Supermodeldoms of the past and of today and their standards.

Hi there!

How would you compare top models of 90s', - say, Turlington, Crawford, Casta, Schiffer with "modern" top models seen on Fashion TV, Vogue US and alike stuff? As fas as I can judge those top models of the 90s' were way way more impressive. They had fantastic faces and exquisitely shaped limbs. Have a look at today's celebritiees Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner - they are cute, for sure, and so what? Maybe I miss the point or so. What do you think?

supermodels were always anarexic looking ematiated specimens that never smiled, just looked miserable imho.

i think models are evolving to more practical standards today since body shape tolerence has been taught to our younger generation. unrealistic beauty may be a thing of the past. we are seeing more "large" women products being advertised.

extensive market research with internet trackers of shopping habbits are a major influence over client model choices these days.

those old models are now doing crape erase comercials since wrinkle creams didnt do them any good in their old age although most of them do sell their own line of those products not because they work but it does pay the mortgage.

Standards of beauty have changed over the years and will continue to change. Your reminiscence of the 90's models probably indicates your age but I think that the "Golden Age" for models was the 70's and early 80's.

There is also the risk, today, of mixing "supermodels" with celebrities. The two are not really interchangeable.

supermodels were always anarexic

No. Have a look at Laetitia Casta, Adriana Lima - they were not.

The whole business of judging the relative cuteness of models, how impressive they are, or whether or not their limbs are shapely enough makes me a little ill.

They do make a living by means their appearance.

They do make a living by means their appearance.

Appearance - standard of which is decided and enforced by people in the fashion and advertising industry. When I buy clothes, I look for cues on how they fit my body type and looks, not the body of a 6 ft model with high cheekbones and V shaped torso. Its a ploy of the advertising industry to sell commodity by showing off on pretty /handsome models and pushing these young men and women into stressful body issues for selfish reasons. Yes, they need their appearances for livelihood, but they could do away without so much comparisons and objectifications. Thats my opinion, anyway.

I am biased, as I think that the '90s were the greatest decade I remember living through so far. I was born in the mid '70s.

Having said that, I think I might agree with Ed. The '60s and '70s (and early '80s) were quite something for supermodels. Look at these posters from the era, some of which - staying on topic! - are great photographs:

Classic Personality Posters of the 1970s and 1980s

This iconic Tennis Girl poster from the 1980s is one of the most famous of its kind. The model has a healthy body, but I regret that we don't see her face:

'Athena poster tennis girl' unveiled after 35 years

Back to the '60s. Jean Shimpton is still one of the greatest models ever. Just as importantly, because we are photographers, she was the subject of a lot of superb portraiture. Here are just a few:

30 Stunning Photographs of Jean Shrimpton, One of the World's First Supermodels, Taken by David Bailey During the 1960s ~ vintage everyday

For Westerners, the only healthy body shape is slender. This does not mean size 6. It also does not mean that you should be forced to meet that standard. But nobody likes looking at anorexic or overweight people. A few actually have weird fetishes, and a few people pretend, so good luck to them. Post-modernism poisons everything, photography included.

But nobody likes looking at anorexic or overweight people.

I have no problem looking at overweight people and, depending on the person, their smile, their attitude, what they're doing, and what they're saying, I may very well like looking at them. Some of my best photos are of overweight people. I only have one photo of someone with anorexia, and it's a favorite photo of mine. And I don't have a fetish and I'm not pretending. And you don't have to be a post-modernist to avoid the kind of bias you're expressing. You just have to be a little bit open-minded!

Aretha was looking pretty heavy at Obama's inauguration, singing "America." Who didn't love seeing her? And only Aretha had the class and confidence, speaking of fashion statements, to top it all off with that fearless bejeweled bow!

Here's a great photo of the legendarily large Alfred Hitchcock, by Jack Mitchell.

PHOTO

I think of all the photogenic and large opera singers, of Jackie Gleason's oft-photographed popping wide eyes, the great Karsh photo of Winston Churchill.

But nobody likes looking at anorexic or overweight people.

Sounds like a personal issue to me.

"But nobody likes looking at anorexic or overweight people."

Perhaps if they had blue eyes..

"But nobody likes looking at anorexic or overweight people."

 

Perhaps if they had blue eyes..

Not even if one eye was green and the other was yellow.

