Boing Boing+Audeze SXSW party: Gaslamp Killer, Daedelus, Reid Speed, Computer Jay; Sat Mar. 16

Party with Boing Boing and Audeze, makers of the most amazing headphones in the world, at SXSW. Alex from Audeze has assembled a terrific array of artists for the evening. Guests include Gaslamp Killer, Daedelus, Reid Speed, and Computer Jay. Sat Mar. 16, 9pm-2am, at Barbarella, Austin TX.

• [millie fink]

  Well hey, there’s an eye-catching advert. For the boys, at least. (i.e., I am disappoint.)

  • [rattypilgrim]

     It’s offensive for sure.

• [mappo]

  Is the party being held at a strip club?

  • [Erasorhed]

    That’s the first thing I thought, too.
    This sort of thing might give guests the impression that it IS being held at a strip club.
    Way to alienate the women!

• [Missy Pants]

  Seriously? Lots of talk about the inane “tablet for women” but using naked ladies to sell…. what exactly? That’s totally ok and not worth comment? Really? Ok then, let me go make you a sandwich.

  • [Jorpho]

     I wonder if I can speculate about the likely frequency of comments here being deleted without the comment being deleted?

    • [Missy Pants]

      Feel free to try. 

      • [Jorpho]

         …Y’see, my first attempt to comment vanished mysteriously.  But looking around presently, maybe that was just a hiccup in the comment system.  Duly noted.

• [Cicada Mania]

  Whoa! BoingBoing just got a whole lot sexier! Brings me back to the Reverse Cowgirl days.

• [Elijah]

  Yep, that was the reaction I was anticipating from the forum when I saw the image but had to check the comments to confirm.  Would love to know if what the marketing decision behind this was. I mean, no way they’re just thinking nobody’s going to comment, right? So are they trying to provoke a reaction? To what end?

  • [Erasorhed]

    The goal may have been to lure in the straight males with the marketing tactic of “sex sells” – which is the laziest marketing strategy I’ve ever seen.
    The result is that women (like me) feel alienated, like I shouldn’t attend this apparently-women-unfriendly event, because I might be faced with other guests who are expecting the women to be naked, or become naked for them, a la “it was advertised like this! Where are the naked women?”

    • [Elijah]

      I acknowledge your comment in the spirit it was offered.  Yes, that would be lazy marketing. On the other (less serious) hand, if we’re getting into superlatives Jim Gaffigan cited the jingles for ‘Hot Pockets’ or ‘By Mennan’ as the laziest marketing.  It’s hard to refute.  :)

      Tangential query : are lazy advertisers and those who believe straight male guests would attend expecting women to be naked making the same unflattering assumption about the behavior of straight males?

• [orangedesperado]

  Kinda groovy and retro looking but not very thoughtful…

  Hope there’s also a poster featuring a nude boy model doing an identical sex-performer contortion.

• [orangedesperado]

  p.s. What does Special Guest performer Jessy Greene think about this promotion ?

  • [Tribune]

    Maybe that is her?

    • [void_ptr]

      Model is Nikki something something. They edited the image before I could check back.

      Ed: Nikki Leigh

    • [orangedesperado]

      Uh…look her up. She has a site.

      • [Tribune]

        search was being sluggish – probably not her I think she looks sexier than the model – also appears to wear more clothes.

• [mrdcbrush]

  Is this 2013? Oh, I guess sexploitation is still okay?

• [Birdseed]

  Come on, Boing Boing should be above posting objectifying, sexualised, sexist images of women with no relevance to the night at hand. Remove this and apologise, please.

  • [Tribune]

    looks like they have edited it

• [David Pescovitz]

  We like the Audeze products and were happy to be a media sponsor for the event. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to approve the poster. We were just told who the artist is and we dig his other work. Thanks.

  • [void_ptr]

     Still, someone should have looked at that (in particular, Xeni, whose name is attached to the story) and thought twice about posting it. You guys have eyes.

  • [millie fink]

    Three cheers to the appropriate BB decision makers for changing the image!

    *faith restored*

  • [Missy Pants]

    That’s the weakest “I’m sorry you’re offended” BS ever. 
    It’s your site, you get to choose what goes up, you’re the sponsor, not them, seriously, silence is better than this.

    I feel like this is an excellent time to point to this awesome article called Sleepwalking into Sexism.

    “There’s a rule that you shouldn’t wake sleepwalkers – the sudden transition into consciousness can be terrifying. My little sister can testify to the fact that on the one occasion that she woke me mid-somnambulance, I was so surprised I slapped her face. It’s startling to suddenly find that you’re not where you thought you were and, moreover, that you have no idea how you got there.

    And, in a way, this is exactly what happens when nice, reasonable men who call themselves feminists are called out on their unconsciously sexist behaviour and attitudes. These men have sleepwalked contentedly through the minefield of gender relations without ever having cause to question what they’re doing and then BAM. Some crazy feminist with no regard for how scary and disorienting it’s going to be comes along and wakes them up with the rude news that, actually, they have unintentionally been engaging in some pretty sexist behaviour.

    The result is, metaphorically speaking, the slap to the face that I gave my sister. She was the one who woke me from my comfortable reverie, and my instinctive response was to defend myself with a rapid attack. In her case, it was an ill-deserved slap. In the case of sleepwalking sexists, the responses are more varied. It might be immediate, unhinged abuse – ‘Crazy bitch, you must be on your period or something’. It might be icy politeness and contempt – ‘I’d thank you not to be so aggressive, it’s completely unnecessary’. It might be fake concern – ‘You maybe don’t realise it, but when you attack men like me who are only trying to help, it hurts the whole cause of feminism’. Whatever the method used, the result is the same; instead of reflecting on their own behaviour and attitudes, these men will retreat into an impenetrable defensive fortress.”

    Full article here on FB. http://www.facebook.com/notes/harriet-page/sleepwalking-into-sexism/441415922601633

  • [Birdseed]

    And now the full image is back. ಠ_ಠ

    • [millie fink]

      ??

      Not on my computer.

      • [Birdseed]

        Gone again. Possibly a cache hiccough, sorry in that case. 

        Still dunn excuse its original appearance, or the weak excuse offered.

        • [rattypilgrim]

           It’s on mine.

        • [Birdseed]

          Yeah, you’re right. Both versions are on the front page. But it doesn’t really matter – the deicision was shocking to post it in the first place, something no cropping makes amends for.

    • [Antinous / Moderator]

      We’ve been in caching hell for several weeks.

• [guerrillagirlz]

  I’m guessing its a photo of a presenting DJ?  Yes, the photo is hot.  Yes, this is an arts e-zine.  I am all for freedom of expression.  However, this is thoughtless smut for advertising purposes only.  Does not belong on an “arts and culture” e-zine.  A reknown poster artist did this?  Hmm.  Not one to keep in the portfolio my friend.  You ripped off your clients, your audience, and the event sponsors.  Use your head and get back to the drawing board.  Any adolescent with photoshop could have done this for their local strip joint.  Keep this one for your bedroom ceiling and step up to the plate next time.  Don’t let lazy work go to press.

  • [void_ptr]

     It is not, in fact, the photo of the presenting DJ.