We take a look at the second perspective; ‘Inadequacy as imposed on models by others’.
I’m going to dwell on this more.
‘Others’ here, refers to agencies, agents, designers, managers, event coordinators, organizers and all the crēme de la crēme of the modelling industry. You name it.
Now I know that certain designers and certain events have specifications. They state clearly the kind of models they want; height, size, and what have you. This is fine.
What isn’t fine is that, more often than not, specifications are not stated. You just see an ad for a job or a runway event or a pageant and the info given is ‘models needed’. And then when models arrive, random selection begins- which have nothing to do with attitude or confidence.
A friend mentioned bitterly to me how she went for an audition and was told she didn’t qualify because she didn’t have a big butt and wasn’t light skinned. This is a major confidence killer.
A pageant coordinator I know denied a girl her crown because he thought she wasn’t thin enough. Is this absurd or what? Where specifications are not stated, models should not be made to feel inadequate. We need to bear in mind that the said models are actually human! With feelings and emotions…! Not robots. In one way or the other, it all boils down to self-confidence.
Okay, let’s picture this;
- A typical model forsakes ice cream, chocolates, pies, snacks, and all other mouth-watering delicacies that make life worth living and subjects herself/himself to vegetables and fruits and healthy foods in the name of dieting.
- She/he hits the gym 5 out of 6 days in a week, twice daily doing push ups, sit ups, squats, weight lifts, yoga, lunges etc. to get that perfect butt or biceps or tommy (you think any of that is easy? Try squats for just a minute).
- He/she invests money and time in getting a big and impressive portfolio plus all the money and time spent in ‘looking like a model’.
And then after all of these, when she/he goes for a job or audition, someone will just casually say ‘you are not what we need’.
Take a second, and let that sink inn.
Some other models however, who put on the I-am-better-than-you look and the very
annoying air of inflated self-worth, ego and conceitedness also thrive in making their fellow models feel inadequate.
Well, everyone badly wants to make it. So we can’t really blame them. But then what’s the point?
A great speaker and writer whose name I can’t recall right now once wrote ‘we are all like angels with one wing. We need each other to fly’
Inadequacy is a confidence killer as well as a career killer. No one should be subjected to it.
Check here for the next segment.
