Most of us, sadly, have not passed Kindergarten in the way we act towards each other, let alone, how we percieve the world around us. The modeling / internet porn industry is no different, if not WORSE. Let me explicate…

I swear, for the life of me. This shit needs to stop. All of the bashing…all of the opinionated bullshit. All of the backstabbing all of the threats, all of the higherism’s and holier than thou’s. All of the Rubik’s cubing of models and associations…for god’s sake…this internet modeling world has become a fucking lottery draw. Who is popular and who is not or in or out is daily. Who is talking about who is a daily thing. Who is dogging who out for the sake of popularity, money, fame (or someone’s view of it) changes more times than my so-called personality (or screen names) do.

When will we grow up? This is a business. For god’s sake, treat it like one. In all my dealings (and there have been many) with the various different photographers (or lack thereof) and models and promoters (or so called promoters) or so and so’s out there…I have NEVER seen so much shit in certain niches that perpetuates itself and multiplies and breeds like roaches.

Let’s squash that shit. Most of them are slimy and nasty and the roaches have gotten so fat off us all acting like idiots towards each other that they have become parasites. Time to ‘raid’ them all. We are all in this game to make money..and yes, admit it…it is a game. No one is REALLY who they portray themselves to be. This whole thing is a fantasy. There are VERY few supermodels in this world…and if you get that far…more power to ya. 99.8% of models NEVER achieve that status. The life expectancy has grown of models over the past few years (you used to be old at 25) but with the internet…models can now keep going like energizer bunnies…and keep making money.

Lets look at the models that have graduated from the school of hard knocks (at least gotten past kindergarten) to do bigger and better things: (cont.)

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1. Tomika Skanes - founded Profetik, her own modeling agency..can be seen in music videos, calendars, and doing just about everything. This gal is drama-free, and continues to maintain an excellent reputation among other things.

2. Melyssa Ford - Everyone’s favorite apple bottom model and video vixen. Although there has been a little bit of contention with some comments about Superhead lately. Miss Ford continues to make strides and stay drama free and at the head of the class.

3. Esther Baxter - I still can’t believe she started off in the Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video..but she keeps “thrilling” audiences and will continue. No one can really touch Esther in what she has done and where she is to go…now she is headed for the big screen (per her interview in Black Women Magazine)

4. Tyra Banks - High fashion. The first gal in Victoria’s Secret that had CURVES. She retired from Modeling this year and has her own talk show- besides hosting and founding ANTM. Whatever she does..she makes it big

5. Karrine “Superhead” - Now..she had the balls (literally) to write a book about the crap she went through to make it to the top. She came out and spoke about actually HAVING to sleep (or blow) your way to the top and put it out there on the ‘real’. Despite being put down by Tyra (the infamous interview) and chastised by Melyssa for being a bad role model..I can’t knock her for putting it out there and enduring everything she endured to make it where she is today. If you got it, at least learn how to work it so you can get what you want out of it. She has done just that..and although she lived in drama..she turned it around to make something of it….FAME.

6. Buffie the Body - People can say what they want to say about Buffy…but the girl is making it. Some say she is ghetto with (quote King) “A face only a mother could love”..some say the ass fad won’t last..but if she plays off the haters and the drama (which is what she is doing) she will go even further than she has now.

There are many, many more..but these are just a few who have graduated past kindergarten and moved on into the ‘real’ world. Some it took months..some it took years…for some it took a casting couch… but these women made it…and all without the bullshit that surrounds this industry or falling into the wrong path and getting deluded and derailed by negativity. If ‘association brings about an assimilation’ (quoth my mother) then ladies, I say associate yourselves with the best and you will then become the best. Don’t fall into traps and promises..don’t fall into petty drama. If you are going to do it…DO IT. Don’t talk about it..be about it.

Whether one starts at 16 or 35 it makes no difference. And it really is no one’s place to judge or say who is who and what. Point being- people will kiss ass and do what they want to do to get where they want to go. People will act the way you expect them to act to continuously portray the image or ideal that you have of them in your mind. If it can be made a brand, it will be. Drama creates traffic, creates hits, creates popularity (if only for a moment) the more your name is said (or typed) or dogged out…the more fame you will accrue. Drama means NOTHING. ACTIONS do.

In my 20 years (not 5, not 10) in this stupid industry, there are so many things I have learned and unlearned, that it is literally farcical. If you think I’m sleeping and haven’t done anything, you are wrong. VERY WRONG. Not everything a model does should be blasted and broadcasted all over the world- let alone to other models! (rule #1- Don’t ask, don’t tell). If we take the rules of kindergarten and apply them to the internet world of modeling… it would be almost shocking as to how they apply…and how often that they are ignored.

1. Play nice. (NEVER done)
2. Share (varies…)
3. Put your toys up after you play with them. (And so many people use people like fucking Kleenex’s and throw them away, this is the only rule that IS followed)
4. You may be 4, but for god’s sake… DON’T ACT LIKE IT!!!

And if anyone forgot this book/article that came out so long ago…re-read it. Lord forbid you actually LEARN something.

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school. These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you find them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup — they all die. So do we. An then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all — the whole world — had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy for our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

The modeling world is no friggin utopia…and it is not reality. It never will be. But maybe, just MAYBE (and I won’t hold my breath) that some people can get some sense enough knocked into them to at least act HUMAN.
The thing that boggles me is why other races can do this…and us black folks STILL have a problem. Oriental’s stick together, White folk stick together, Latinos stick together, Mexicans stick together…but us…we fucking kill or talk smack about each other for not even 15 minutes of fame or over stupid shit that does not matter nor get us anywhere in the long run…wait..what did Spike Lee say…”WAKE UP?”

The crabs have got to move beyond the bucket and head back to the ocean… it’s a bigger world out there that is for all of us. ALL of us. Not just a select few. ALL. If the mexicans can take a damn taxicab and make a raft out of it and float their way to america..that says something. We can exceed our own expectations of ourselves and the limitations that others enforce upon us to succeed in our own ways. But perhaps I hope too much.

Class dismissed.

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