Well well well...it looks like I've ruffled some feathers!  Maybe it was my comments about shabu-smoking contests, runway freak shows, or skinny fat girls, but it looks like I'm striking a nerve in the insecure Asian modeling industry.  I've received a couple of nasty e-mails from girls that recently that *attempt* to put me in my place about my attitude toward "professional" models here.  By the tone, it's more of a defense written by models here in the Philippines who might have stumbled upon my site.  This is your lucky day girls...rather than put your misspelled, three sentence e-mails online, showing the might of your 50 word vocabulary, I'll just respond in general here.  That way your feelings can be saved.

As I've said before, there is a colonial mentality in the Philippines.  Basically if you have whiter skin than white people and are over 5'7" tall, you are considered "perfect" even if your face isn't balanced or if you have no muscle tone.  Now mind you that everyone has good features and bad features, and I have my share of bad features.  Furthermore, I can't fault those individuals who exploit the colonial mentality and make a great deal of money in the modeling industry here.  But at least be honest about your limitations girls.  I'm honest about mine.  I know that no modeling agencies will look at me here in the Philippines because I'm only 5'4" and have relatively dark skin.  My foreigner friends tell me that there would be endless work for me in the States in the fitness modeling industry due to my muscles, long hair, and high cheekbones.  Furthermore, they tell me that the models working here (mostly foreigners as in half-white Filipina-Americans or Filipina-Australians) can't cut it in their home countries, i.e. don't get any work and have to come here for relatively much lower paydays.  Well no kidding.  Judging by the amount of time these girls spend on their actual physical preparation, it's no surprise to me.  But then again drinking until 3 am at Greenbelt while chain-smoking to stay thin is considered "training"...after all, you need to be social to make sure you sleep with the right modeling agency producers or judges. 

It's often said that Jasmine Trias, the American Idol finalist, wouldn't even make it past the first round in a singing contest here.  It's not because she doesn't have the voice, as it's clear that she sings very well.  It's rather because she looks like a true "filipina", i.e. doesn't look like white girls.  Now that she has been "endorsed" by the USA, she is now a superstar here.  The "white majority" has given them their stamp of approval.  To clarify, I'm saying "white majority" because that's what most Filipinos believe that this is to whom they need to appeal and thus must look like them.  I know white people tend to think the opposite...they prefer "exotic" like Jasmine.

So I say live it up girls...enjoy your time here taking away work from the native Filipinas as well as the feelings of vindication you feel by slamming me.  Just be sure you keep doing it from behind the safety of your anonymous e-mail address.  Your anorexic arms wouldn't want to wrap around me in a street fight.  Relax...I'm kidding...maybe :-P.  I take heart in what I write though...it's only a matter of time until the rest of the country wakes up to the fact that the exotic features is what the world really wants to see.

March 12th, 2005

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