On Saturday, the day after the second event I described above, I pulled out my convention book to investigate what you can do and who you can speak to after such an occurrence. On page two of the book there is a large grey box outlining "Convention Policies," which contain rules against smoking, live animals, wheeled handcarts, recording at video presentations, drawing or aiming your replica weapon, and giving your badge to others. There is nothing about attendee-to-attendee personal behavior.

Page three of the book contains a "Where Is It?" guide to specific Comic-Con events and services. There's no general information room or desk listed, nor is there a contact location for security, so I go to the Guest Relations Desk. I speak to a volunteer manning the desk; she's sympathetic to the situation but who doesn't have a clear answer to my question: "What's Comic-Con's policy and method of dealing with complaints about harassment?" She directs me to the nearest security guard, who is also sympathetic listening to my reports, but short of the women wanting to report the incidents with the names of their harassers, there's little that can be done.

"I understand that," I tell them both, "but what I'm asking is more hypothetical and informational: if there is a set Comic-Con policy on harassment and physical and verbal abuse on Con attendees and exhibitors, and if so, what's the specific procedure by which someone should report it, and specifically where should they go?" But this wasn't a question either could answer.

So, according to published con policy, there is no tolerance for smoking, drawn weapons, personal pages or selling bootleg videos on the floor, and these rules are written down in black and white in the con booklet. There is not a word in the written rules about harassment or the like. I would like to see something like "Comic-Con has zero tolerance for harassment or violence against any of our attendees or exhibitors. Please report instances to a security guard or the Con Office in room XXX."

The first step to preventing such harassment is giving its victims the knowledge that they can safely and swiftly report such instances to someone in authority. Having no published guideline, and indeed being unable to give a clear answer to questions about it, gives harassment and violence one more rep-tape loophole to hide behind.

I enjoyed Comic-Con. I'm looking forward to coming back next year. So, in fact, are the two women whose experiences I've retold above. Aside from those instances, they had a good time at the show. But those instances of harassment shouldn't have happened at all, and that they did under no clear-cut instructions about what to do sadly invites the continuation of such behavior, or even worse.

I don't understand why there's no such written policy about what is not tolerated and what to do when this happens. Is there anyone at Comic-Con able to explain this? Does a similar written policy exist in the booklets for other conventions (SF, comics or otherwise) that could be used as a model? Can it be adapted or adapted, and enforced, for Comic-Con? As the leading event of the comics and pop culture world, Comic-Con should work to make everyone who attends feel comfortable and safe.

>>4682
>>4683
>>4684

So some people that go to conventions are creepy and desperate.

HOLY FUCK STOP THE PRESSES! WE'VE GOT THE STORY OF THE CENTURY ON OUR HANDS HERE!

Panties in a wad? Check

>>4682
>>4683
>>4684

looks like someone's being a bitch on the rag...GET OFF IT! ITS AN ANIME CON! BITCHES BELONG IN THE KITCHEN ANYWAY!

Like females who dress "Seductive" and/or cock-tease...fucking cunts, no wonder you get raped. No wonder females who dress and act seductively are raped. ITS A VALID DEFENSE!

Bitches have no problem pulling the law to help the, via child support and shit, and society says the man has to be a rapist...fuck this!

I can understand why many people end up becoming pedophiles (other than genetics) older females do act like stuck-up bitches.

I'm sorry if that's an asshole thing to say, I don't really understand females (lol nigger assburger) so...maybe you have some justification; but I'll side with mah fellow losers FTW! FUCK THE MAINSTREAM!

so yeah..oops :( :?
yeah I was an ass....sry =]

okay...?

>>3. Another friend of mine, a woman running her own booth: on Friday a man came to her booth and openly criticized her drawing ability and sense of design. Reports from others in the same section of the floor confirmed he'd targeted several women with the same sort of abuse and criticism.


Lol that was me, i was the one doing that

>>4707
win

So I can go to a convention, grab women, and get away with it if I dress like Anonymous? Awesome.

>>4682

I'm with you, OP. Sadly, I knew the comments that followed wouldn't be.

>>4682
Here's another who's with you on this. Just fucking respect your fellow congoers. I'd be all for some formal, written policy to crack down on these losers.

