After winning Holland's Next Top Model, Ananda Marchildon (click here to see a gallery of her) scooped a €75,000 contract one of the world's most powerful modeling agencies, Elite. After earning only €10,000 in two years, she was dropped by the agency, in spite of starving herself and working out relentlessly.
The problem? Her hips were not small enough.
As a spokesman from the agency said, "because of her “fat ass,” she was unfit for modeling,” (quoted from The Daily Beast).
Now… I understand that a model's career is entirely based on her body and overall appearance. Often, they are discussed as if they are cows in a marketplace being haggled over by farmers. In a typical casting meeting, you'll hear statements like:
• "Hm. What does her hair look like curly/straight/short/long? Does that really go with our brand?"
• "Can we put a wig on her? Her hair is too dry/oily/curly/straight."
• "What size is she? Anything bigger than an 8 won’t work!"
• "What height is she? THAT short? No thanks!"
• "How many centimeters is her bust? Hm. Her cupsize is too small/large."
• "Has she gained any weight? Tell her to lose 5kgs and get back to us."
• "Her 'look' is all wrong…" and so on.
I know it's horribly impersonal talking about a human being as if they are a product. I can't even imagine how that affects your self-confidence – especially in such a competitive industry, surrounded by thinner/prettier/taller women, 24 hours a day.
Cruel? I think so.
But it is, unfortunately, what models sign up for when they choose this career path because they are, let’s be real, selling their exterior.
Nonetheless, is it fair that two centimeters can be the difference between being employed and not? I don't think so. And the court's verdict supports this, despite the agency's lawyer's argument that modeling is "not for everybody".
Elite, who had paid a portion of her contract, was required to fork out the remaining €65,000.
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Do you think it is okay to fire a model for that extra two centimetres because they are essentially selling their appearance? Or is this too extreme?