Girl Model: Harmful Stereotypes on the Global Stage

My favorite part of last weekend’s Oscar ceremonies – aside from the self-confidence exuded by Quvanzhané Wallis – was Anne Hathaway’s short commentary at the end of her speech. She noted, “Here’s hoping that someday in the not-too-distant future, the misfortunes of Fantine [her character] will only be found in stories and nevermore in real life.” She was referring to Fantine’s life in poverty, where she is forced to sell her hair, and then her body, to support herself and her daughter. Fantine learns that while society values her beauty, it will also exploit her for it.

While I share Anne’s hope that cultural change is not too far off, documentaries like PBS’s Girl Model highlight how much work lies ahead. The film follows Nadya, a 13-year-old Russian modeling hopeful, and Ashley, a recruiter and former model, as Nadya is brought from her small town in Russia to Tokyo with promises of money and modeling opportunities. Nadya faces pressures to be thin and to lie about her age; although she is valued for her youthful looks, she is told to say she is 15 rather than 13. She eventually leaves Tokyo, in debt, her hopes of building a better life for herself and her family shattered.

Girl Model shows the truly global nature of problems with the modeling industry. It raises concerns about fair rates of pay, exploitation of minors, and the problematic nature of Western beauty standards that value thinness, whiteness, and extreme youth. It also makes me think of just how many stereotypes women face in the workplace – stereotypes that can become a barrier to equal opportunities and fair pay. For example, women are often expected to “act like ladies” – to conform to feminine standards of beauty and behavior, to not be assertive, and sometimes not even to ask for what they are entitled to (including the terms of a contract). Employers may also presume that women are not their family’s primary breadwinner, an assumption that they use to justify paying women less. Not only may Nadya have faced some of these stereotypes, it seems that her modeling agency may have depended on the girl models conforming to them by not demanding more support in a foreign country, more work, and a fulfillment of the promises offered in their contracts. An agency representative flippantly comments that the young models will of course face challenges in earning money, but “they can get, like, experiences.” This attitude rests heavily on the stereotype that women who work do not necessarily do so to support themselves, but rather do so for personal fulfillment or pocket money – and is especially jarring in light of Nadya’s quest to earn money to support herself and her family.

I look forward to watching Girl Model when it premieres on March 24th. You can find out more about how to host a viewing party here.