Attention whore is a slur and a sexist concept referring to a person, almost always a woman, who is perceived to be seeking attention in ways or for reasons that are considered unacceptable, especially if women are presenting femininity and/or sexuality. The standards for what is and isn't so-called "attention whoring" greatly differ depending on context. Women do not have to be presenting sexual traits, as the term is also used against women judged to be talking too much/too loudly, and even against victims who speak out against their perpetrators.
Issues with the concept arise when sexist interpretations are applied to women who are judged as being too boisterous, or not remaining submissive enough for her gender role, and when those actions are perceived by others to be her striving for attention. Examples:
- "She's wearing a tank top, and she must know this is a Boy's club, so she must be attention whoring."
- "She has an explicitly female UID, so she must be attention whoring."
- "She's clearly attention whoring, so she must be looking for sex."
- "She's clearly attention whoring, so she must be conniving."
- "She's clearly attention whoring, so she must have a ton of gifted items and help from guys, so she's cheating at the game."
Double standard
A double standard exist where a woman is considered an "attention whore" for displaying her looks and/or sexuality to draw attention to herself, but the industry/media should be allowed to objectifyingly use a woman's looks and/or sexuality to sell or promote products.
