It’s a shame that this type of thing happens to women at cons so often. Here’s one woman’s response to a negative encounter.
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It’s a shame that this type of thing happens to women at cons so often. Here’s one woman’s response to a negative encounter.
Nerf Guns and Bobbins 
Lol, sorry, but as a (straight) female, I myself could not take my eyes off those boobs! If you put it out for show, then prepare to be oogled. If you don’t like to be oogled, then keep ’em covered! When you are my age, oogling is considered a compliment! Maybe it was her first con…
I think there’s a difference between ogling and being talked to in a degrading manner, though. I mean, I’m going to ogle the guys dressed as Spartans, but I’m not going to be rude and talk about their package and the size of their bulge in the guise of doing an interview. I’ve had a couple of experiences that made me uncomfortable at a con or two, and I typically dress rather conservatively. I rarely wear a corset and, even then, it’s not a “va-va-voom” type, and I’ve still had issues with some people being a little skeezy.
Like I said, I think there’s a difference between admiring someone in costume and being overtly degrading. Did these men go up to men dressed as Spartans or Aquaman and say they filled out their skivvies well? No. And they wouldn’t, because that’s not generally considered an “acceptable” thing for men to do. So what makes it acceptable when they talk about something as intimate as cup size for a woman? There are some women who are proud to let everyone know, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but she voiced her discomfort with the way the interview was going, and the man continued.
I guess that’s where I have the problem. In any situation, no means no. Even when it’s in regards to an interview that skews a little more into intimate territory than one is interested in going.
This year, at Dragon*Con, I witnessed something like this. A lady was dressed rather provocatively, like most superhero women in comic books are. She was posing for photos, when one of the photographers decided to shove hiscamera in her lower parts. She told him to stop repeatedly. She was getting upset, which was understandable. Not only was she getting upset, but fellow con-goers were as well, both male and female. Finally, right before this guy was about to be punched, security stepped in, and stripped him of his con badge. His response was this “She is dressed like she wants to be fondled, so I figured it was ok.” Next thing you know, you have this poor girl in years saying she is never going to a con again, and a photographer with a bloody nose. Yes, women dress in provocative clothing, and will get ogled. However, they do not ask for people to treat them like pieces of trash. No, you can ogle all you want, but remember that we all have feelings as well.