Tyra Banks was in the news
yesterday for an Instagram Post she shared about the modeling industry. She
offers support to the models of today who have such high and sometimes
impossible standards they are required to meet.
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@Ken Towner/ANL/REX Shutterstock via Daily Mail
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Models have so much pressure today…They have to be slimmer than slim. Skinnier than skinny…And they have to do selfies that make them look relatable, but not TOO relatable, because then people may comment that they don't understand, "Why the heck is THAT girl a friggin' model??!!!!"
When I was a young model, yeah, we had to think about our weight, but not like today. I think I was size 6, not a size 0…I'm sending love and hugs to all working, aspiring and super models worldwide. You all have lots to live up to. And I'm here cheering for you every single day. Stay strong girls.
Her post and the reactions to it
got me thinking about how I look at the Stripping world and the strippers of
today and how I write about my feelings toward the adult industry.
Some critics were quick to point
out that if Tyra feels so strongly about the state of the modeling industry,
why is she still a part of it? Why does she participate in judging young models
on reality shows like America’s Next Top
Model?
I was just talking to my husband
the other day about how I tend to write about stripping and nude modeling from
a very middle-of-the-road attitude. I don’t express anger about the industry. I
tend to focus on the fact that every woman should have the choice of what she
does with her body and that there isn’t anything inherently wrong with
stripping or any other adult entertainment activities.
But when I talk to him about these
things is when he notices the anger. That got me thinking: Do I express myself
differently on the same topic whether I am writing about it or talking about
it? And if so, why?
Perhaps I am more guarded and
careful about my words when I am writing, but when I speak, I may get caught up
in the emotions and really just let out my truest feelings.
Like Tyra, I need to give myself
permission to “be a part” of an industry in certain ways, but also advocate for
better conditions or point out the problems and flaws within that world.
I also need to allow myself for my
opinions to shift and not be afraid of being branded a hypocrite because there
will always be someone not happy with what I have to say or who I am.
While writing this, I just heard
the amazing news: the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a
right to same-sex marriage.
Wow—this is all thanks to those
who have fought for equality for decades. This is all because of people willing
to declare what they felt, even when it was a very unpopular belief to hold.
Modeling requires presentation and judgment. You can't escape that. It's like stripping. If women don't want to be judged in model auditions, they are free to do something else.
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