Russh Magazine Under Fire!
Hmmm… My favourite magazine Russh is in a wee bit of trouble. Apparently they showed the breasts of an underage (sixteen year old) model in their latest issue. Right… so… what’s the problem here? If the model and parents agree on it who cares? The ridiculously talented editor of Russh, Natalie Shukur defends the shoot by saying that Russh readers ‘get it’ and also that the shoot tells a story and is not simply a meaningless nude shoot. I haven’t yet purchased my new Russh but I imagine I will love it and spend the next few days spouting about how bored people must be to complain about such stupid things. However I am completely biased because I’m all a glow with Russh love but I’m dying to know - what do my readers think? Is it inappropriate to show an under aged model’s breasts in a magazine shoot? What about catwalk work? Do the critics have a point or are they nasty people looking for a poor defenceless incredibly fabulous independent magazine to pick on?
Love Lady Smaggle
xxx
P.S The model’s name is Zippora Seven. And she just posed topless at the age of 16 in an awesome magazine and caused a truck load of controversy. Could she get any cooler?
Very controversial Lady! 16 may be borderline, but if she was 15 then that is not OK - and where do you draw the line?? But I guess she was paid well for the shoot, so she probably wasn’t exploited…
Kerrin - I totally agree! I think 15 is way too young but once you hit 16 I think you can do what you please. Plus I love Russh and I know they would never exploit anyone so in this instance I’m not at all concerned.
Hmm… I suppose the issue is that it sexualises an individual who isn’t even leagal to have sex yet, so in effect it’s saying look and lear but to hell with you if you touch. It seems to sends an uneccessary mixed message, and I would like to think she wasn’t exploited, and I know you can’t live your life according to how poeple may react… but, (I say in all my nana wisdom) it just doesn’t seem appropriate.
I think I’m actually a pretty open minded person but I actually think there is something in the controversy, if herself and her parents are okay then that makes it better. But I also think as a 16yo you don’t really have a great concept of your body& baring that for a magazine shoot I can see as being possibly exploitative. I don’t really know russh magazine& I can understand that maybe it was artistically necessary but baring women’s bodies at such a young age as such a ‘cool’ ‘fashionable’ or ’sexy’ thing could be problematic later for her.(Also maybe even for other teenage girls entering the modelling industry or girls reading the magazine.)
I totally believe in a girl’s right to choose when it comes to her body but the idea of it just makes me uncomfortable because I remember being a 16yo girl& the kinds of pressures & issues I had with my body compared to even being 18yo.
Ruin - It is legal for her to have sex but only with someone else her age - no one over 18. Tis true but the essence of the shoot was not about sex it was about depicting the story of Johnny Depp and Kate Moss (who incidentally was 14 when she began her modeling career. It’s so interesting to hear other opinions about the situtaion. I just love Russh so I feel I am slightly blinded…
I think if she’s legally old enough to have sex (she would be here) then the nudity shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the pictures aren’t degrading. She’s old enough to make that decision she should be for that one as well. Nudity happens in fashion, it’s not like it was playboy.
I think Vanity Fair just had a similar problem with the Hannah Montana (?) actress with a raunchy shoot. Kate Moss had topless shots done by Corrine Day in her teens (I’m not sure what age exactly though) and I love them, she looks beautiful. And I doubt many creepy old men are buying a fashion magazine to ogle young bosoms either.
hmmm i think age boundaries are there for a reason, because a 12 year old wouldn’t be appropriate, so maybe the point of 18 is a good one as it covers all children? there are so many older models, why not stick to them
Zippora Seven - could that be the most awesome name in the world!? That, and Moon Unit.
I dunno what all the fuss is about, it’s only a pair of fun-bags. I say shake em’ sista! I’m so over nudity lol
Cookie - It’s a good point. I just keep thinking of young actresses like Jodie Foster, Dominique Swain and Chloe Sevigny who all did such controversial films while underage and how celebrated it was. And Rachel Evan Wood more recently. I just wonder if people are harsher on models. I do hope her self esteem is intact though when she comes through this.
Liberty - I think the Hannah Montana thing is different because she is marketed towards tweens. It was not cool for her to appear semi-nude in a magazine because there are so many young girls idolising her. And I agree that creepy old men aren’t buying Russh. It’s not like she was in a newspaper. She was in a high fashion magazine with limited and niche readers who would appreciate that kind of thing.
Selina - I agree that a 12 year old is too young but I also think it’s a shame for an artist to have to compromise their work. The model was legal and was also perfect for the job. I know it’s fine line though. I’m loving hearing everyone’s opinions about this though!
Ivy - I know! It’s only boobies! I would be concerned if it was more than that but I just don’t think boobs are a deal. I guess I’m just a hussy though!