Of course, most here will say anything to justify this kind of shit behavior and hope it boosts their e-peens.

>>4682
>>4683
>>4684

I would very very tempting for me to just type BAAAW, but actually you have a point. There's some fucked up faggots at those things, and I can understand how a girl might be intimidated, but it is a comic con.

Seriously, what did you expect? The losers at those places have never seen a girl IRL never midn talked to one. They have no idea how to act in public.

>>4724

>Seriously, what did you expect?

Decent behavior? Stereotypes aren't an excuse or license to treat other people with disrespect, and "They have no idea how to act in public" should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card.

>>4707
Wow, you're an ass.

Seriously, this is not cool. At all.

>>4721

>I'd be all for some formal, written policy to crack down on these losers.

BAWWWWW IM POPULAR AND SHIT AND HAVE TO CRACK DOWN ON "LOSERS".

Again, WHY DID YO GO TO A COMIC OR ANIME CONVENTION! THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR POPULAR SOCIAL FUCKS LIKE YOURSELF!

>Of course, most here will say anything to justify this kind of shit behavior and hope it boosts their e-peens.

no, I'm just angered at the mainstream society's hipocrisy and bullshit and contradictory-ness.

I may seem like an asshole-but sorry for that =]

>>4750
something tells me you're mainstream in the society. You don't belong here. Sorry, we all have issues here.

>Stereotypes aren't an excuse or license to treat other people with disrespect

That wasn't disrepect, that's loove. I mesn given how females act worse... :(

>"They have no idea how to act in public" should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card.

yes it should-its a fucking comic con.

>>4724
Moralfag...

op is right only some of the women there are looking for attention. there not hard to find. leave the rest alone!
FYI i am male

>>4767

Attention =/= unwanted groping or harassment

>>4762
Huh? I'm hardly popular. I'm a socially isolated geek. Losers are people who don't know how to treat others with respect, whether they're popular or not.

Get over yourself.

itt we learn that many con-goers, many
4channers, and the guy who wrote >>4705 and >>4762 are fuckin' creeps

no wait i knew this stuff and have in fact learned nothing

This thread is so funny to me. I was bothered by a SECURITY GUARD at one of my first conventions when I was only like 18. In fact, he used his security privelages to bother me more. >_> I think more needs to be done to prevent this crap.

>>4707
Agree with OP but i seriously see nothing wrong with this.

Con or not, dress like a whore and you'll get treated like one.

/thread

Having never been to a con, is there a lot of hook ups or do most of the chicks come with their boyfriends?

Somebody reads ISB.

>>4855

I'll bet you think it goes like this:

"Oh, hi! It's nice to meet a guy with the same interests I do. I think you're pretty cool, and I <3 geeks anyway ;) I think we'd get along great because you're so much like me, you -get- me, you know? Most other guys aren't like you. I'd love to go to bed with you!"

It doesn't.

>>4855
They get dates/friends before the cons because most guys there are pretty creepy.
Unless you are trying to get some underage girls, then you most likely have to deal with their dad.
In short, NO.

4chan is probably the worst place you could have taken your complaints. If you want to be constructive, take this to the ComicCon forums or someplace where you won't get assholes advocating the very behavior you're trying to avoid.

As for you dumb fuckers trying to be funny and blame the victim ("If she's dressed like a whore..", etc), you can thank yourself for being part of the reason rape and harrassment are such a rampant problem in this fucking country.

Cumdumpster here.

I've been to quite a few cons, so I figured I'd put in my two cents. For the most part, I agree with OP. Harassment at cons is a big issue, and I'm surprised that one as big and well-organized as the San Diego Comic-Con wouldn't address the issue at all in their convention policies. Someone who is selling artwork or other goods should not have to deal with being hugged and kissed by random strangers, like your one friend, or belittled like the other. It doesn't matter whether this is a convention filled with smelly, socially retarded nerds, the con security staff should crack down on inappropriate touching and behavior.

