Writing this has led me to the conclusion that I am mean-spirited. But I'm posting it anyway.
As you probably know, if you know me, I work as an art model and am a member of a sort of models' union that sets our rates, finds us jobs, etc. The organization keeps a list of working models: our names, basic stats, and a list of about five words we've chosen to describe ourselves--primarily with respect to our bodies, of course, but some people delve into the personality a little bit. I think I say I'm "charming." Haha. Except that I am
The rest of the words are something to the effect of "tall skinny white girl." Gawd, I should really put that instead.
ANYWAY, the point of this list is supposedly so that new clients can look it over and say "well, I today I would like to draw a charming tall skinny white girl, and tomorrow, how about a handsome twisty yogic dude. I see here that Esme and Jack (there isn't really a Jack) fit the bill, I'll take them!" As far as I know, this never actually happens--it seems most people just want a model, whatever; some people want a specific gender, and especially with schools sometimes they'll request someone who's larger, or very muscular, or very bony (like me!) depending on the lesson; and often repeat clients will request a specific model because they've worked well with them before, but I've never known someone to be requested right off the model list.
So, this is all leading up to: there was an audition a little while ago, so the list got updated, and as I was scanning through it, something caught my eye: one of the new girls' first word was "suicide-girl type." I do not know this girl; as far as I know, I have never met her. Perhaps she is a member (or not a "type" at all but actually an SG). Perhaps she is reading this right now. If so, hello, fellow figure model! But I want to know a few things
a) what does that even mean? Not to get all up on an SG-power thing, "ladeda, SGs come in all shapes, sizes, colors and levels of body modification," but seriously. I figured it was probably her way of saying she was tattoed and/or pierced and/or has funny hair, but when I asked a friend of mine who is both a model and a drawer so he meets a lot of the models whether this was the case, he said it wasn't. So maybe she's implying a certain attitude/personality? If so, what is it? Certainly, one needs both some "take no shit" and some "I love my body and all its faults" to stay in this job, but is it necessary to advertise it?
b) who is she appealing to? Considering that the supposed purpose of this sheet is to help people find models they want to hire, what clients is she imagining are going to pick her out for this? It's unique, certainly, but I would guess that, let's be generous and say 85%, of the people hiring models have never heard of sg.com and would probably just be weirded out by the word "suicide." Besides the schools, most of our clients are drawing groups whose members have an average age of at least 50 and probably skew, if slightly, to the female side. Granted, I've gotten a lot of compliments on my tattoos, some of them from 50+ women, but I'm pretty sure my tattoos aren't the reason they ask me back. Let's face it, most hot punk rock artists (which I imagine is what she imagines her demographic to be) can't really afford to hire models on their own, or, if they can (cf zaksmith), they already have a passel of friend-models to choose from, probably for free. So, in conclusion, I am baffled by this choice, unless it is
c) issued as a sort of warning /to/ the 50 something ladies? In which case, actually, I am still baffled.
As you probably know, if you know me, I work as an art model and am a member of a sort of models' union that sets our rates, finds us jobs, etc. The organization keeps a list of working models: our names, basic stats, and a list of about five words we've chosen to describe ourselves--primarily with respect to our bodies, of course, but some people delve into the personality a little bit. I think I say I'm "charming." Haha. Except that I am
The rest of the words are something to the effect of "tall skinny white girl." Gawd, I should really put that instead. ANYWAY, the point of this list is supposedly so that new clients can look it over and say "well, I today I would like to draw a charming tall skinny white girl, and tomorrow, how about a handsome twisty yogic dude. I see here that Esme and Jack (there isn't really a Jack) fit the bill, I'll take them!" As far as I know, this never actually happens--it seems most people just want a model, whatever; some people want a specific gender, and especially with schools sometimes they'll request someone who's larger, or very muscular, or very bony (like me!) depending on the lesson; and often repeat clients will request a specific model because they've worked well with them before, but I've never known someone to be requested right off the model list.
So, this is all leading up to: there was an audition a little while ago, so the list got updated, and as I was scanning through it, something caught my eye: one of the new girls' first word was "suicide-girl type." I do not know this girl; as far as I know, I have never met her. Perhaps she is a member (or not a "type" at all but actually an SG). Perhaps she is reading this right now. If so, hello, fellow figure model! But I want to know a few things
a) what does that even mean? Not to get all up on an SG-power thing, "ladeda, SGs come in all shapes, sizes, colors and levels of body modification," but seriously. I figured it was probably her way of saying she was tattoed and/or pierced and/or has funny hair, but when I asked a friend of mine who is both a model and a drawer so he meets a lot of the models whether this was the case, he said it wasn't. So maybe she's implying a certain attitude/personality? If so, what is it? Certainly, one needs both some "take no shit" and some "I love my body and all its faults" to stay in this job, but is it necessary to advertise it?
b) who is she appealing to? Considering that the supposed purpose of this sheet is to help people find models they want to hire, what clients is she imagining are going to pick her out for this? It's unique, certainly, but I would guess that, let's be generous and say 85%, of the people hiring models have never heard of sg.com and would probably just be weirded out by the word "suicide." Besides the schools, most of our clients are drawing groups whose members have an average age of at least 50 and probably skew, if slightly, to the female side. Granted, I've gotten a lot of compliments on my tattoos, some of them from 50+ women, but I'm pretty sure my tattoos aren't the reason they ask me back. Let's face it, most hot punk rock artists (which I imagine is what she imagines her demographic to be) can't really afford to hire models on their own, or, if they can (cf zaksmith), they already have a passel of friend-models to choose from, probably for free. So, in conclusion, I am baffled by this choice, unless it is
c) issued as a sort of warning /to/ the 50 something ladies? In which case, actually, I am still baffled.
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We're both just pretty shy and reserved - so we don't often LOOK like we're having fun, even when we are. But she was CLEARLY having fun that night.