Thank you for this piece. Oddly Mulder was in my mind recently after the Muse exhibit at the Met here in NYC. As one of the most beautiful models ever, I was always confused why she never went as far as some of her other counterparts, like the Trinity. She was gorgeous and definitely one of my favorites, the other being Patitz, during the 90's model bomb. This is a terrible story and seems to be a continuing problem in an industry that capitalizes on sexualizing young women.
And I know that this is a problem throughout the industry, but does it seem to be more present in Europe?
WTF is going on here?! It seems like Jezebel simultaneously fetishizes modeling, dance, Marilyn Monroe's exact weight and measurements and writes long, impassioned articles about how OMG TERRIBLE FOR WOMEN THEY ARE.
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I seriously do not understand what's happening. All of our anonymous model's articles seem to talk about how terrible her profession is, yet she's a frequent contributor. There are policies against bodysnarking and other 'triggering' comments, yet we see articles about "The worst diets I ever tried" (thanks for the thinspo, tips & tricks Moe!).
For some reason the contradiction really struck me with this article, because it is predicated on the notion that the Jezebel readers are intrigued and curious about modelling... I don't even know. You'll probably dismvowel this comment anyway.
@Kira Smith: Welcome to the wonderful world of gray areas and complex issues!
I can be intrigued by, or even attracted to, the world of fashion and modeling and still recognize that there are problems in the industry that need to be addressed.
These posts create lively discussions, which is great. Tatiana's writing is excellent, and she provides insight into her profession. Why shouldn't she be a frequent contributor? Hearing from many voices gives a better picture of the world around us.
People disagree and debate on Jezebel all the time. It's part of what makes me come back.
Tatiana - your post hit me square in the jaw. As a dumpy, 4'11' "normal" gal, I spent countless hours of my teenaged years alternating between complete facination of and absolute disdain for the women in Vogue, Bazaar, Mirabella and Elle.
I didn't think they had feelings (let alone brains); thay "had it all". What use did they have for self-doubt, angst, loneliness, or dread?
We're all guilty as charged. We buy the images, buy INTO the images. The girls are product or, worse, simply a backdrop. I'm so sorry.
It makes me sad to think that businesswomen like Wilhelmina Cooper & Eileen Ford may have kept their mouths shut in order to advance their own self-interests (or their husband's).
I don't understand, for the people who claim that the abuse went on for years and years: why STAY?? Why continue to work in an empty, valid, horrible business that has treated you like a piece of trash repeatedly?? Why enter it in the first place, perhaps? I am not a fan of modelling as a concept in general, but that is my personal opinion. I just don't get why someone like Mulder, who had a lot of money, who had already spoken out about it, would continue to be sucked in to a world like this.
@ninles: Money, affirmation of her beauty and worth, lack of options? She didn't even have a high school diploma and she had a drug habit to support. This was the only thing she knew.
h - dd mss smthng? Ys, ys, ndrstnd hw mprtnt t s - nd s vry, vry ncssry - t lwys prtry wmn s vctms - nd tht Mldr's thrts f vlnc gnst nthr wmn cnnt b tkn srsly snc Mldr s wmn nd thrfr ncpbl f thnkng - mch lss ctlly cmmttng vlnt ct gnst nthr wmn - nly mn cn d tht - nd tht wmn r nncnt vrgnl Mdnns wtht dsr, r wnt, r nd, r mbtn, r grd - jst nncnt ngls wh r frvr strgglng wth th dmn tht s mn - nd tht t 16 yng wmn s t stpd t b n ny wy rspnsbl fr hr ctns - nd ths, ny physcl ctvty mst lwys cst hr s vctm nd th mn s th vlln - nd Gd knws w ll knw tht vry sngl wmn wh hs vr xstd n th plnt snc th dwn f tm hs bn sxlly bsd by mn - tht gs wtht syng - bt, mmmm, stll, myb n ths mzngly dshnst trp - w mght cnsdr th fllwng:
1. Mldr cld hv wlkd wy frm crr tht ws s sxlly bsv t ny tm.
2. Myb Mldr wntd th mny, th ttntn, nd th lf nd ws wllng t d whtvr t tk t gt nd kp thm - s vdncd by hr rcnt plstc srgry.
3. f Mldr ws tld tht hvng sx wld gt hr th jb - nd thn hd sx - nd thn gt th jb - s ths stll bs - r s ths smply prstttn?
4. D wmn vr hv cnsnsl sx - vr? r s t ll jst bs n tht pssv/ggrssv lzy wy thy lwys mng t cst thmslvs s vctm t smthng whn n-fct thy r smply t dshnst nd dctfl t hv nythng tht vn rmtly pprxmts n hnst ntrctn wth mn - nd thrfr try t clm bs?
5. s t pssbl tht nstd f th mn - th vllns f ths pc - nd f lf n gnrl - ctlly skng fr sx - th wmn - th s-clld vctms - bng dsprt t mk t t ny cst - nstd ffrd sx?
Mldr hs ncrsngly dmnstrtd tht sh s mtnlly nd mntlly dstrbd -- whch, nstd f cstng dbt n hr ccstns - s nstd bng sd s prf f hr ccstns.