ITT, "people" = "models". Poor choice of language. Mea culpa.

I have no problem looking at overweight people and, depending on the person, their smile, their attitude, what they're doing, and what they're saying, I may very well like looking at them. Some of my best photos are of overweight people. I only have one photo of someone with anorexia, and it's a favorite photo of mine. And I don't have a fetish and I'm not pretending. And you don't have to be a post-modernist to avoid the kind of bias you're expressing. You just have to be a little bit open-minded!

 

Aretha was looking pretty heavy at Obama's inauguration, singing "America." Who didn't love seeing her? And only Aretha had the class and confidence, speaking of fashion statements, to top it all off with that fearless bejeweled bow!

 

 

Here's a great photo of the legendarily large Alfred Hitchcock, by Jack Mitchell.

 

PHOTO

 

I think of all the photogenic and large opera singers, of Jackie Gleason's oft-photographed popping wide eyes, the great Karsh photo of Winston Churchill.

But . . . Those people were not "models" . . . They were not paid for how they look. We all liked watching John Daly hit those long drives and many watched Momma June on Honey Boo Boo.

I wish that more baseball, football and hockey players were more like the average people that I see on the street. That way I would have had a better chance to go pro.

Nobody is paying "average people" to sell their products for them and nobody is paying to see me stare down a fastball. Nobody, for the most part is paying to look at photographs or other art created by average people . . .

But . . . Those people were not "models" . . . They were not paid for how they look.

I wish more models were like the average people I know and see on the street. I don't mind ads that employ the "perfect" looking model. But I'd also love to see more overweight people, less beautiful people, wearing clothes that are being sold or hawking makeup or shaving cream. Models or people, more balance would be good. I'll let others here determine what we should all eat and how often each of us should exercise.

Hmm... all those tubby

humans, especially Vincent,

ought to start getting into

shape...

http://bayouline.com/o2.gif

I wish that more baseball, football and hockey players were more like the average people that I see on the street. That way I would have had a better chance to go pro.

 

Nobody is paying "average people" to sell their products for them and nobody is paying to see me stare down a fastball. Nobody, for the most part is paying to look at photographs or other art created by average people . . .

I enjoy a lot of the photos of the "average people" I see on PN. Most of the photos I've bought have been by non-famous, average photographers, photos that struck me not because of their famous maker but because they said something personal or unique to me. Most of the art hanging in my house was done by unheard of locals and friends. I don't put much of a premium on what sells or what's overly expensive. I don't spend the kind of money on clothes that's expected by most of the higher-level manufacturers who employ perfect models.

Besides which, what sells was not the point. I responded to what was said above, that no one likes looking at overweight people. Whether we substitute "models" for that, I don't care. I'm fine with looking at overweight models or overweight people.

"I wish more models were like the average people I know and see on the street. "

You mean like the pot-belly guy smoking a cigar and eating a hot-dog on the corner ?

"I wish more models were like the average people I know and see on the street. "

 

You mean like the pot-belly guy smoking a cigar and eating a hot-dog on the corner ?

No. I didn’t say I wish more models were like a bad and cliche stereotype, I said like the average person I know. Most people I know don’t smoke cigars and don’t eat on street corners other than very occasionally. Maybe I hang in different circles than you. See, what you did was go to the other extreme. Using such black and white thinking you came up with the opposite of the super fit, beautiful model, instead of thinking about what average really means.

Average changes....

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Ugly is as well.

Unless you are tailoring a targeted ad campaign.

The thing about targeted ad campaigns is that the advertising agencies and execs are often responsible for creating the ideals of the audience and building the campaign around that. It’s no accident that the amaciated look became vogue. Yes, audiences have preferences. But those preferences are often driven by outside forces influencing them. Many falsely think, for example, that their taste in photos is solely their own when taste in photos is also determined by what photos get made and GET CHOSEN TO BE SHOWN in various cultures.

Targeted campaigns attempt both to fulfill the needs and tastes of the audience and MANIPULATE those needs and tastes as well.

It’s no accident that the amaciated look became vogue.

Really?

What was the goal?

To cut down on food consumption?

Where is your evidence that there was a contrived conspiracy to make emaciation a standard of beauty?

To what end?

I remember Twiggy.

50 some odd years ago.

That’s one helluva time investment over several generations.

They sure have spent a lot of money and time to no end if what you say is true.