This whole model "controversy" on gather is based on opinion, no facts at all.
So here are some facts.
1. You don't have to be absolutely stunning to be a model. Many "professional models" are ugly before being photoshopped and made up for hours. Here's one of the contestants from Top Model. Her body's ok, but her face, particularly her nose is, to say the least, short of amazing:
Here we have a sports illustrated model with buck teeth, real sexy huh?:
Here's supermodel, May Anderson who was detained from the US, now here's something sexy:
2. Models are not only skinny and young. Here's Mrs. Eva Von Slut a model and burlesque dancer (note that she is actually more attractive than many of the list above):
And here's a sweet little granny model:
3. Real supermodels are not all brainless twats. Cindy Crawford was actually Valedictorian of her high school and attended Northwestern University. Elle MacPherson enjoys reading up to 3 books at a time.
4. Many boys also try to look pretty and take photos.
5.More women than ever are going to college and getting degrees and women who like math are LESS self concious than boys are about apperance. And women are still interested in reading and writing, but are also starting to take up math and science more than before.
"Women are the majority (56 percent) of students enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate institutions and, as a group, have surpassed men in degree attainment at the associate, bachelor, and master 's levels."
"Overall, females continue to do better than males in reading and writing. For example, in 1996, male eleventh graders scored 275 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), about the same as female eighth graders. "
"Girls have increased the kinds of math and science courses they take in high school. For example, in 1998, more girls took algebra II and geometry than in 1990. Taking these courses by the ninth and tenth grades is seen as a major predictor of a student's continuing to college. "
So in conclusion, even if girls do decide to do modeling, that doesn't mean they're throwing their education out the window. Boys actually do care how they look. Being a model does not automatically make you a moron. And yes, pretty much anyone can be a model.
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Comments: 60
excellent article...
find the camera is not that nice to them. Strange Uh!
It's the same with a mirror, reality does not always look like it does in the mirror. Why you ask? How should I know, I just notice theses things.
Minde is not to question why, mine is just (if I don't know) to do or lie.
I think women really need to stop complaining about how the media tells them what is pretty. If you are complaining about it, you know it's bullshit, so why bother? Hell, I know that I don't fit the media's bill for an attractive male. I'm too big, too pale, too this and that. And shit, that's ok. Some people think I'm good looking anyway, so I don't really care.
Eva's really a great girl. She's also in one of the best all female bands I have ever heard.
There's a subtext in American society, however, that's hard to get away from... and that is that we are very "looks oriented." Let's face it, you might be dating someone who has a PhD in nuclear physics... but it's a pretty good bet that the question "Is (s)he cute?" will be asked before the question "Is (s)he smart?" Maybe not always, but most of the time. My mother was a runway model in New York (in the 50's-- I'm an olde pharte), and has a college eduction and a very high IQ. There's an irony in the fact that she always told me to look for a woman with a good brain and a kind heart... yet whenever I mentioned I was "seeing" someone, the first thing she'd want to know was whether said girl was "slim and fit." It's what we do; it's human nature. Somehow, it seems, a chunk of the population feels ill will towards those who have both brains and beauty...
Sorry Donna, but I don't feel like editing this and if I did, your comment would remain, so there would be no point.
Pete, this is the article that started it all:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976760380
She rarely makes any logical points with any backing whatsoever, so I thought it just to give her my factual backing for the things I was saying.
And you're very lucky to have such beautiful and smart daughters.
I agree George, I think labels and fashion and all of it are silly. I really do think that everyone should just wear what they want. I was refering to all types of models, not just fashion models and many fashion models actually love to wear the stuff that they model in anyway.
I am 50 years young and thanks God , I feel good about my age.
marinela
I agree with Sandy the extreme focus on beauty and fashion is more from family than media. I have three sisters we look fine. Our Mother forbade us to "trade on our looks" as she called it, and insisted that we must always take care of ourselves and stand on our own two feet. Make-up is grand, a few touches can make ordinarily attractive girls, look fabulous when the occasion merits that kind of look.
I have a beautiful scientist daughter.
I just hate that when I go out or try to meet people, because of all of this stuff being branded in our head with advertising and such, that I can sometimes go unnoticed because I may not fit the profile or be the skinniest or the one with the best clothes.
There lose, not mine.
The Sports Illustrated chick not only has buck teeth, she also has a very mediocre boob job. Alas, she's still kinda hot.
They should get Charlize Theron to play May Anderson in the made-for-tv movie about May's horrible mistreatment at the hands of U.S. Immigration Officials.
The guy in image #7 should become a scientist.
