Author, model discusses challenges, objectification in modeling industry

Hildebrand began with a brief reading of an excerpt that exemplified the objectification of models’ bodies in the industry and described the work that goes into one photo of amodel.

The passage provided “insights into something you wouldn’t have thought about when you look at a billboard or the cover of a magazine or anything that might come to mind when hating or adoring or not understanding models and the modeling industry,” he said.

Hildebrand emphasized that the modeling industry is often not all about the glitz and glamour that it portrays to the outside world.

“I think a model’s strongest bargaining power is definitely sex ... [because] models are at the bottom of the industry,” he said. “Models want to advance their careers [and] people who are in the position of advancing their careers more often than not want sex.”

“It’s difficult to know the extent to which that exists ... [but] I know what I’ve seen and what I’ve experienced,” he said.

Hildebrand noted, however, that the book is not strictly biographical.

“I’m in the industry, so everything is a mix of truth and fiction,” he said. “I’ve spent about six years in the industry, I’ve spent a lot of time in castings, on shoots ... listening to people talking.”

But he explained that some parts of the book and several of the ideas behind the story have been influenced by his real-life experiences. “From my point, there is no point of fictionalizing something that doesn’t need to be fictionalized,” he said.

During the reading, Hildebrand expressed negative opinions on the recent phenomenon of how “everyone thinks they can model.”

“In the modeling community, it’s a huge frustration,” he said, adding that celebrities, singers, movie stars and even politicians have taken a lot of work from the modeling industry “and in many ways, perform our jobs ... not as well as we do.”

He also added that modeling is not as damaging to a person’s self-esteem as many may think.

“I think a lot of models get into this neutral groove,” he said, noting there is an “unusual sense of maturity” within the industry. “I’m sure there are exceptions on both ends, and I think that the whole industry teaches models to carry a facade, to put up a front so you start to deny a lot of your own feelings or just repress them.”

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Hildebrand said he enjoyed doing readings for anyone who might be interested and added that “even though the topic isn’t academic, it’s still interesting ... to those who like to think.”

“Any university is a legitimate place to have a reading for this type of book,” he said.

Many students said they were drawn to the event for its uniqueness and a chance to take a break from the academic environment.

“It just seemed like an interesting opportunity to get to know something about a field, male modeling, that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity,” said Chukwunonso Okwelogu ’15. “Also, the book excerpt was really good.”

The event, held in the Wu Special Dining Room, was organized by Butler Resident Graduate Student Jayanti Onens through the college office. Hildebrand reached out to Onens through a mutual acquaintance.