Torrid and MTV: You've Got Such a Pretty Face!
Jen pointed me to a casting call for a new MTV show called Model Maker. Here's a post at craigslist chicago.
Have you ever dreamed about being a model, but your weight has stopped you from reaching your dream?? Then this is the show for you! MTV is looking for girls willing to shed the pounds (30-100 lbs), become a model and win $100,000!
We are looking for girls with a GREAT ATTITUDE, a PRETTY FACE, and the ENDURANCE to sweat off the pounds during a 3 month boot camp style show.
Pretty faces! Great! Another exploitative reality diet show!
Oh and the bonus? The casting call Jen sent me asks for potential contestants to visit a local Torrid. Yep, Torrid.
Torrid, whose site features Actual Fat Women wearing their clothes. Torrid, a highly visible store that only sells plus sizes. Torrid, a company in a position to extend their already fat-positive message... has decided instead to promote dieting.
Seriously, this sucks.
(ETA: eliza pointed out that Fatshionista covered this recently, and this comment in particular features responses from Torrid. They aren't officially "sponsoring" it, and seem fine with dieting so long as one isn't going down to a size 2 but instead is getting "model-ready" at a 16. They do have some size positive stuff in their replies, as well.)
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Posted by paul on May 16, 2008
Wow, just when I was thinking we didn't have enough fat-shaming/body shaming shows on TV...
it doesn't surprise me. Torrid sucks. their clothing sucks, their customer service sucks, and their prices are ridiculous. it's all about making a buck for Torrid, plain and simple.
There was a post about this on fatshionista. Some people wrote letters and got responses from Torrid.
I've heard a lot of negative things about Torrid before this news, so I'm sure it's definitely a "we're in this to make money" venture, but I do have to question a company that sells plus-size only clothes and then turns around to partner with a fatphobic channel like MTV to do a weight-loss reality show.
*quietly deletes torrid from her bookmarks* i just got back from a party, i'll have more to say later..
100 lbs? In 3 months? Does that sound healthy even to the fat haters out there? Reality TV is really getting desperate for subject matter it seems. Remember when MTV was music videos and only music videos? Now they're just about exploiting the worst in human nature. What a shame. Personally I've never even heard of Torrid before. Now, for me at least, that pleasure will be indefinitely postponed.
Torrid's stuff is too overpriced for me, even on the "clearance rack", so I don't shop there anyways.
transform you into a healthy, self-confident, high profile model
"Healthy." While losing 100 pounds in three months. That's 8.3 pounds a week. Sounds healthy and sustainable to me, yup.
I think there's a great mistake for all of us in assuming that Torrid ever was or ever will be "fat positive." They're not. They make no pretension at being fat positive. They're a subsidiary of a larger company (or at least began that way) that saw a niche to be tapped in order to make money, period. For all their talk about their customers being divas and wanting to empower their customers to live their dreams, that all starts and stops at their bottom line.
Dreama: "I think there's a great mistake for all of us in assuming that Torrid ever was or ever will be "fat positive." They're not. They make no pretension at being fat positive. They're a subsidiary of a larger company (or at least began that way) that saw a niche to be tapped in order to make money, period."
That's not necessarily a bad thing. The market has been there for years, even decades, but most places couldn't be bothered to take advantage of it. If money is a sufficient inducement to get stores to cater to our wants and needs, then so be it - you've got to get started somewhere. Hopefully, that will lead to more competition and increasingly better choices.
Torrid's clothes are trash anyway. Goth tranny crap.
What does being a Goth or a transvestite/trans-sexual (not sure what you meant by "tranny") have to do with Torrid's clothes being dreck
I had never heard of Torrid before but I went to their website to look at the clothing and it looks like a lot of hoochie momma stuff for girls who are trying to pretend that they're thin. I'm all for body acceptance and nice clothes, I'm just not into being made to look ridiculous.
As for the dieting, this is seriously flawed thinking and not realistic in any stretch of the imagination, I'll be waiting for the lawsuits when someone gets sick.
Excuse me? I own some clothing from Torrid. I am not trying to "pretend" I'm thin. I'm fat. And like any other 25 year old I like to show off some skin when I go clubbing. Is there a problem with that?
"Excuse me? I own some clothing from Torrid. I am not trying to "pretend" I'm thin. I'm fat. And like any other 25 year old I like to show off some skin when I go clubbing. Is there a problem with that?"
I'm fat too and I don't believe in looking like that, that's my opinion you can wear whatever you want but it's not for me. We all have our own tastes and not everyone wants to dress like they're going clubbing. I aspire to a little bit more.
*****
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy.
Not so much anymore.
Also there is nothing wrong with being a Tranny or Goth for that matter.
I wish they sold some of the stuff they used to years ago.
I love me some shirts with skulls on them.
I am not happy with Torrid's decision to get involved with the show. I'm sure they think they are promoting fitness and self image but really, are just playing into the hands of mass media.
The people at the Torrid I go into know I'm fat for life so I never get any of that "waiting to get into normal clothes" attitude.
A HUNDRED POUNDS IN THREE MONTHS??? Have they flipped?? Nobody does that on a diet. Nobody.
Even 30 pounds in 3 months is a LOT. If nothing else they ought to be thinking about potential lawsuits. Some pretty severe health complications could result from expecting people to lose that much that fast.
Losing 100 pounds in 3 months sounds like "the gastric bypass diet." UGH. It's completely and utterly unrealistic and crazy!!!!
How can they achieve this, other than by basically starving themselves?!!
Wow...of course, they have to sign agreements releasing MTV from any damages that these women may incur during the process of participating in this "reality show." Sad and scary!!!!!!