However, as much as I hate to admit it, the other posters do have a point when they say that women are sort of asking for it when they dress revealingly. It doesn't sound like either of OP's friends were dressed up, though, so that's really weird...but for booth girls that are dressed in teeny bikinis and the like, they HAVE to be expecting a lot of creepy comic geeks trying to feel them up. If a chick walked around the city in a latex romper and hooker heels, chances are she would be picked up by the cops, or molested and/or propositioned on the street by men. Now, wear that costume to a comic convention, filled with virgins that have almost zero interaction with women...and you're pretty much asking for trouble. It's just common sense. I mean, yeah, I would get upset too, but you have to pay the consequences if you're going to dress like a whore, even if it is because you like the character or the series or whatever.

Anyway, posting a rant like this is misplaced in 4chan, considering the amount of misogyny and lulz to be had from it.

On another note...THIS guy wouldn't happen to be one of the men that harassed your one friend, would it?

>>4876
"[...] but you have to pay the consequences if you're going to dress like a whore, even if it is because you like the character or the series or whatever."

More blaming the victim. The only way I understand how people can think like this is to make themselves feel safer by insulting the intelligence/common sense of the target of harassment. The fact that your response appears well thought out and sincere just makes me more concerned.

To expound on my arguement (and then I will shut up), I realize catcalls and crap like that are to be expected. But stalking, verbal abuse, and physical contact should NEVER be tolerated.

(steps off soap box)

>>4883
I DON'T think it's right for girls to be harassed, I'm sorry if it seems like I am. I don't think they deserve it, by any means, and considering that I have been harassed at conventions before while wearing a short skirt or whatever, I know how much it sucks. But if you are going to be wearing a revealing costume, you pretty much have to expect a lot of unwanted advances, attention, and inappropriate behavior. It's NOT right that women (and men as well, incidentally) are getting groped and harassed at cons, but by that same token, it's completely naive to think that they're not going to.

I didn't mean to say necessarily that it's the victim's own fault that they were harassed, although after rereading my previous post I can understand why it would seem so. But if someone happens to be wearing something that is obviously going to attract a lot of attention from the opposite sex, they need to be prepared for that kind of shit and have a friend nearby for safety or support.

>>4884
IAWTC. If this is OP, the whole thing about your friend getting hugged and kissed by four guys is appalling, and is one of the creepier con stories I have heard.

4883 and 4884 was both me (not OP) :D

I'm glad you clarified, sorry for jumping to conclusions a bit. I agree that no matter what, they should be prepared.

I just hope some new policies are drafted for this crap.

Lots of vendors will have cute cosplay girls work their booths just to attract men to come browse and shop.

http://www.the-isb.com/

>>4876

Dressing like a whore certainly elicits attention, not all of it desirable. But their mode of dress does not render a man's mind immobile and does not dictate their behavior. Those who harass make the choice to cross the line. Plenty of us are aroused but choose to behave appropriately; there's no excuse for those who choose not to.

>1. One of my friends was working at a con booth selling books. She was stalked by a man who came to her booth several times, pestering her to get together for a date that night. One of her co-workers chased him off the final time.

HE ASKED HER OUT? ON A DATE? STOP THE FUCKING PRESSES!

>>4924
Way to read out of context.

Dude seriously how would you feel if a girl grabbed your ass or something, then a bunch more did and followed you all day to do it more. Now pretend you arent on 4chan for a second and give a real answer. Abuse takes many forms. And actually, I saw an anon shove his camera up a skirt and take a picture, grabbed one of the police outside, showed one the anon, and guess who got kicked out.

>>4762 That wasn't disrepect, that's loove. I mesn given how females act worse... :(

Ah yes, the old "women ask for it... the way they dress, the way they talk" defence.

I've never accepted the "He was abused as a child so we've got to show understanding and compassion for the poor child rapist" defence.

Nor do I accept the "nerds have free reign to sexually harass because they're just poor nerds" defence.

Come down hard on the little shits. Watch them cry as mom picks them up from the con security office for sexual harrasment. I'd fucking film it if I could.

I agree with you OP cept for this. Your bitching about wrongful sterotypes and shit but look at your picture, a fat man looking at a girls ass. As if only fat people do the shit your talking about? You make some good points but make yourself look like a sterotyping fool just like all the people you hate at the same time.

Just have a BIG friend come with. Most wiry geeks will buckle at the sight of a MAN.

>>4867 Somebody reads...

