It shouldn't be surprising to learn that the modeling industry has very high standards. I mean, that's kind of the point. But sometimes when you watch shows about modeling, it seems that their standards are ridiculously high - rejecting girls who would turn heads just about anywhere (notwithstanding those features the modeling industry loves that maybe a lot of "normal" people aren't so keen on, like exceptional height, and sharp jaw lines, and whatnot) for the tiniest of "flaws". Again, I guess that's the point (although I don't see why they have to be so cutthroat about it - making girls feel "fat" or "ugly" just because they're not in the top 1%). Having to reject beautiful women because I have even more beautiful women to work with is a problem I want to have!
But there's a mindset I've encountered, where girls who can't cut it as "traditional" models are left with recourse only to do either "art" modeling (because I guess art serves a wider diversity of goals, and isn't restricted to the "survival of the prettiest" approach of commercial modeling) or porn. I take exception to the notion that porn should get the industry's rejects. But it's true. The only thing you really need in porn is a willingness to do porn. It helps if you're moderately "attractive" (in some subjective sense), but even if you're not, chances are there's a fetish market still open to you. Regular models don't do porn because they don't have to - they can get regular work. And apart from personal preference and interest, porn occupies a lower tier because of the stigma associated with it. So if you can do regular work, you do it. If you're doing porn, chances are, you're desperate.
I find this state of affairs deplorable, because I take pride in the erotic arts. But I don't know how to change it without eliminating the society-wide stigma surrounding sex and especially sex work. Which I'm working on. But it's not something I can affect by myself. Society has to want to change (or at least a considerable and powerful portion of it), and that's a very slow and reluctant process. But I've noticed that I really appreciate erotic works that make use of very attractive, physically fit models - as rare as they are. I mean, if you're that fit and attractive, surely you can manage to get better work than porn. But what a shame that is. For the sake of the porn - or, more importantly, the erotic art - it suffers from these top tier high quality people not offering their services to it, and on account of porn's dismally low standards ("can we stick a couple of dicks inside you and then cum all over your face? Good, you're hired").
I guess to put it in economic terms, the supply for traditional modeling outstrips the demand (every girl who's ever been told she's "pretty" thinks she can be a model, despite that just being a thing guys say to girls to get them to take their clothes off (I hate humanity sometimes)), so they can afford to be choosy, whereas the demand for erotic modeling outstrips the supply (every guy with a camera wants to find girls willing to take their clothes off, but what are the girls getting out of it? (why the hell don't we treat these girls as the civil servants they are, instead of slinging mud at them? - talk about cutting off your own foot!)), and they have to take whatever they can get. I know this is a natural law, and it can't be changed other than by artificial means, but isn't it sad that the world doesn't get treated to quality erotic works on account of the fact that only a minority is interested to see such a thing? I think that's tragic! I mean, I'm not asking for this kind of stuff to be shown on the nightly news - it doesn't have to be popular (although I suspect that if it existed, a lot of people would be into it), I just want it to be an available option. But as it stands, if a "real" model actually wanted to do erotic work (you know, because it might be interesting/exciting/edgy/whatever), she'd be unduly discouraged from it on account of the stigma. That's not fair.
Well, that's the way things are, and I alone don't have the power to change it. But I'm making a statement - a commitment to endeavoring to produce higher quality erotic art with respectable modeling standards. I've already done it with regards to myself - I've produced a fitter, more attractive model than I had to work with when I got started in earnest almost a decade ago. If I ever get the opportunity, I'd like to expand that to working with other models, too. But - sigh, I'm not going to hold my breath on the remote possibility that some breathtakingly beautiful model out there is willing to do this kind of work, and that if there is, I'd ever be able to meet her...
