Insulting plus-size model competition de-railed
Summary of story from Jezebel, September 9, 2011
Nancy Upton read about American Apparel’s search for plus-size, “booty-ful” models on Jezebel and although she felt the contest was”offensive,” decided to enter.
Upton asked her friend, Shannon Skloss, to take pictures of her — bathing in ranch dressing, pouring chocolate sauce directly into her mouth and gorging on chicken.
The images (which Upton posted on her Tumblr blog page) are provocative, and in this context, challenge American Apparel’s mission.
As Upton, 24, stares into the camera with a chicken wing in her mouth, it seems as if she’s both questioning: “This is what you think of “extra large” ladies, isn’t it? and also declaring:”That’s right, I eat. I fucking love wings. Deal with it.”
Jezebel asked Upton how she came up with the idea to have herself photographed smothered in food. She wrote:
“I read Margaret’s article about the contest on your website and followed the link over. I immediately thought, based on the way it was written: “Wow, they really have zero respect for plus-sized women.
“They’re going to line them up like cattle and make puns about them until they’re blue in the face.”
Upton went on to explain what she hopes American Apparel will learn from her visual commentary, and the entire fiasco:
“I just hope they see a missed opportunity. If they’d gone about the contest differently or, what I think would have been really great, if they had just suddenly start running ads with sexy plus-sized women and simply said: “Now available in sizes through 2XL,” the impact would have been huge (no pun intended, believe me) and VERY positive, I think.
“People would have said, “Wow, good for them! How progressive!” But instead, they used cutesy, tired euphemisms and this faux-chummy supportive tone that a lot of people found cheap and insulting.”
The fact that American Apparel has been in business since 1989 and only just now started carrying Nancy’s size is what seems abnormal.
WVoN comment: The online competition, which gathered votes from the public closed yesterday, but at last count Nancy was in second place. So her excellent challenge to American Apparel may actually win the competition. Women’s Views on News will certainly be rooting for her.
Summary and comment on a story from Jezebel, September 9, 2011. Nancy Upton read about American Apparel’s search for plus-size, “booty-ful” models. She found the contest “offensive,” but decided to enter. Nancy had her friend, Shannon Skloss, take pictures of her — bathing in ranch dressing, pouring chocolate sauce directly into her mouth, gorging on chicken.
The images (which Nancy has posted on her tumblr) are provocative, and in this context, challenge American Apparel’s mission. As Upton, 24, stares into the camera with a chicken wing in her mouth, it seems as if she’s both questioning, This is what you think of “extra large” ladies, isn’t it? and also declaring, That’s right, I eat. I fucking love wings. Deal with it.
I asked Nancy, via email, how she came up with the idea to have herself photographed smothered in food. She wrote:
“I read Margaret’s article about the contest on your website and followed the link over. I immediately thought, based on the way it was written, “Wow, they really have zero respect for plus-sized women. They’re going to line them up like cattle and make puns about them until they’re blue in the face.”
“And then, as corny as it sounds, it just occurred to me that based on their “Hey, come on, fatties, we want you to play, too” tone, wouldn’t it be kind of brilliant to respond in a, “Thanks for letting me play, just let me try put down the pizza, first” similar mocking tone.
I asked her what she hopes American Apparel will learn from her visual commentary, and the entire fiasco, and she answered:
“I just hope they see a missed opportunity. If they’d gone about the contest differently or, what I think would have been really great, if they had just suddenly start running ads with sexy plus-sized women and simply said, “Now available in sizes through 2XL,” the impact would have been huge (no pun intended, believe me) and VERY positive, I think.”
Summary and comment on a story from Jezebel, September 9, 2011. Nancy Upton read about American Apparel’s search for plus-size, “booty-ful” models. She found the contest “offensive,” but decided to enter. Nancy had her friend, Shannon Skloss, take pictures of her — bathing in ranch dressing, pouring chocolate sauce directly into her mouth, gorging on chicken.
The images (which Nancy has posted on her tumblr) are provocative, and in this context, challenge American Apparel’s mission. As Upton, 24, stares into the camera with a chicken wing in her mouth, it seems as if she’s both questioning, This is what you think of “extra large” ladies, isn’t it? and also declaring, That’s right, I eat. I fucking love wings. Deal with it.
I asked Nancy, via email, how she came up with the idea to have herself photographed smothered in food. She wrote:
“I read Margaret’s article about the contest on your website and followed the link over. I immediately thought, based on the way it was written, “Wow, they really have zero respect for plus-sized women. They’re going to line them up like cattle and make puns about them until they’re blue in the face.”
“And then, as corny as it sounds, it just occurred to me that based on their “Hey, come on, fatties, we want you to play, too” tone, wouldn’t it be kind of brilliant to respond in a, “Thanks for letting me play, just let me try put down the pizza, first” similar mocking tone.
I asked her what she hopes American Apparel will learn from her visual commentary, and the entire fiasco, and she answered:
“I just hope they see a missed opportunity. If they’d gone about the contest differently or, what I think would have been really great, if they had just suddenly start running ads with sexy plus-sized women and simply said, “Now available in sizes through 2XL,” the impact would have been huge (no pun intended, believe me) and VERY positive, I think.”
“People would have said, “Wow, good for them! How progressive!” But instead, they used cutesy, tired euphemisms and this faux-chummy supportive tone that a lot of people found cheap and insulting.”
The absurd part? Nancy doesn’t look like an “extra large” person. She looks, quite frankly, normal. Average. The fact that American Apparel has been in business since 1989 and only just now started carrying Nancy’s size is what seems abnormal.
The online competition which gathered votes from the public closed yesterday, but at last count Nancy was in second place. So her excellent challenge to American Apparel may actually win the competition. Women’s Views on News will certainly be rooting for her.
“People would have said, “Wow, good for them! How progressive!” But instead, they used cutesy, tired euphemisms and this faux-chummy supportive tone that a lot of people found cheap and insulting.”
The absurd part? Nancy doesn’t look like an “extra large” person. She looks, quite frankly, normal. Average. The fact that American Apparel has been in business since 1989 and only just now started carrying Nancy’s size is what seems abnormal.
The online competition which gathered votes from the public closed yesterday, but at last count Nancy was in second place. So her excellent challenge to American Apparel may actually win the competition. Women’s Views on News will certainly be rooting for her.