I completely agree George. If we're going to REQUIRE people to wear certain things they should at least have some function or meaning. Suits are pretty much useless.
Personally though, I would never want to eat somewhere that requires a suit jacket for entry.
sheesh.
God I know, that drives me nuts!
2. All of those pictures are of strong, healthy, clear complexioned people with nice neck lines and fertile waist-hip ratios. That "cute grannie model" looks younger than her peers. These are not your ordinary, randomly chosen individuals from the population. You do not see people like this at a bus stop. I see the point that everyone can be a model of something, if a stretch. I think realistically that the concept that anyone can be a face model is idealized and these people are still the exception, not the rule.
3. While I feel Stephanie argued very poorly and continued to dig herself into deeper and deeper holes, I haven't seen evidence here that her base premise - that body image is overemphasized in females and leads to some women neglecting a fulfilling and contributive career to pursue shallow, exploitative work - was wrong. Did she continue to add inflamatory falsities to the pile? Yes. I don't agree with everything she said. But I think there was truth in the premise and this article hasn't convinced me otherwise.
But I think to suggest that girls are "throwing their education out the window to persue modeling careers." And suggesting that there's a "modeling epidemic" is idiotic.
If there is a huge push of people trying to be models, the push is more towards the alternative model aspect where really, everyone can be a model. I really think everyone has something stunning about them and whether they are an art, figure, catalogue or runway model, anyone could model. They may not be able to make money doing so, but that doesn't mean they can do it.
As Joe pointed out, you can be in a band without having talent, so why do you have to be stunning to model?
And really, the majority of these kids that do want to be models don't, "throw their education out the window." They just have fun with it.
1) That's true, but considering the historic numbers of female college attendees, this is a stagering percentage. As far as why more females aren't mathmaticans, I would like to see a study on that. From what I understand it's different feilds are populated different, eg. fewer female engineers, greater number in statistics. I'm sure part of this has to do with what women find interesting. That's not to say that the women feel embaressed about being good at math, as many pointed out in Steph's article. I'm saying that other cultural influences make women interested in catagory a over catagory b.
2) The granny model does look much younger than her peers. But part of this is also in make up. Many older women can look around 20 years younger with the right makeup artist -which they do get for those types of shoots. As far as Eva Von Slut, she is beautiful, but I feel she's the kind of beauty you do see at the bus stop. Everywhere I go I see very attractive young girls.
My comment wasn't about everyone being able to be a face model, just a model of some kind, which I did touch upon above. There are all kinds of models, and really, just about anyone could be a model for an artist because they take the beauty out of the human form, rarely do they actually look for amazingly stunning people to create art from. Then there are parts models too. That's what I'm saying about any woman could be a model.
3) Yes, I agree, women are having the concept of beauty stuffed down their throats, even as children. Have you ever heard of an ugly disney princess?
I wasn't arguing that point, I was arguing the other points of her article, such as women all throwing academics out the window for a modeling career. And as my friend Josh pointed out, the girls that really are eating up all the societal influences and throwing away their whole life to do what society says they should do, those girls probably weren't that bright in the first place. I really doubt how many of them would have became scientists before they were lead astray.
I was also thrilled about Belle because at least she was a very well-read beauty. She was my favorite as a kid because I was a huge book nerd.
And I thought Mulan was good for breaking sexual stereotypes and being intellegent, but she was still stick skinny.
They're getting better, they just aren't there yet.
there are maybe 15,000 national level modelling jobs out there, and never mind the narcissist like mental attitude of 'look at me', the 'facts' are that for ever sweet granny model, (who was drop dead beautiful younger btw), there are hundred and thousands of girls and ladies who'll never see a legit camera.
the numbers... the fact run on the number too.
L.
:)
L.
I mean, honestly...if you are going to show some ugly models, then try to do better than this. Picking on people's nose and teeth isn't proving your point whatsoever.
Even many movie stars are not that big a deal if you catch them unawares. All you have to do is look at People magazine. Makeup artists are paid well, and for good reason.
Maybe a lot of you younger folks won't get this, but Morgan Fairchild, a stunning beauty, claimed that she was a homely teenager. I saw the pictures, and yeah, she was.
It's all a matter of what you do with what you have.
But a model, with makeup and dressed nicely, would absolutely BLOW the average person away.
Also, the male models I have personally known were quite obviously stunning without makeup...since men don't normally wear makeup.
And most models, without their clothes on, will have stunning, gorgeous bodies compared to the average American. Get real.
I half think people are agreeing with this premise that "models are average-looking" out of some sort of wishful thinking on their part. But no, when you meet a successful, beautiful model, you definitely see the difference even without the air-brushing.