Aspiring Urban Models
& Managing Expectations
04/20/09 17:59 Model Advice
Model Advice
I was talking to a friend today who is considering
hanging it up from urban modeling. Her reasons?
There's no money in it; the market is saturated - no
one can shine; 90% of the "offers" she gets on
Myspace and through her website are bogus, etc. Which
led me to this conclusion: today's urban model has to
view this as a hobby, like an aerobics class on the
weekend, and nothing more. With the closing of KING
magazine, a recession that is darn near a depression,
and hip hop in a slump, gone are the days of models
getting $5,000 or more to host or back-to-back SSX
issues (how many of those have you seen this year?).
Sure, a few of the top tier girls like Melyssa still
probably make decent money to host, but by and large
the money isn't there in hosting. Also gone are the
days of the lead model in a music video making
$1,500. It just doesn't happen anymore. Lead models
are lucky to get $500 for the day.
Which narrows the money making opportunities for
video vixens down to pay websites, modeling in a
magazine, and dancing professionally (aka stripping).
And fewer models are making big money off websites
these days. In other words, the industry has reverted
back to what it was pre-2002 (except there was still
money to be made on the internet). Back in 2000, if a
girl made it into the Swimsuit Edition of BlackMen
magazine or Jet magazine -- remember, there was no
Smooth, KING, or SHOW back in 2000 -- she got her
little check and maybe did a music video or a
calendar and that was it. But girls
still did it, because it will always
be cool to pick up a magazine on a newsstand and see
yourself in it.
And that's pretty much where we are today. With the
proliferation of prospective urban models on Facebook
and Myspace, the best a girl can hope for is a
magazine spread or a decent music video. Chances are
it won't go much beyond that. Back in 2000 it didn't
go beyond that because the career trajectory for
urban modeling hadn't yet been formulated. Now it
won't go beyond that because supply exceeds demand,
discretionary incomes are shrinking, and print
magazine are becoming a thing of the past as the
internet takes over.
So my advice to the really hot wannabe models out
there is that if want to do this, do it. But manage
your expectations. Be realistic about where this can
take you. You probably won't be the next Buffie
because there may never be another Buffie or Melyssa
Ford. Those times are over. But there will always be
a reigning eye candy model. And it may just be you.
Tags:Getting Ahead Without Degrading
Yourself, How To Stand Out