The 'Great' WEC Grid Girl Debate

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by GT6

Well if they are paid that much then the WEC should now have enough cash to do some more advertising to increase attendences

They likely weren't. Girls making that cash are working for a tire manu, or a car manu, or some other direct sponsor. My sister in-law worked a GM activation booth last summer at an event, she made 2k for three days of handing out free t-shirts if you took a survey. They also gave her four weekend tickets for her family, or friends...She's a nurse, gets paid well. She did it because the money was super easy to make.

[Maelochs]

I had hoped that "storm in a D-cup" post would have ended the debate.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

I had hoped that "storm in a D-cup" post would have ended the debate.

There's two side to this

1: Dirty old men who want to slobber all over girls in skimpy clothing. (angry ones over this whole deal)
2: Everyone else.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

There's two side to this

1: Dirty old men who want to slobber all over girls in skimpy clothing. (angry ones over this whole deal)
2: Everyone else.

Talk about "demonizing" those that don't agree with you. That's right out of the Saul Alinsky playbook.

[Maelochs]

Some of the women in the crowd are dressed a lot more revealingly than the grid girls.

The obvious, enlightened solution is to make women wear burkas.

[bella]

i tell you what's creepy. myself and my (all female, we're cool like that) friends find ourselves being photographed by guys at the circuit. we aren't dressed like grid girls. we're just girls enjoying the racing. and yet guys think it's ok to photograph us.

what's that about? i can understand wanting to take pictures of models, grid girls, promo girls, whatever. but girls at the circuit? guys are *that* thirsty?

[Bandicoot17]

Originally Posted by bella

what's that about? i can understand wanting to take pictures of models, grid girls, promo girls, whatever. but girls at the circuit? guys are *that* thirsty?

tbh a quick glance through this and the autosport thread seems to reveal that a lot of men actually seem to be.

[DistortedSmile]

Originally Posted by Bandicoot17

tbh a quick glance through this and the autosport thread seems to reveal that a lot of men actually seem to be.

lol what? Are you just trying to be inflammatory?

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Some of the women in the crowd are dressed a lot more revealingly than the grid girls.

Not at Silverstone in early April, they're not!

I'm pleased by this decision for the WEC. I find the whole grid girl thing 'tacky', same with cheerleaders in other sports etc. Doesn't do much to improve 'the show' for me. Time and a place, and all that.
But everyone's taste is different and I respect that. Can't say I agree its a removal of anyone's freedom or rights, though, as has been suggested in this thread.

If women dressed in very little is absolutely necessary for a sponsor then I'm not sure the WEC is the right place to be advertising. If its that important to someone to have skimpily-dressed women with everything they see, there are many websites out there devoted to such content, and they're available 24/7.

I haven't yet seen any reactions from grid girls themselves on this issue. Has it been raised anywhere? Be interesting to know if they would miss the job or the money more.

[Aysedasi]

84 posts and onto the third page? Things must be quiet on the newsworthy front prior to Silverstone.....

[Peat]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

My brother in law is a professor at Stanford University. I took him to an ALMS race at Laguna Seca a few years back. He enjoyed having his photo taken with many of the grid girls, seeing as how those girls would generally not pay any attention to him under normal circumstances. So does this make someone who is an educator at arguably one of the premier institutions of learning in the world a neanderthal???

If your brother in law likes it, then there are other professional services available where women can pretend to like him too.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by bella

i tell you what's creepy. myself and my (all female, we're cool like that) friends find ourselves being photographed by guys at the circuit. we aren't dressed like grid girls. we're just girls enjoying the racing. and yet guys think it's ok to photograph us.

what's that about? i can understand wanting to take pictures of models, grid girls, promo girls, whatever. but girls at the circuit? guys are *that* thirsty?

I'm worried now.

You're in some of my photos.

[Bandicoot17]

Originally Posted by DistortedSmile

lol what? Are you just trying to be inflammatory?

Probably. At this point the discussion is just going nowhere.

However I would say there are some questionable viewpoints being thrown about on various sites.

[Peat]

Had this have just happened without the "Look at us, aren't we progressive" press release from WEC, I dare say no-one would have actually noticed.

I go to race tracks because I like racing cars. There is no shortage of other places I can go if I want to look at 'burds'.

[DistortedSmile]

Originally Posted by Bandicoot17

Probably. At this point the discussion is just going nowhere.

However I would say there are some questionable viewpoints being thrown about on various sites.

Questionable because you don't agree with them?
I'd argue the ''issue'' of grid girls is not even the slightest bit relevant to this site.

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm worried now.

You're in some of my photos.

So am I Andrew, but i think you are safe.

[Deleted]

I guess it's now 'pathetic' to have opposite viewpoint. Okay
https://twitter.com/Isa_Yolina/statu...64105310101504

[DistortedSmile]

Originally Posted by Chiana

I guess it's now 'pathetic' to have opposite viewpoint. Okay
https://twitter.com/Isa_Yolina/statu...64105310101504

Preposterous.
Its more pathetic to ridicule opinions different from your own just because you don't agree with them. Especially when they don't even understand the opposite viewpoint.