>Armagideon Time
>BeaucoupKevin.com
>Blog@Newsarama
>ChaosMonkey's Abysmal Pit
>Chris's Invincible Super-Blog
>Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin
>Ringwood
>TangognaT
>Thoughts, Clippings and Utter Nonsense
>When Fangirls Attack

Fixed.

Nothing will ever get done about this... until some girl gets raped/near raped in some fire escape.

THEN the front page of every news website will run the story of the POOR INNOCENT GIRLS who are becoming larger demographics of the traditionaly male-dominated passtimes of games/comics/sci-fi/etc, and how the socially defunct males are lashing back, protecting, cue psychologist opinions, female attendance going DOWN as a reaction, organisers pandering even more to male attendees to make up the sudden shortfall (hiring strippers, etc), which makes the cons even more unpalatable for female visitors, etc.

A pretty juicy news cycle, with MANY an opportunity for ridiculous accompanying pics opposite the articles.

I anticipate this. You KNOW it's coming.

>>4954
What's sad is that at cons, it actually does go both ways. You have socially retarded fanboys AND fangirls that somehow think it's acceptable to run free like the retards they are and grab anyone they find even remotely attractive. And they do. I saw a guy have his assed grabbed by a girl, who then ran back to their friends, who all went, "SQUEEEEE", while he sat there staring at them with a face that obviously meant he had no idea what the fuck just happened.

Sheesh, no wonder 4channers have a so ronery ;-; stereotype.


Just so you know, groping a woman that you don't even know =/= proper behavior. And they're not being "whiny" or "moralfags" for trying to get you losers to leave them alone. Put yourselves in their shoes.

So some dumb bitch that can't get a real job got flirted with by nerds at a comic book convention.

Big deal. The whore should have been gangraped by niggers.

This is the truly sad thing. People just don't realise /b/tard behaviour *outside* of /b/ results in b@.

>>4979
>This is the truly sad thing. People just don't realise /b/tard behaviour *outside* of /b/ results in b@.

The cunt wanted it.

>>5020
Will never have a girlfriend.

>>4710
I do it all the time. I grab asses of hot chicks at raves and in crowded hallways. Get away with it every time.

Holy shit. Just. Holy shit.

The Groper’s Brotherhood

Meanwhile, what of the gropers? Who’s thinking about the degenerates? All they ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being. On the buttocks, or maybe on the breasts. Is that a crime?

Fortunately, help is at hand. You need look no further than Shigeru Oohori: “elite salariman”, loving husband/father, and head of “Chikan Tomo-No-Kai” (”The Groper’s Brotherhood”). He has assembled a 40-strong group of deviants from all walks of life, including teachers, government officials and a Buddhist priest (Buddhism seems to have an ambiguous attitude to molesting strangers in public places). Not just any horny freak can join though: a black belt 5th dan groper is expected to cop 100 sleazy feels a month.

According to Oohori, gropers come in two main categories. “Orthodox” gropers, about 80% of the fondling population, get their kicks from the girl’s look of disgust and embarrassment. The “Technician” is a rarer and far more admirable breed. With practiced technique, they subtly titillate their gropees into a state of subconscious arousal.

This chikan elite meet once a month in a Tokyo café to touch base and play with some new ideas. Over the internet, they warn each other of police crack-downs on certain train-lines. They even run practical mauling workshops, hiring girls to be bothered by them on crowded commuter trains, and offering criticism and tips.

There are special ” image clubs” (imekura) catering for chikan, with tailor-made rooms built to look like subway carriages, and prostitutes paid extra to act like unsuspecting commuters.

In the words of their sensei: “Groping was once a solitary activity, but now thanks to the Internet it’s become easy to link up with people who share the same kind of sexual interests.”

>>5058
I lol'd.

>>5057

I get groped by other girls all the time at raves. I'm usually too drunk to do much about it, but I'm also never really bothered either... I'm not the one you should worry about though. I feel bad for any guy that even thinks about it, due to our stab-happy entourage.

The whole "lol I'm an socially maladjusted asshole" thing is just annoying. You're not impressing anyone by pretending to be misogynistic.

>>5082
this is 4chan you dumbfuck, you're not impressing anyone by acting like a moralfag

Don't be mad, this may be one of the few times each year they have a chance to be in close proximity to women who look like the characters in the anime they so fervently consume :(

>>5097

And this isn't /b/. Why don't you (and mods in general) understand that?

