The Dark Underbelly Life of the Male Modeling World–Tim Murphy contributes an interesting article to the newly launched Yahoo! Style. While many news outlets have covered the sexual harassment of female models and alleged offenders such as Terry Richardson, the subject of male models is not broached as often. With New York Fashion Week in full swing, Murphy dug into the issue, setting the scene. Murphy describes a scene during a presentation at Industria.
He had witnessed a designer and two men approach models standing still to showcase next season’s designs. After seeing them inspect the clothes, sometimes reaching out to feel the fabric or check a seam, he was struck by their departure. Murphy recalls, “Then, as the trio was walking away, the designer gently and briefly caressed the model’s neck. It was a gesture that, whatever its intentions, clearly had nothing to do with stitching or construction.” He mentions that while it may have been innocent, it’s an opening to the rumored “sexual advances, let’s-make-a-deal suggestions or downright harassment of male models, usually (though not certifiably always) by gay male photographers, designers, casting agents or other industry poobahs.”
These rumors gained more ground as Murphy approached industry insiders. He revealed, “Yet as I talked the past few weeks with scores of male models, casting agents and other industry insiders–most of whom demanded anonymity–it became clear that various levels of harassment, from inappropriate comments and touching to surprise requests to disrobe and explicit quid-pro-quo offers (accept my come-ons and I’ll advance your career), happen every day to male models, creating a troubling subtextual power dynamic that echoes its counterpart on the female side of the business.”
One modeling agent that remains anonymous opened up to Murphy, confiding, “Harassment definitely happens more so than a lot of the guys like to tell us. A lot of them come back from shoots feeling very uncomfortable but they’re afraid that if they tell us, we’ll have to talk to the client. Then, if it gets back to the culprit, he, depending on his status, could actually destroy that model’s career.” Approaching models at a major casting for a show, Murphy heard the same stories that are regular industry whispers. “There are variations on the story about the revered photographer who flys a bunch of models to an exotic or remote locale and then sends boys home or retains them, reality-show-style, based on their willingness to accommodate his late-night knocks on their hotel-room doors. Or the photographer who makes his models do breathing exercises and touches them simultaneously to get them ‘in the zone.’ There’s the late legendary designer who made all his male models pose before him, one after another, in the same Speedo. There’s the A-list agent who takes new boys into a private room for measurements and tells them they need to drop their pants.”
Speaking of underwear shoots, one model commented, “Guys have spent a lot of time adjusting my briefs, or wanting to adjust my junk when I can do it myself.” Another model added on the subject of stylists who “tuck in your shirt just a little too long and deep.” When a photographer asked model Eli Hall to undress once for a shoot, he recalls telling him “What’s your problem? I’m a suit model.” Another model recalls a time that “Someone spent two hours combing my hair once.” Discussing models who skirt around harassment, the same model agent Murphy spoke to earlier expressed, “The models who play it best are funny, charming and coy. They’ll flirt with you all day but you’re not getting anything from them but a smile and a goodbye, and the client comes away saying, ‘He’s great, he’s amazing.'” Read more about Yahoo.com.