@want: This victim-blaming screed ignoring the underlying point of the original post- which is that it is a systemic problem no matter what Karen Mulder's mental state is- is going to look a mess once its disemvoweled.
@want: I am proud to say I was able to decipher that entire disemvowelled post in the first try. Do I get any high-fives! I am good at this now. I might consider a career in code breaking or something--is the CIA hiring?
@Jezebabe: That was funny, but. The code breakers were in OSS, office of strategic services, in world war two. That was, um, 70 years ago. Trust your sisters who erase the vowels. Our lives are too short.
It's hard to know what the truth is here. Obviously her stories have some credibility, but they also definitely show signs of mental instability and paranoia.
@lowkeylo: They don't "definitely" Are you a psychologist who has treated Karen Mulder, or do you have any other basis for this judgment? People often say that a woman must be lying if she says she has been attacked multiple times.
If she has been hospitalized for depression and anxiety, that doesn't automatically suggest that she makes shit up, it more credibly suggests that the abuse had a real effect on her.
@Hana Maru: I'm not a psychologist, but I work with a lot of paranoids, and this would set my alarm bells off:
"...that Elite had used her and other models as sex slaves in a ring that extended through the top echelons of French society, implicating politicians, members of the police, and other top officials, that her own father had raped her, that she had been sexually abused by a family friend from the age of 2, that she had been hypnotized and raped, kidnapped and raped, and raped some more..."
Again, I'd bet some bad things happened to her, but...
@lowkeylo: but what? Is it incredible that she was raped multiple times, or incredible that politicians and police would be so corrupt? Do you think that coming from an abusive home must make her a liar?
Many former top models have told similar tales of rampant rape and abuse from bookers, agency heads, photographers, and clients. There is corroborating evidence for many of Mulder's allegations.
Wasn't Linda Evangelista married to Gerald Marie, when she was, like, 20 and he was God-knows-how-old? And Stephanie Seymour dated John Casablancas when she was 15...
I don't know what to say except these agency guys seem like scumbags and the whole industry seems fucked up.
So tatiana- why do you do it? this industry sounds horrible. Why do stay in it? This isn't judgement, it's an honest question. It sounds like it's a scary scary place to be.
@Fizzy77: I wonder this too as well. If you're a college educated American adult, why on earth would you do that? You'd probably not make as much $$$, but is it really worth it? Even if you do it for only a few years, it seems kind of awful. I went to a very prestigious University in NYC and a few of my classmates did some modeling and appeared in catalogs and such, but they all went on to go to law school or get graduate degrees and have normal successful lives. Why would you give up the chance to live a normal, successful life to be photographed in your underwear and deal with casual sexual harassment on a daily basis? It's not like it's going to look good in your resume.
One time a make-up artist came into my father's business and suggested that I model because I had the height and the facial bone structure (I was 16 at the time). My father told her there was no way he'd let me into that world and now that I think about it, I'm glad. It seems to me that modeling is a particularly perilous career; agencies rope you in young (when you are easily manipulated), there's easy access to drugs, and there are probably any number of predatory photographers/agents/hanger-ons. On top of that, the pressure to stay really thin must be immense.
@Vivi21: Also, the essay said that Mulder quit school to model, so she wasn't getting the education and socialization she needed. When you don't have that much schooling under your belt and you've never done anything else, I can imagine that you could quickly become "trapped" in the industry. I see it too with former child stars who seem so unhappy, but yet continue to be in the public eye (Britney Spears, for example). If they leave their industry, what else are they going to do?
You make an excellent point highlighting how we are still " shocked"- how much proof do we need that this happens all the time?? If we couldn;t commodify beauty this wouldn't be happening.'
On a similar note, my husband has noted that almost every woman he's ever been friends with or dated has ultimately admitted to having been sexually abused in one way or another. This horrifies and disgusts him, that the culture of sexual abuse is so endemic that it has affected most women.
And it's extremely upsetting to see that the modeling world is yet another venue for women to be violated and abused. There is no safety.
When I came out to almost all of my female friends, they admitted to me that they'd been sexually abused as well. My own sisters and female nieces have been molested by our grandfather. It's so sickeningly prevalent.
And quite frankly, I wholeheartedly favor castration as a punishment to those who are convicted of this heinous crime.
@LAmonkeygirl: My boyfriend once said he thought the 1/10 statistic sounded "too high" to him and he thought it must be inflated. In response I had him list by name all of our female friends and think if he had either heard about or witnessed them being assaulted. By the time he was halfway down the list he looked stunned. This is a normally sensitive boy who has many close female friends, and yet had never made the connections.
@LAmonkeygirl: My husband and I have had this same discussion. He can't think of a single girlfriend he's had that wasn't sexually abused and/or raped. It horrifies him.
@LAmonkeygirl: Every time I have talked about my own rapes to other women, the majority of them confess their own. My mother has been raped, my sister just barely escaped a rape last week. I always wonder which of the men I know are rapists. There must be a whole lot of them.
