Are You A Model?
I’ve been lacking topics to write until I came upon this post, or rather, its comments (in all its glorious childishness and stupidity, which I don’t even want to go into). Somewhere in there, the guy calls the girl a “fat angry feminist”, to which she replies “FYI: I’m a model”.
The thing is, I know that girl (which is another long story I don’t want to go into, or maybe I will, who knows). And if going back to some East Asian country and taking provocative photos of yourself half naked at your second-cousin-once-removed’s makeshift studio qualifies for one being a model, my God, then Myspace must be the new Elite with the countless “models” they have on their site.
Seriously, though I’m signed with an agency and have done some REAL modeling work, I still don’t like to refer to myself as one, because quite frankly, I’m just a little peon in the super competitive industry. The most I’ll say is that I do some modeling work every now and then, and if people want to call me a model, that’s their choice. But at least my head isn’t floating in the air and I know where I am in the food chain.
But her? She has a ModelMayhem account with those suggestive photos I mentioned earlier, and that’s it. It’s like saying that if you’ve shot with a photographer before, you’re somehow a fully fledged model. Not an aspiring model, not an amateur model, but an OH-EM-GEE-I’m-the-next-Heidi-Klum model. Seriously, she needs to wake up and realize that the modeling industry is more than just having a pretty face or a nice body. A lot of girls have that, and a lot of girls can be cam whores and stick their photos all over Myspace or Facebook, but that doesn’t make them a model, and it certainly doesn’t make her one either.
How do you guys define the term “model”?
By the way, do read the joke on the site while you’re at it. It’s quite funny actually and might cure you of the headache should you decide to read the comments there.
Aleida says:
Okeeeej – I tried to read the whole comment list after reading the so called ‘joke’ .. but I had to stop half way. It was totally frying my brain. It’s unforunate ‘Lisa’ decided to get into the whole discussion.
I love debating things and sometimes I just know I’m right, but not everyone can follow a decent debate with strong arguments. Many times I have been K.O. ‘ed by some random idiot who was talking bull*ish. So now I just don’t bother anymore.
How to define the term ‘model’… well for me it’s someone who is signed at a model agency and does photoshoots or runway thngs? Ahaha. Well I’m not much into models, I usually just look at the clothes or hair or the photo in a whole. I do like people who could be an inspiration to others, the so called ‘role model’ I guess or contemplating ‘mindsets’ and ‘ways of life’.
Sarah says:
I think I agree with you – the whole thing seemed pretty infantile to me.
And having a ModelMayhem account and taking half-naked photographs certainly doesn’t make one a model. I have done photoshoots in the past, I am nowhere near a model; neither do I intend to be. I don’t wish to break into such an industry because I just don’t have high enough self-esteem.
I think a model is someone who does things like this fairly regularly, is signed with an agency etc. Unless it’s a job of some kind, you can’t really call yourself a model – as it’s an occupation, as with any other. Would you call yourself a librarian if you alphabetised your bookshelf? Would you call yourself an accountant if you manage your finances by yourself? She needs to bring herself back down to earth and face reality.
Mimi says:
In my opinion, I view real models as the ones who have to hustle all of the time. Miss Mosh (don’t know if you’ve heard of her, just throwing her name out there
) is a model I met on Deviantart and she talks to people. She tells people how it’s not glamorous like the photos and that it’s HARD. You are constantly being judged and you have to work your butt off to get contracts (I think that’s what they’re called?). In my opinion, those are the real models. 
BTW, I love your little rant posts.. they crack me up! 
Morbid Romantic says:
Maybe it’s my complete disinterest in anything regarding fashion or make up or model… things, but I don’t really have an opinion of someone who models. I suppose I would say that a model is someone who has taken fashion or art photos for money (and not naked ones!).