[Aysedasi]

This is a discussion forum. The very essence of it's existence is debate and differing opinions. However there are some subjects that are more worthy of lengthy debate than others. Discuss........

[GT6]

Debating is part of life and what ever way you look at it a debate only with people who agree with you is short and not very interesting, we will never all agree about everything and long may it stay that way, but we must all respect other opinions and the right of others to hold then.

[codename_47]

There is definitely what I would call an age divide on this issue, the older generation are more likely to have the "what's the problem with it" opinion, whereas on social media, the playground of the younger generation, it has been a lot more positive, especially, and more importantly, from young females.

It's important to see motorsport has lagged behind the wider world on this issue.
Nothing screams more old fashioned as having girls around as mere baubles based on their attractiveness.

What message do we want to send out to the young girls in the crowd?
Slap yourself in make up from now on and rely on your looks and if you're lucky you can stand in front of a car for 20 mins and have your picture taken?
OR, head you your local Kart track, apply yourself and maybe you can be in one of the machines themselves in 10/15 years?

I know which message I'd want to send...

[Maelochs]

I often photograph women when I am in a crowd ... it's rather harder to do when there are no women around.

When I am walking in the woods, I tend to photograph plants and trees (naked plants and trees ... )

I consider the human body to be an amazing piece of art, and human faces in their various expressions very powerful ... and my sexuality makes me more interested in females (I know, to be really culturally current and sensitive heterosexual men should all castrate themselves, but I am a Neanderthal.)

I am not desperate to see women ... I see women at the gym, in stores, I see my wife every day ... when I drive my car or ride my bike ... in fact slightly more than half the people I see are female. I just happen to like women ... no particular age, shape, size or color ... after all each is an individual.

When I read something like this:

Originally Posted by bella

i tell you what's creepy. myself and my (all female, we're cool like that) friends find ourselves being photographed by guys at the circuit. we aren't dressed like grid girls. we're just girls enjoying the racing. and yet guys think it's ok to photograph us. what's that about? i can understand wanting to take pictures of models, grid girls, promo girls, whatever. but girls at the circuit? guys are *that* thirsty?

I feel like some women don't want men to like women.

(On the other hand, when women Do want attention, heaven forbid they don't get it.)

First, if you don't want to be photographed in public, simply don't go out. If you are in public, people can look at you, and if they want they can photograph you. If you find the photographers Too attentive, simply ask them not to. If they do not comply, Then there is an issue.

Otherwise ... Are you seriously suggesting that no man can ever photograph a woman in a wide open public event without being "creepy"?

Even funnier is the fact that most people and certainly most women, are proud of their appearance and take a good deal of effort to "look good" (whatever each individual thinks that means,) yet if you actually Look, some of them get offended. Whatever.

I could not care much less about grid girls. As others have said, as often as not they get in the way of shots of cars and drivers. At other times, they make for pleasant images, but the outing will be no less enjoyable without them.

As with so many debates, this one has little to do with the nominal topic and more to do with underlying feelings—sadly not always well-considered—of the debaters.

If you see some "creepy old guy" taking your picture at a race, it might be me. And if you are offended because I see some beauty in you, too bad. I won't get in your face or follow you around, and if you choose to see it as I see it, it is sort of something of a complement. If not ... well ...

Bring back the grid girls to keep the "creepy old men" amused.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Even funnier is the fact that most people and certainly most women, are proud of their appearance and take a good deal of effort to "look good" (whatever each individual thinks that means, yet if you actually Look, some of them get offended. Whatever.

And then there are contradictions like this...

[fieldodreams79]

This thread needs more pics.

Signed,

Dirty Old Man.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Talk about "demonizing" those that don't agree with you. That's right out of the Saul Alinsky playbook.

I've demonized nobody.

You either fall into the category of wanting them around for whatever reason you like.

Or you don't care otherwise.

I've known a handful of girls, one of which I was dating while still working in the ALMS paddock, who had little desire to be hugged by various men in different levels of hygiene. But the money was stupid...and when you are a broke college student...you'll do things for money. And when the money is that good, you don't think twice.

It's a bit like being a stripper. Ever talk to one at length about their life? It's not all girls with "daddy issues"...one of which I ran into was making 15k/wk, she was in college doing a masters in biochemistry, and is now working for the same medical college I work for as a cardiothoracic surgeon. She didn't enjoy being a dancing girl...

But she's got a hell of a retirement package waiting. Imagine putting 700k into a retirement account when you were 25.

The point of all of this, is that marketing types will take advantage of anyone willing to do their shtick if it's going to make the company money. Advertising money can be better spent elsewhere, but, you aren't likely to get the same ROI.