@CHIC NOIR: Thanks for asking. I heard from my mom that it happened and that my sis is really stricken and not answering calls or leaving the house. She's physically okay, but I've only been able to leave messages for her. It happened on the street in Chicago.
@Laura Crawford: and @all: Nigel Barker and Terry Richardson would not have been noted back in the hey day of Mulder. It was probably Bensimon or Testino. I have always got the feeling that for a very select group of men photography was their way to be accepted into a world they would have never had access to, specifically when it comes to fashion and rock and roll.
07/03/09
(though, clearly, parts of the industry have destroyed far too many people)
The covers were nice though, right?
07/02/09
And I know that this is a problem throughout the industry, but does it seem to be more present in Europe?
07/02/09
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I seriously do not understand what's happening. All of our anonymous model's articles seem to talk about how terrible her profession is, yet she's a frequent contributor. There are policies against bodysnarking and other 'triggering' comments, yet we see articles about "The worst diets I ever tried" (thanks for the thinspo, tips & tricks Moe!).
For some reason the contradiction really struck me with this article, because it is predicated on the notion that the Jezebel readers are intrigued and curious about modelling... I don't even know. You'll probably dismvowel this comment anyway.
07/02/09
I can be intrigued by, or even attracted to, the world of fashion and modeling and still recognize that there are problems in the industry that need to be addressed.
These posts create lively discussions, which is great. Tatiana's writing is excellent, and she provides insight into her profession. Why shouldn't she be a frequent contributor? Hearing from many voices gives a better picture of the world around us.
People disagree and debate on Jezebel all the time. It's part of what makes me come back.
07/01/09
I didn't think they had feelings (let alone brains); thay "had it all". What use did they have for self-doubt, angst, loneliness, or dread?
We're all guilty as charged. We buy the images, buy INTO the images. The girls are product or, worse, simply a backdrop. I'm so sorry.
It makes me sad to think that businesswomen like Wilhelmina Cooper & Eileen Ford may have kept their mouths shut in order to advance their own self-interests (or their husband's).
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
1. Mldr cld hv wlkd wy frm crr tht ws s sxlly bsv t ny tm.
2. Myb Mldr wntd th mny, th ttntn, nd th lf nd ws wllng t d whtvr t tk t gt nd kp thm - s vdncd by hr rcnt plstc srgry.
3. f Mldr ws tld tht hvng sx wld gt hr th jb - nd thn hd sx - nd thn gt th jb - s ths stll bs - r s ths smply prstttn?
4. D wmn vr hv cnsnsl sx - vr? r s t ll jst bs n tht pssv/ggrssv lzy wy thy lwys mng t cst thmslvs s vctm t smthng whn n-fct thy r smply t dshnst nd dctfl t hv nythng tht vn rmtly pprxmts n hnst ntrctn wth mn - nd thrfr try t clm bs?
5. s t pssbl tht nstd f th mn - th vllns f ths pc - nd f lf n gnrl - ctlly skng fr sx - th wmn - th s-clld vctms - bng dsprt t mk t t ny cst - nstd ffrd sx?
Mldr hs ncrsngly dmnstrtd tht sh s mtnlly nd mntlly dstrbd -- whch, nstd f cstng dbt n hr ccstns - s nstd bng sd s prf f hr ccstns.
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
If she has been hospitalized for depression and anxiety, that doesn't automatically suggest that she makes shit up, it more credibly suggests that the abuse had a real effect on her.
07/01/09
I'm not a psychologist, but I work with a lot of paranoids, and this would set my alarm bells off:
"...that Elite had used her and other models as sex slaves in a ring that extended through the top echelons of French society, implicating politicians, members of the police, and other top officials, that her own father had raped her, that she had been sexually abused by a family friend from the age of 2, that she had been hypnotized and raped, kidnapped and raped, and raped some more..."
Again, I'd bet some bad things happened to her, but...
07/01/09
Many former top models have told similar tales of rampant rape and abuse from bookers, agency heads, photographers, and clients. There is corroborating evidence for many of Mulder's allegations.
07/01/09
You are a GREAT writer.
07/01/09
I don't know what to say except these agency guys seem like scumbags and the whole industry seems fucked up.
07/01/09
But also, "he is a man! He has needs!*"
* Or so he was allegedly overheard bleating when asked to keep it in his pants around models not old enough to go to uni.
07/01/09
07/01/09
As opposed to the reality of it being acceptable in the fashion industry to be an out gay man, as opposed to many other fields.
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/02/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
And it's extremely upsetting to see that the modeling world is yet another venue for women to be violated and abused. There is no safety.
07/01/09
When I came out to almost all of my female friends, they admitted to me that they'd been sexually abused as well. My own sisters and female nieces have been molested by our grandfather. It's so sickeningly prevalent.
And quite frankly, I wholeheartedly favor castration as a punishment to those who are convicted of this heinous crime.
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/02/09
07/02/09
I often think which of my male friends or coworkers have acted like bores. It's depressing to imagine...
07/02/09
07/01/09
07/01/09
07/02/09
07/02/09