Model fired for being "overweight"

[Thejebusfire]

Her photo was later altered to make her look extremely thin.

Last week Ralph Lauren came under fire for (what looked to be) an extremely altered photo of a model in one of its ads. Bloggers at the website BoingBoing.net posted the image online, and lawyers for Ralph Lauren attempted to sue them for copyright infringement. Unfortunately for Ralph Lauren, this only furthered public interest and outrage over the dangerously thin looking model and, eventually, the clothing company released this apology:

"For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

Unfortunately,"addressing the problem" may have included firing the model, 23-year-old Filippa Hamilton. She is 5'10" and weighs 120 pounds--clearly more full-bodied than the photoshopped girl we see in the advertisement. Though Hamilton has modeled for Ralph Lauren since she was 15, the company let her go "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us." But the story gets worse: Hamilton says she was let go because she'd become too fat to model for them. "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," she explained. "I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face...It's very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that."

shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/was-the-photoshopped-ralph-lauren-model-fired-for-being-overweight-525248/#comments

True she was under contract, but I don't see how 5"10 and 120 lbs is overweight.
What do you guys think?

[agnosticantagonist]

I think the whole industry is fucking sick.

[Thejebusfire]

Oct 14, 2009 16:14:40 GMT -5 @agnosticantagonist said:

I think the whole industry is fucking sick.

Yes it is. Esp since they contiuned to use and alter her pics after they fired her. That's fucked up.

[tygerarmy]

Damn, the photo shopped image is terrible.
5'10 and 120 is underweight. She's pretty, she should gain weight.

[SimSim]

That's really messed up. I'm an inch shorter than her, and roughly 40 pounds heavier, and I'm not considered over weight. They need a reality check.

[Sleepy]

Oct 14, 2009 16:14:40 GMT -5 @agnosticantagonist said:

I think the whole industry is fucking sick.

This. I continue to wonder if/when this disgusting practice of anorexic models will end.

Edit: I just viewed the model's altered picture. It looks dreadful.

[mistermuncher]

I've long been of the opinion that the world of high fashion is nothing more than a bunch of narcissistic and misogynistic shitehawks indulging in the artistic and creative equivalent of sniffing their own farts, yet for obscene amounts of money. This story does little to disabuse me of the notion.

[David D.G.]

Last week Ralph Lauren came under fire for (what looked to be) an extremely altered photo of a model in one of its ads. Bloggers at the website BoingBoing.net posted the image online, and lawyers for Ralph Lauren attempted to sue them for copyright infringement. Unfortunately for Ralph Lauren, this only furthered public interest and outrage over the dangerously thin looking model and, eventually, the clothing company released this apology:

"For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

Unfortunately,"addressing the problem" may have included firing the model, 23-year-old Filippa Hamilton. She is 5'10" and weighs 120 pounds--clearly more full-bodied than the photoshopped girl we see in the advertisement. Though Hamilton has modeled for Ralph Lauren since she was 15, the company let her go "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us." But the story gets worse: Hamilton says she was let go because she'd become too fat to model for them. "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," she explained. "I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face...It's very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that."

Oh, that's frelling brilliant there, Ralph Lauren. Caught red-handed in the act of glamorizing emaciation and trying to pass it off as the standard of "beauty," you promise not to do it artificially anymore --- but you still fire the innocent model stuck in the middle of all this hooplah on the ludicrous grounds that she is "overweight," since you still refuse to let your standards of "beauty" fall within the realm of healthy reality.

So, since you've sworn off of Photoshop, what will you do now for models that fit your standard of "beauty" --- go to famine-struck third-world countries and troll for starvation victims?


~David D.G.

[mistermuncher]

I'm willing to bet they actually do fuck all, really, as anyone who can really affect their bottom line is either in broad agreement with their policies, or too vacuous to care.

The press release is sheer flannel. If RL haven't released another poster with a shooped-skeletal model on it by this time next year, I shall go and purchase a hat for a light snack.

[Lady Renae]

The obsession with anorexic models will end when clothing artists start designing clothes meant to look good on people with actual flesh on their bodies. If your body fits the design, you look good in it, otherwise, you won't. Clothes for larger women are built to hide features and generally make them look like they're not really there. Until that is reversed, anorexic models will be in.

[The Lazy One]

If 120 pounds is fat, then I must be a fucking beached whale. *is 5'9" and weighs 160*

[shykid]

Oh good God, that Photoshopped picture is disgusting. Do some people really find emaciated corpses attractive?

[Jodie]

That model looks incredible hot as she it. Photoshopping her into an unrealistic stick figure was really stupid and unnecessary.

I didn't buy Ralph Lauren products before and I certainly will not now, but I do most of my shopping at second hand places anyway so they aren't losing any business from me.

[Sigmaleph]

Fucking genius, isn't it? When called on their horrid photoshop jobs, they do fuck all about them, but they fire someone who had no control over that, because she doesn't fit the fucked body ideal that screwed over the 'shopping in the first place. Motherfucking genius.


I'm gonna go puke now. And not because I'm clearly overweight in my 5' 6", 120 lb body.

[Rime]

Oct 14, 2009 16:02:35 GMT -5 Thejebusfire said:

Her photo was later altered to make her look extremely thin.

Last week Ralph Lauren came under fire for (what looked to be) an extremely altered photo of a model in one of its ads. Bloggers at the website BoingBoing.net posted the image online, and lawyers for Ralph Lauren attempted to sue them for copyright infringement. Unfortunately for Ralph Lauren, this only furthered public interest and outrage over the dangerously thin looking model and, eventually, the clothing company released this apology:

"For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

Unfortunately,"addressing the problem" may have included firing the model, 23-year-old Filippa Hamilton. She is 5'10" and weighs 120 pounds--clearly more full-bodied than the photoshopped girl we see in the advertisement. Though Hamilton has modeled for Ralph Lauren since she was 15, the company let her go "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us." But the story gets worse: Hamilton says she was let go because she'd become too fat to model for them. "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," she explained. "I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face...It's very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that."

shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/was-the-photoshopped-ralph-lauren-model-fired-for-being-overweight-525248/#comments

True she was under contract, but I don't see how 5"10 and 120 lbs is overweight.
What do you guys think?

I think anyone who thinks someone 5'10" is overweight at 120lbs should have a crowbar applied upside their head.