Yesterday evening Jezebel put up a post calling out American Apparel for claiming that its 5’10+ size 4- models aren’t professional models. They’re just friends who happen to contract with certain agencies and get flown around the world to have their picture taken, that’s all. It’s not exactly a surprising confirmation, and I strongly suspect it’s very common practice in most ad campaigns purporting to feature “real people.” (Cuz it’s not like professional models are made out of plastic?) There are legitimate reasons for the existence of professional models—I use them whenever I can for photo shoots. But just admit it.
The fiction that American Apparel ads are populated by company employees and their friends, and that this circle just happens to be entirely comprised of statuesque, high-cheekboned übermensch who have something against pants, is a very generative construct for the brand. The seductive/reductive concept is, as ever, “Buy this and you will look and feel like she does.” The ads certainly carry the illusion of the “real,” in the sense that they don’t seem overproduced or overly complex — that white space! that Helvetica! it’s so simple!
The real question is, will this have any effect on your plans to mob the American Apparel rummage sale next week? (Not me.)
So they just happen to know a lot of vapid looking people with eating disorders, what’s wrong with that? What I want to know is why most of the girls in their adds look like they are 13yrs old? Are they marketing to kids or Pedo’s?
I wish feminists would stop going on about skinny models and actresses. Most Americans are fat. Most Americans are women. Obviously, either people don’t care how tiny models are or there aren’t enough skinny models.