.jpg)
Potentially the ONLY offensive or objectifying part of this contest...
First it was the totally staged "protest" at E3 in regards to Dante's Inferno. Now, from the fine folks at Kotaku, they're trying out "Sin to Win" which is not quite as lame as a fake protest. Contestants were encouraged to commit "acts of lust" by taking pictures of themselves with the Dante's Inferno or other booth babes, or "costumed reps" as they call them in their apology. Then upload them to Twitter, Facebook or e-mail them directly to EA. The winner is given "dinner and a sinful night with two hot girls, a limo service, paparazzi and a chest full of booty." Kinky...
When approached, EA drafted this apology:
We understand there's a lot of debate right now around our "Sin to Win" promotion at Comic-Con and wanted to clarify a few things. We created this promotion as part of our marketing efforts around the circle of Lust (one of the nine sins/circles of Hell). Each month we will be focusing on a new Circle of Hell. This month is Lust. Costumed reps are a tradition at Comic-Con. In the spirit of both the Circle of Lust and Comic-Con, we are encouraging attendees to Tweet photos of themselves with any of the costumed reps at Comic-Con here, find us on Facebook or via e-mail. "Commit acts of lust" is simply a tongue-in-cheek way to say take pictures with costumed reps. Also, a "Night of Lust" means only that the winner will receive a chaperoned VIP night on the town with the Dante's Inferno reps, all expenses paid, as well as other prizes.
We apologize for any confusion and offense that resulted from our choice of wording, and want to assure you that we take your concerns and sentiments seriously. We'll continue to follow your comments and please let us know if you have any other thoughts or concerns. Keep watching as the event unfolds and we hope you'll agree that it was all done in the spirit of the good natured fun of Comic-Con
Now, most people are getting their knickers in a bind because it's objectifying women. Really? It's ComicCon, not Playboy. These women, typically aspiring models or actresses who are hired to stand around in scantily clad outfits to do something that models do best. Be sexy. I wish I could get paid to stand around all day doing something I'm really good at, like talking about cartoons or comic books. Yes, it's not a job where you're going to be lavished with tons of respect. But I can't imagine these women doing the job if they didn't enjoy it in some way. Whether it's potentially jumping into the skin of one of their favorite comic or video game characters (women read comics and game too, you know) or the money, or getting "discovered," there is enjoyment somewhere.
No, I think this is a lot of huffing and puffing over nothing. They're encouraging their contestants to take pictures of themselves with booth babes. Something almost everyone at ComicCon does anyway. Whether it's because they love a certain character or because they have darker, more sinister intentions, everyone does it. They're not telling people to try and sneak inappropriate photos or to try and cop a feel on the booth babes. Though I have no doubt that it could happen, EA clearly states that they reserve the right to disqualify any pictures deemed inappropriate for any reason. For crying out loud, it's a contest, you get an all expenses paid night on the town, chaperoned by the Dante's Inferno devs and prizes. They're not hiring strippers. Granted they could have picked a little better way of wording it, but you have to assume that regardless of how it's worded, the intention is fairly benign. To most men, a "night on the town with two hot girls" sounds like it could end very well. But I highly doubt EA is that interested in getting a contestant laid. Seriously people, let's use our brains. E3 fake protest, ComicCon contest that any marketing person with half a brain would shoot down but it's all leading to more publicity for Dante's Inferno isn't it? Almost like that's the point.
Comments