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

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

#221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You wrote that women should be free to work as models at a party, but that companies shouldn't employ them - what else does that mean if not that women should be models at private parties only? Instead of requiring me to guess what you mean, why not state it plainly?

The set of all party throwers is not composed of private individuals plus employers. But now you’ve changed it to private parties, which would seem to include parties thrown by privately held companies. Maybe you should start by getting your terminology straight. My point is that employees should not be subjected to employers hiring models to attend company events.

Your comments create the impression that you are trying to be antagonistic towards me. I can't think of another reason why you would pretend to be confused about the meaning of the phrase "private parties" when the phrase was set in contrast to parties held by companies and used after the phrase "a private individual hires models for their party". Even with the understanding that you are trying to be hostile, I'm at a loss as to why you think pretending that you have a poor grasp of the English language would annoy me. Regardless, I'm not really interested in trading verbal barbs with you, and your attempts thus far have purely been to your discredit, so please restrain further replies in this thread to the subject at hand.

Responding to your point, isn't this a matter that's best determined by the employees in question? That is, it's not for you to say whether or not they would or wouldn't enjoy a party with models in paid attendance - but it should be up to them, their employers, and the models?

Employees are subjected to a long list of unpleasant conditions. Having attractive people paid to interact with you seems like it would fall low on the list of grievances - and some people may prefer it. Finding the balance is something for the interested parties (employees, models, and employers) to do and not something for uninterested third parties.

Finally, your point is still incompatible with what you've previously asserted. If it's okay for models to attend parties incognito (i.e. not identifying themselves as models), it must be okay for people to hire models to attend parties incognito. The models have as much agency and information as the employers - so, if it is wrong for employers to hire incognito models then it must be equally wrong for models to hire out as incognito models because whatever harm you think the employers are perpetrating the models are also participating for a profit.

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

#222
post #7

Pathetic. The whole point is to celebrate with the employees and their families and recognize the hard work everyone has put in over the year. A stranger not connected to an employee would take away from that value. If you want more women at the event, hire more women at the company and create a culture that encourages that.

I too think this is pretty crass and as artificial as so much else in SV. But to play devil's advocate, aren't they hiring more women, but instead of employees, they're hiring contractors? They just happen to be hiring women whose gifts are more physical and social than technical. And why shouldn't those women be able to work? For me, I don't mind anyone being hired or contracted for skills in guest relations, market…

> And why shouldn't those women be able to work?

> " made them sign nondisclosure agreements, and given them names of employees to pretend they’re friends with, in case anyone asks why he’s never seen them around the foosball table. > “The companies don’t want their staff to be talking to someone and think, Oh, this person was hired to socialize with me,” says Kermaani, who’s sending models to seven tech parties in the same weekend.

They are pretenders and I would feel betrayed. By my company. They hire people to betray me. Really? No. They shall just be honest about it and I can deal with it. But this? No. I don't want to waste my time with those pretenders.

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

#223

I actually don't see much of a problem. These models are hired to have a chat with nerds, and the nerds are actually paid (directly and indirectly) to talk to them. Everyone is paid to be at that party and look reasonably good for the appearance of a good time. Most 'nerds' there don't enjoy being there either, they do it because they are professionals... like the models they are mingling with...? Any issue there? I…

> Any issue there? I mean, I rather enjoy talking to a model (female, or male in fact) -- it's not a business I understand, they are professionals with possibly quite interesting lifestyles and stories.

Yea. True. But they have to pretend they are friends of employees. They lie to you. The company pays people to come and lie.

It would be whole 'nother story if they would be upright about it.

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

#224
post #177

Why would you be upset if the models are not? The models might be really upset if they don't get that job where they make $200 an hour. That might be the difference between presents under a tree and no Christmas for their kids.

Because they are ordered to deceive me?

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

#225
post #8

Yes, this practice of models at parties brings back memories. In 2000, a very well-known enterprise software company (Northeast not Silicon Valley) hosted a conference for customers and had a night party for the attendees. The most memorable thing I remember was the group of extremely pretty women on roller skates mingling with the crowd. E.g. they'd skate up and ask random attendees, "Hey where are you from? Are you…

That's great for the (straight) men. But it's extremely uncomfortable for the female employees at the events, who are now not only spending the evening outnumbered by male colleagues at an alcohol-lubricated event, they're now spending the evening outnumbered by male colleagues who are ogling other women who are there explicitly as objects of sexual attraction (even if it's deflected into "engaging them in conversati…

> that's clearly the angle they're intended to appeal to, or there wouldn't be a requirement that they be young and attractive).

Why? That's super judgemental of you. There is no "clear" angle that a young and attractive person is necessarily an object of sexual attraction, except in your own imagination.

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

#226

Nothing new, this has been happening for a long time. They are called atmosphere models.

A lot of things have been happening for a long time. That doesn't guarantee it should continue.

What do you want to change, and what is your rationale?

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

#227
post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's great for the (straight) men. But it's extremely uncomfortable for the female employees at the events, who are now not only spending the evening outnumbered by male colleagues at an alcohol-lubricated event, they're now spending the evening outnumbered by male colleagues who are ogling other women who are there explicitly as objects of sexual attraction (even if it's deflected into "engaging them in conversati…

> that's clearly the angle they're intended to appeal to, or there wouldn't be a requirement that they be young and attractive). Why? That's super judgemental of you. There is no "clear" angle that a young and attractive person is necessarily an object of sexual attraction, except in your own imagination.

Did I say that any given person is attracted to them? I'm saying that they're hired because they're sexually attractive. Because someone thinks that speaking to a sexually attractive woman will be gratifying to young males, especially those stereotyped as socially awkward.

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

#228
post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> that's clearly the angle they're intended to appeal to, or there wouldn't be a requirement that they be young and attractive). Why? That's super judgemental of you. There is no "clear" angle that a young and attractive person is necessarily an object of sexual attraction, except in your own imagination.

Did I say that any given person is attracted to them? I'm saying that they're hired because they're sexually attractive. Because someone thinks that speaking to a sexually attractive woman will be gratifying to young males, especially those stereotyped as socially awkward.

>I'm saying that they're hired because they're sexually attractive.

The article just mentions being attractive. It also mentions other clients who hire models to dress up in costumes, and among other things to create a "fun" (whatever that means) atmosphere. The article also mentions an agency which insists on having the models be assigned specific tasks (coat checkers, servers), etc. People strongly associate attractive people with parties/partying/celebrity culture/fun/etc for various reasons. Its sort of like using a person with spectacles/drab clothes/British accent to signal intelligence. In any event, introducing models into an audience filled with programmers, would greatly increase the diversity of the party. Maybe the models who themselves had negative stereotypes about "nerds" would see that they were fun people too. It cuts both ways.

>Because someone thinks that speaking to a sexually attractive woman will be gratifying to young males, especially those stereotyped as socially awkward.

Neither the article, nor the comment you replied to has put forth this idea.

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

#229

Huh. Seems like a better way to do it would be to just invite / hire a BUNCH of artists. No need to pretend; support an important part of why the Bay is the Bay, and expose your peeps to people they might not otherwise meet.

Invite D level celebrities like sci fi authors, tech blogger, or video game creators! Even Youtubers!
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