I found this great interview from LA Times featuring America's Next Top Model "plus size winner", Whitney Thompson that addresses the rumors I had in my previous post.
I saw some pictures on a Web site of you modeling pre-ANTM where you didn't look full-figured. What's the story with that? I've only ever modeled locally in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't do any big campaigns. Those are from Jacksonville Magazine. I had a great photographer who does some great airbrushing too, but I'm not small in those pictures. I'm about maybe a size 6 or an 8, because those are from high school.
I wasn't sure if you had to gain weight for Top Model or anything like that. Oh, no. I went on the show, and I'm the one who said "I'm a plus-sized model." Which is so funny because when I was when I was there, all the other girls there that were my size were like "Oh, you know, I'm a size ... 10." And I was like "Pfft. I'm a size 10! Yeah!" I think that's why they took me out to L.A. I didn't expect to make it that far. People always told me, "You should be on that show!" And I was like, "Please, I would never get on that show." And look at me now! Never say never.
2 comments:
I think that *regardless* of Whitney's actual size, she has done nothing but espouse an extremely size-positive message. She mentioned several times that her little 13 year-old cousin thinks herself "fat," and how horrible Whitney believes that is. She's also done some research, and has said on the air that the majority of nine year-old girls have already tried some kind of diet. She's not shy about exposing the restrictive, hungry, abusive atmosphere of "normal"-sized modeling.
I think Whitney, regardless of her true size, is really saying some great things. She's got her head screwed on straight, that's for sure. When she talked about how she just eats "normally" and gets these bug-eyed looks from the other models on what she eats --- priceless! We've really forgotten what normal eating *is* in this country. It's nice to see someone so joyfully and successfully embrace herself and feed her body and mind when hungry. ;) She's an incredible role model.
^ That may be so, but for women who believe that 'plus size' infers a much larger body type, it's a neglible win. Her run in the show battling against small clothes, etc still sent the clear message that you can't be big and beautiful - she just got lucky because it was Tyra et al doing the judging, not the actual fashion industry itself, which did it's best to reject her at every turn. She's only a 10, FGS, it's not that hard to find designer threads in her size, so what's up with the challenge where the prize was a show wearing a size 2? Gai Mattiolo makes 10s!!
It's high irony to hear that she allegedly 'gained weight' for the show and jumped a WHOLE dress size or so to be the 'plus size' girl. Oh... to only yo-yo one size, and at the smaller end of the spectrum at that.
I do wish her well, and yes she does set a better benchmark for the models on the show; but a lot of people on the net think it was a fix for ANTM's sliding ratings. Nothing cheers up an audience like an underdog overcoming the odds....
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