>>5124
Please STFU no one cares!

>>4682

Take this moralistic nonesense and go dine in hell, good sir/madam

>>5124

Newfag plz gtfo/gb2bed

>>5097
You know what you are? Unsatisfied. For as many men as you've fucked, just how do you get off reprimanding promiscuity? I want you to think about the sex-to-social interaction ratio you have with your current boyfriend. Perhaps you realize that you're just being used for your average body. Maybe he'll take you along to a con or two; only because he'd have gone anyways and he wants his favorite fuck buddy in his room.

You have never had a meaningful relationship with anyone. Ever. For even though you will get clingy to these men who don't give a shit about you, they've never loved you. No one ever will. A bitch like you is incapable of the sort of connection that leads to a sustainable relationship. In ten years, after your third failed marriage, I hope you can fully appreciate your situation and kill yourself so the world doesn't have to deal with your broken personality. Go call your bff Cindy and baw some more. She's the only one who can stand listening to you anyways.

a lot of this has something to do with what I call "offensensitivity" as in "people think they have the right to be protected by offensive behavior by others" - take the third example - one of your friends draws shitty art and some dude came by and told her she can't draw for shit. In fact, it turns out he said this to some other people who can't draw for shit either. Where is the crime here? nowhere? do you really think people should be protected from criticism? I'm sorry but that's retarded. If you are a shitty artist it is the JOB of your audience to TELL YOU that you can't fucking draw so you KNOW. Otherwise we get circlejerks like deviantart..

>on Friday a man came to her booth and openly criticized her drawing ability and sense of design.

Oh noes! Better call the cops!

>>4979
the reason: asperger's
the excuse: asperger's

I wear over-sized hoodies and loose jeans with a belt. I don't put my hair up, and I don't wear makeup. I don't flirt with anyone, I don't act seductive, and I don't even think I'm very attractive.

I still get groped. Like, full-on chest grabbing and butt-grabbing type things.

So while I disagree with the idea of 'if they dress like a slut or use flirty words, they should be raped,' my REAL question is why the fuck do I get harassed?

I really think there should be a rule somewhere about this, because I really love meeting 80% of the people at cons, but I would like to wear miniskirts and tanktops there, or maybe even cosplay a character I like that wears a revealing outfit, or maybe, just maybe, I would like to NOT be harassed and told I deserve it for coming to convention, or that it's OKAY because they're nerds.

Ladies, ladies.

Let me let you in on a little secret: if a guy gropes/upskirts/harrases you, kick him in the junk, then smash his camera.

The end.

>>5235
Geez if someone gropes or harrasses you, report it to a staff member or security guard. There doesn't need to be a specific rule on it simply because it's already against the law to begin with.

>>5243
Even reporting it never does anything. They'll just do it again and again.

I had the same guy follow me for two full days at a convention, and no matter how much I talked to the security guards, nothing happened.

>>5240
anonymous: one problem-solving motherfucker

>>5240
Personally, I'd favor a policy of punching/kicking/verbal harassment for the first offense, junk-kicking for the second, and destruction of property for the third. There's always the chance that someone will make a mistake, and wouldn't it be embarrassing to dick-kick someone (causing vomiting and bleeding of the face if you do it right) only to find out they didn't mean to run into you?

Sage for comic-con.

>>5265
Right since guys obviously are going to own up to groping you instead of lying and saying "it was an accident!".

Nope, they'll say "YEP I GROPED YOU." when you angrily call them out on it in a crowded place.

Seriously, are you a moron or something?

>>5240

While this is a satisfying solution, it doesn't hold up in court D:

In reality though, people are usually too startled or afraid to react until it's too late. This can be extremely frustrating, but is an unfortunate factor.
http://hollabacknyc.com

>>5269
It would hold up in court. "Your Honor, this 300+ mouth breather grabbed my ass and said he was going to find me later and rape me." ... "Case dismissed."

Trust me. If there were more junk kicking and camera smashing, cons would be safer.

>>5267
that's what witnesses are for, dumbass.

can't you just fuck shit up in that kind of situation?

People are too soft nowadays.

Complaining about a guy asking you out? Seriously?