The Pretty Paradox

Stylist Myrtho Clement was kind enough to do a write-up about me in her "Montreal's Fashion, Music and Dreams" blog.

She analyzes my gaze as "soft and contradictorily strong", which I tend to agree with (read: basket case AND business woman). :D. Thanks, Myrtho. My best to you and your blog.

Regarding the comments on my Frisky.com article, I only got two, so I'll address both:

danny braciole
wrote on December 17 2009 @ 11:00 am:
Probably a little easier to get jobs from random strangers when you’re as pretty as her. Not hating, just sayin’.

Rock on girl.

Although I agree it may be easier to get modeling or promotional marketing jobs if you are pretty, beauty is not an all-access card to a high salary.

One of the myths I wanted to dispel in my blog is that all models make a high salary by virtue of being a) agency represented and b) highly attractive. I do not have access to exact dollar amounts, as most talent agencies are private businesses and guard their accounting departments like Fort Knox, but I would venture that the average model working in Montreal makes less than $10 000 a year, or one solid commercial print booking a month (like a Mastercard ad: approximately $2000 with a one year buy-out, less %20% agency fees). Most editorials in Canadian mags like LouLou pay $300 per job if you are lucky. If you're doing REALLY well, you may get 7-9 well-paying bookings a YEAR. Yes, a YEAR.

Outside of the beauty industry, hard work and dedication to your chosen field does pay off. If you go the extra mile in all your tasks, appeal to your supervisor, show up on time, don't take too many sick days, stay out of mucky office politics, and tactically climb the ladder in say, a marketing company, you will likely earn in five years and annual salary that is currently much higher than I am earning in the arts doing what I "love".

If we compile how much money I've made to date on One Hundred Jobs, including pending jobs, I've earned approximately $3000 in three months of job posting and applying, networking, blogging, video editing, and all-out hustling. It's not as easy as you think to convince complete strangers that you are worth $100.00, and even when they do hire you, they know they are frequently hiring you for much less than you are worth. So has being pretty given me ease in employment? Not yet. Opportunities, yes, bankroll, no.

But I'm working on it, one job at a time! One of my hobbies: empire building.

P.S. Being pretty also comes with the cost of being eternally self-conscious, frequently not eating what I want, exercising when I'd rather collapse, spending too much time in front of the mirror plucking, moisturizing, face painting and fussing, dressing up when I would rather wear crappy sweatpants, and self-deprecating myself in social gatherings as to not inspire the ire of competitive females.

I call it the Pretty Paradox: if you are pretty you need to behave as if you are ugly. Some women find the self-confidence of attractive women to be ridiculously threatening, so the beautiful must berate themselves in order to gain acceptance. As I have found: 'tis better to purposely self-hate and minimize one's accomplishments than to have no friends.

I invite discussion about the Pretty Paradox: unfortunately, jealousy is an ugly emotion that the pretty have to deal with constantly. The masculine equivalent of the Pretty Paradox is is being constantly confronted with lust.

I'd rather deal with lust than viciousness. Sigh... hatin' on the hatin'.

jannatu wrote on December 17 2009 @ 11:05 am:
interesting. I wish someone would pay me $200 to watch them masturbate - assuming they didn’t take too long.

Sigh. Everyone has their boundaries. Mine starts when my employer's zipper comes undone.

IN OTHER JOBS:

Abigail commented on my E-bay frustration post that I should sell my vintage on Etsy.com, like she does. You know what: I will! I have tried to sell vintage on Etsy in the past, under Miss Mae Vintage, but was unsuccessful because I didn't market my shop or list enough items. Like all businesses, gaining your reputation as a quality vintage purveyor takes considerable marketing, effort and time. Despite its flaws, I had found that E-bay garners more immediate buyer attention than Etsy, but for the purposes of this blog being an exercise in thoroughly monetizing your skills in the arts, I'll set up my shop again! Thanks, Abigail!


Remember: beauty is in the eye of the cardholder,


Aimee.