted]

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#86

Post by subway »

Helmet wrote: post #66
throwawayjava wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK. My logical brain says "it's not 1950 anymore; the PR blow-black has the potential to be truly brutal." My emotional brain says "This is horridly objectifying and super awkward."

My logical brain goes: I bet these women are getting paid a pretty penny to go to some stupid party and mingle with the patrons. Probably get drinks and food on the house too. Lucky bastards!

Say what now? Why would you think they're being paid a pretty penny? Odds are they're doing it to scrape by, and would much prefer having the evening to spend with their friends and family rather than having to put on a charade.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#87

Post by jerf »

teirce wrote: post #80
jerf wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not the problem anyone is having with this.

Then what is?

This may help you understand what people are saying about this and why they're upset: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15872605

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#88

Post by nawitus »

rad88 wrote: post #78
ardit33 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"If you want more women at the event, hire more women at the company and create a culture that encourages that." -- Yes, some magic wand will solve it? If they are tech companies and engineers are the primary value drivers, and only 16% of CS grads are female, what kind of rock will they find balanced workforce? Companies hire because they need people to feel a role, (eg. engineers, marketing, sales, hr... etc). If t…

~60% of the developers on my team are women. It's not magic. Also, in a big company most employees are not engineers, so the relative lack of female CS grads shouldn't mean there are so few women that you need to hire them for events.

What do you estimate is the gender ratio for software developers? And how can you expect every company to go over it? Surely it is not 50% or over. In addition, for every company that goes over the average (perhaps like yours), another company must go under the average.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#89

Post by Helmet »

subway wrote: post #86
Helmet wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My logical brain goes: I bet these women are getting paid a pretty penny to go to some stupid party and mingle with the patrons. Probably get drinks and food on the house too. Lucky bastards!

Say what now? Why would you think they're being paid a pretty penny? Odds are they're doing it to scrape by, and would much prefer having the evening to spend with their friends and family rather than having to put on a charade.

No one is forcing them to do it. Anyone would much prefer to have an evening with their friends or family. But if they need the money, then it's a job. And it's probably a better job than most jobs.

Re: Silicon Valley Is Sneaking Models into This Year’s Holiday Parties

#90

Post by thorell »

ixacto wrote: post #48

This is pathetic. Either don't hire women to be there or just hire a bunch of strippers. I say this as someone who is irritated by both sexism and political correctness run amok.

Their job isn't just to be attractive. Their job is to help schmooze people who don't seem to be having fun. There are social skills involved, whether or not you value or believe in them.
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