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Real Women vs. Models: Who do you want to see in a magazine?
Associated Press
BERLIN — Germany's most popular women's magazine announced Monday that it is banning professional models from its pages in favor of "real women" in an attempt to combat an unhealthy standard of rail-thin beauty that it says has isolated its readers. ...
"On its Web site, Brigitte announced to readers that "A New Epoch has Begun" and women to submit a portrait and full-body photos of themselves to considered for a photo shoot.
"We will pay the same fee as we would for professional models," Lebert said, adding that the magazine views the move as an investment. ... "We are not going to become a magazine for plus-sizes," he said.
(Lebert is the editor-in-chief of Brigitte)
From the same article:
Louisa von Minckwitz, who owns the German-based Louisa Models agency, told The Associated Press she believed the ban on models was a marketing gag that would not last for long. "Women want to see clothes on a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing person," von Minckwitz said.
Who do you want to see modeling clothing in a magazine: a "real woman" or a model?
Share your thoughts.
BERLIN — Germany's most popular women's magazine announced Monday that it is banning professional models from its pages in favor of "real women" in an attempt to combat an unhealthy standard of rail-thin beauty that it says has isolated its readers. ...
"On its Web site, Brigitte announced to readers that "A New Epoch has Begun" and women to submit a portrait and full-body photos of themselves to considered for a photo shoot.
"We will pay the same fee as we would for professional models," Lebert said, adding that the magazine views the move as an investment. ... "We are not going to become a magazine for plus-sizes," he said.
(Lebert is the editor-in-chief of Brigitte)
From the same article:
Louisa von Minckwitz, who owns the German-based Louisa Models agency, told The Associated Press she believed the ban on models was a marketing gag that would not last for long. "Women want to see clothes on a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing person," von Minckwitz said.
Who do you want to see modeling clothing in a magazine: a "real woman" or a model?
Share your thoughts.
Tags: advertising, women
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Anika Hutchinson on -
I don't like the term "real women". As a thin woman who was teased and ridculed for being thin, that phrase implies that thin women, or models aren't real women. GOD made all women with the same physiology - regardless of shape or size.
Having said that, I think that the fashion and entertainment world is about fantasy and escape. I think that's why they use women who are rare and unique to a majority of women. For me, it's an inspiration. But, I think there is room for all types of women.
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Permalink Reply by Michael R. -
Thin women are "rare and unique"? Since when? They use thin women because they are pretentious, self-serving, and only care about presenting a false-image of what a "real" woman should look like/be like. How exactly is it inspirational? I gotta know.
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Permalink Reply by Anika Hutchinson
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Since there is a higher percentage of women who are not thin compared to those who are thin. I would describe that as rare, at least in the U.S..
This is a very sore spot for me because I am thin and was often teased for it. It is very insulting when people insinuate that a thin woman is not a "real woman". I'm reminded monthly that in fact I am a "real woman".
And calling thin women pretentious is very insulting. I've worked for the fashion industry in NYC and I've had more pleasant work experience with them than I have here in Indiana. You are stereotyping an entire group of people (thin women, the fashion industry) based on your projections.
I said that fashion is inspirational to ME. I love fashion, beauty, hair and glamour.
I wasn't trying to offend anyone, but I know that there are biases toward the fashion industry and thin models as well. I also said that there is room for fuller and thin women.
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Permalink Reply by Anika Hutchinson
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Also, I forgot to mention is that some women are just naturaly thin due to a high metabolism. So not every model or thin woman starves themselves. And, models or thin women can be curvy. Most of the women in the Victoria's Secret catalogue proves that.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Swineford -
Exactly how many of these "thin women" have you met to make the determination that they are all pretentious?
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Permalink Reply by Johnnie belinda
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Real women. I was a starving model for ten years. It is not right that as a woman we must lose our curves, in that a designers clothing line does not compete with the womans figure.
At 5'7 I weighed 96 pounds as a model. I could not open doors I was so weak. For what? I was a walking skelton, I could find not rest sleeping on those bones. Now I a beautiful curvy woman that is desired.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Tomlinson -
Even if they go with what they consider "real women", will they actually be real in the ad? Airbrushing, photoshop, lighting, the list can go on and on, turns this so-called "real woman" into a not-so-real woman.
Honestly I think many American minds are trained to see the ugliness before we see the beauty. Someone later in this post put up two comparison photos of before/after. Seriously, the second one looks "better", more polished, brighter, unique.
I'm not saying it's right how we in America view things and maybe they view it differently elsewhere, I'm just saying I doubt sales will increase or subscriptions as well because these real women are being used.
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Permalink Reply by Michael J Dukehart, II -
Ok I see that this popped up so i feel I should finally add 2 more cents to the bucket.
It is time for the extremely skin women in all magazines and tv to excuse themselves to the nearest buffet table and let the average woman shine.
As a struggling amateur/freelance photographer it pains me to hear some women that I ask to photograph say over and over again that they would love to after they lose XX pounds. I believe that 90% of that is from the fact that the see nothing but skin and bones on tv and in magazines.
As a short fat bald guy I understand the not liking how you look now and visualizing the "better you. Therefore, I will give 10% of the blame there.
But truly....let the average woman shine!!!
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Permalink Reply by Anika Hutchinson
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"It is time for the extremely skin women in all magazines and tv to excuse themselves to the nearest buffet table and let the average woman shine."
That is so mean. This is where the problem lies. People put down thin women to uplift "average" or "larger" women.
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Permalink Reply by Michael J Dukehart, II
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There is thin and then there is starve my self until I am unhealthy thin, or binge and purge so I stay thin. One is fine and more power to you if you can do it through nutritious eating and exercise. The other is dangerous and sets a bad example for both men and women. I may be mean. I may be rude. But no one should risk their life for the sake of fashion.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Swineford
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There are several pages here, sorry if I'm asking a question that has already been asked, but what are you considering a "real woman". What size? What shape? What do you consider "real"? I'm surprised so many were able to answer this question with such little information.
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Permalink Reply by Anika Hutchinson
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There is no particuliar size or shape that classifies a "real woman". That whole notion that a woman has to be over a certain size or a certain shape is ridculous to me.
A "real woman" was determined by GOD before she was born. If you're born a girl, then you will grow up to be a woman. Period. Whether you are 90lbs or 390 lbs.
I do agree that some women remain thin through such means as eating disorders. But a lot of thin women are just naturally thin. That's just their physiology. It also needs to be addressed that being obese or extremely overweight is just as unhealthy as having an eating disorder. That also sets a bad example for men and women.
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