Monday, October 15, 2012

Odd Jobs

Last night a very interesting documentary shown on TV CBC edition of The Passionate Eye. It has something to do w ith young girls from Russia. It all started with a queue of teengirls clad in skimpy bra and bikinis vying their way in to modelling. They all are tall and skinny and have that fair complexion their would be employers would like. After a short video wherein they have to say their name, age and where they came from they have to parade like models in those swimming suits and act like models and snapshots after snapshots were then recorded and later on they've chosen who will be going to be a model in Japan. Why Japan is the destination for these models? Yeah why on earth not in other countries?

Two models from Russia were chosen namely Nadiya ( a Lilli Sobieski's look-alike) and Madlen by their mentor who was also a model before she become their promo manager. It was na hour documentary only so the pacing is somewhat fast. They travelled by train from Russia (Siberia) to Japan. The models were ushered to small cubicle called apartment which is so small enough for a bunkbed to fit in, small table and stools, bathroom in the same room. It was really too small for them but they managed until they were called for photo shoot ops. Nadiya was asked not to reveal her true age because she is only minor age 14 actually at the very start then the photographer asked her to say she's 15 yrs. old. Only one photos were shot and were then xeroxed so many times. The girls tried to find out where those photos were published. They searched those photos everywhere, in magazine stalls and book stores and can't find where their modelling career will end up. They don't have much luck of their career because of the many don'ts esp. on how they have to manage their body weight. The manager keeps measuring their vital statistics and they should not go beyond those "numbers" (body weight, height) what's stated in the contract. Madlen becomes overweight and she was sent home. End of her modelling career. Later Nadiya went home too after she finds out that her photos end up in magazines with black dyed hair and the hair covering her eyes. Nadiya has blonde hair and blue eyes. After that she also went back to Russia after all the crying scenes.

Modelling career at Tyra's? You as a model for supermodel should have tough invisible mask on your face, you should be very strong to racist comments, you should be made of plastic if not rubber or steel to get to the top. You should be able to do their "odd jobs of modelling" embarrassing yourself to the public and you may want to compare the modelling to hazing, fraternity and sorority. It's almost like a cult. It is scary. It's like being in MIT where genius experiment with awful gas. Something like that. Weird! So weird! If that's the kind of modelling who wants it? You'd better just join the ARMY! Or NAVY.  At least you get promoted to the rank and file.

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