Modeling Archives - Jennifer Lidikay

Skewed Ideas on Modeling

rose_7xu2lp — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 00:17:47 +0000

Some people have some very funny definitions of “modeling”. When I say I’m a model, in some it conjures images of glamorous red carpets, perfect hair and eating next to nothing. Others think of porn. Either way, I’m an air-headed girl that is just meant to stand around and look pretty. I am an object that exists for the consumption of others.

I look for jobs in a variety of places. Many of the offers I get from Craigslist and other sites are nothing more than thinly veiled inquiries for prostitution. I can’t tell you how many “wealthy, attractive businessmen” I’ve had in my inbox looking to “sponsor a girl like me”.

On my Instagram, I had one person message me about “promo modeling”, a term usually reserved for models to run convention booths, attend car/boat shows and talk to people, and other legitimate marketing. What this circumstance offered, on the other hand, was “I’ll pay you to go to parties as my date. I’ll pay for you to get your hair and nails done, and spoil you like a princess.” While it sounds lovely to be spoiled like a princess, I am personally offended by offers such as these. At best, it’s someone just wanting a piece of arm candy, because that’s what they see me as. An accessory they can hang on their shoulder like a decoration. At worst, it’s not even a legitimate offer and I end up in a dangerous situation. Almost inevitably, sex is what’s expected from these offers.

The bottom line is simple: models are not sex workers. I am in the interest of creating art. I have a mind, and a personality, and a life of my own. It’s easy to see pictures on a computer screen and dehumanize the subject. Regarding a couple pictures I posted on Instagram from my childhood, I’ve had people tell me it felt “wrong” to go from looking at my nude work to suddenly seeing me at eight years old. It was unfathomable that yes, I was once a child. I don’t even post anything extremely provocative, as it’s not my style, and yet it was still unbelievable that I was capable of being anything other than a sexual fantasy to them.

I, and every other model on the planet, am more than that. I am a person.

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I am not a coat hanger

rose_7xu2lp — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 22:21:42 +0000

So occasionally I read articles on yahoo during work, when I’m done with my tasks. Today I read one about Israel putting limitations on fashion models’ weight requirements, and down in the comments section one person put the rather philosophical, in-depth comment of “Whatever. Models are just clothes-hangers anyway. Skinny little things you hang clothes on”. As a model myself, I take offense at comments like these. They are made with the assumption that a model is a “thing”, that she can be objectified. I left a reply explaining that modeling is actually a lot of work, and many girls (myself included) put a lot of effort and dedication into their work, to create images that tell a story. Within ten minutes of my comment being posted, it was already hidden due to it receiving 11 thumbs-down votes, as well as several people leaving derogatory comments towards me. And these are the people that say the modeling industry is judgmental? I do not support the “too-skinny” look, as I know it is unhealthy. The models who do are often in extremely poor health, and are incapable of doing most things that modeling even requires (standing for hours on end, holding difficult poses, etc.) I maintain an average weight, and I’m working to gain more body strength, so I can be a better model. I also believe that a model needs to be first and foremost a role model. There was a time I had extremely low self-esteem, and developed harmful habits to try and reach an unhealthy weight. I got myself out of that mindset, and I take better care of myself now. As a model, I hope I can reach out to girls in the same position as I was, and be a light for them. I’m just so sick of these bastards who think they know everything about models. WE ARE NOT A STEREOTYPE. These are the aforementioned comments, in order of appearance: “Whatever. Models are like coat hangers. They’re skinny little things that you hang clothes on.” “Obviously your derogatory comment comes from someone outside of the fashion industry. I’ve been modeling for ten years, and I consider myself to be more than simply a “coat-hanger”. Modeling is a lot of hard work, with a lot of dedication that must be put into it. A model’s job is to create images that tell a story. It is art. This is not to say that I agree with the girls who work to gain the “too skinny” look. I maintain an average weight, because I also believe a model to be a role model for other girls.” “Isn’t the story that a model creates one that invariably says, “If you spend your money on this product/service, you’ll be as attractive/successful/happy/popular/irresistible as me?”” “Lol Jennifer. I was a runway model and in my experience there was not very much work that had to be put into it. The only ‘work’ was when I gained 5 pounds and was told my butt was too big for the sample sizes, so I had to try and lose it. In the end I decided I quite liked not being a 00 so I enjoyed eating and looking like a normal person.” “LOL, Jennifer the hidden comment girl,,,A model’s job is to be a role model too? That explains why you are reading and posting on Yahoo, just cracks me up, thanks you made my day, lol.” “Jennifer, you’re ok with using your body for nothing more than display purposes? Modeling is not hard work. You either pose and look pretty or you walk and look pretty. It might be hard for a complete air head….” “Yes Jennifer, I’m sure being a pretty living mannequin is hard work……..” “Jennifer, I believe it is the photographers job to create the images that tell the story. You are merely the subject that does what it is told, not the creative genius. As stated above, “a hanger for clothes”.”

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Let’s talk, Shall we?

rose_7xu2lp — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 23:39:23 +0000

Scarlet Letter or Easy A Let’s take a minute to discuss nude modeling. What is your opinion on it? Positive? Negative? Neutral? Where is the line between artistic and pornographic? The reason I ask about this is fairly simple. Well, not really. I don’t know. Recently, someone in my life- someone who shall go unnamed- voiced their opinion on my modeling work, which was incredibly negative, and very hurtful. They claimed there was no difference between an artistic nude portrait and someone posing for a porn magazine. Like a prostitute asking money for… you know, they stated posing nude was just another way to sell a woman’s body. I don’t think any of this is true. To me, my modeling is a form of expression, and a very powerful one. When I look at an image, regardless of whether it is clothed or nude, I search for the story behind it, and the emotion that the artist/photographer/model is trying to portray. To me, nudity could mean freedom, it could mean vulnerability, it could mean any number of emotions, and I have a hard time understanding people who don’t see that. I understand that I’m probably vastly different from most people, because I grew up in a house where photo shoots a regular occurrence. It wasn’t unusual for my brother and I to have to help clear the garage to set up a backdrop, set up lights, dig out the “model wardrobe” suitcases, and any number of the things that needed to be done to prepare for a model to show up. We’d sometimes watch during the shoots (which was one reason I got into modeling in the first place), and we’d see the photos afterward. My dad would ask for our opinions, explain the stories behind the pictures, and ask how we would do things differently. Anyway, I know I’ve probably started to ramble a bit, so I’ll get back to the point: Am I the odd one in this circumstance? I really want to hear from you guys on this subject, because it’s one that I’m really passionate about. Also, just for reference, this is my modeling portfolio: www.modelmayhem.com/1882736

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