Ivy- lol! funbags?
I’m totally in love with the term ‘chest puppies’ right now…
but yeah I think that whenever there is a movie/tv series/model shoot with an underage sexual theme it’s controversial.& chloe sevigny and dominique swain certainly did cause quite a controversy with the sexual/ underage roles they portrayed, & I’m pretty sure Chloe Sevigny has since said she regrets the real fellatio scene she did in ‘the brown bunny’..if that’s the controversial movie you’re talking about? I don’t know her career very well& if she was underage in that film.
It also seems to come up quite a bit with females..I can’t remember a film or model shoot controversy to do with underage males nudity..? Is this because there are none? or because it’s not a big deal for guys? or even just because guys dont get their penises out for fashion shoots?
LOL.
As much as I love the idea of a naked 16 yearold - I do think there is something in this controversy. Young females are sexualised too much as it is and it’s bullshit. We have tweens wanting boobs and bras and thongs. Images and stories like this feed into that. Bwah. A 165 year old girl is just that -a GIRL. Not something that should be sexualised on a public scale.
Nudity is nudity but there IS something being modest and conservative. Especially when it comes to the ladies. We see too much now. Cover it up. Give us some mystery. We should not be seeing naked teenage girls in magazines and the media.
And this is coming from a dude.
and Liberty - I would put good money on dirty old men buying the magazine to oogle- especially given the controversy. You’d be shocked at what the internet holds.
and Lady Smaggle - what major life change happens between being 15 and 16. you don’t know shit at 16. Most 16 year olds haven’t got the slightest clue.
Cookie - I guess it’s because women can be more naked than men. Boobs are seen as taboo but men’s chests are not. Perhaps it’s just the attitude of the times? Maybe it will one day become acceptable to for women to show their breasts like men show their chests?
Azz - You love the idea of a naked 16 year old? I do agree that young women are over sexualised but it’s only because people make a fuss about it. Heaps of grotty old men may buy Russh now but only because of all the hype. If everyone just shut up and let Russh do their artistic and completely legal thing no one would even know. Or care. The only reason why this whole thing would harm Ziporra is because the media is making such a big deal out of it.
??? They’re making a fuss because it shouldn’t be happening. Young women shouldn’t be sexualised in the media - at all. They’re not oversexualised because people make a fuss - it’s the other way around.
Having such images of teenagers is dodgy because confuses both the young boys and girls and it encourages dirty old men - true. If we’re to see sexualised images we should see sexualised pictures of women - not girls.
And Russh sucks for doing this - it creates a precedent and now other magazines can follow. Next year someone will publish a 14 yearold nude and the line will go down further. Russh can say that it’s all artistic and within context but why did they have to show her breasts at all?
BAH!
No, I don’t think it’s appropriate to sexualise young girls and glamourise being drunk in the bath. Teenagers are easily influenced - both to be pressured into pictures like that and as far as teen readers go. Many young girls already feel bad about their looks and /or feel pressured to look “sexy” younger and younger (without really understanding it). so pics like this don’t help. And heaps of girls are made vulnerable by sexual abuse by “ordinary” men such as by their fathers, uncles, brothers, boyfriends, grandfathers - men who would have their ideas of girls as objects reinforced by such pictures and all the hype they’ve been getting. I don’t think the shoot was cool at all - Johnny Depp and Kate Moss weren’t teenagers when they were going out, either. The whole thing seems sleazy to me. Girls aren’t just objects, where is the celebration of girls / young women as people instead of this sexualisation?
Az - But it’s totally legal. They had the permission of both the model and the parents. Obviously I would find it awful if they used a 14 year old but 16 year olds are legally allowed to leave school and join the workforce. They are even allowed to appear in porn. So on a legal front I’m still struggling to find what’s wrong with this. It’s much better for her to be in a high fashion magazine that has at least some integrity. Don’t you think?
Cas - I think you make a really good point about the images being damaging to young girls because they don’t know any better but I have to make the point that when are men going to start taking responsibility for their own behavior? There is only so much that we can blame the media for. Also the model is legally allowed to appear in soft-core pornography if she wants. I also think that the model was chosen for the editorial because she looked so similar to Kate Moss who had (and still has) a ridiculously youthful figure. She was representing a character. There is no way she was targeted because she was young and they thought it would be a good idea to show the breasts of a teenager. It’s also a niche magazine with very specific readers of females aged 18 to 30. The dirty old men that are supposedly reading Russh now wouldn’t have even known it was in there if the media didn’t have a big sook about it. And if they want to see 16 year olds showing their breasts they can read People or Picture magazine - both of which are full of 16 year olds. I admit that the over sexualisation of young girls in the media is definitely an issue and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. I just think they are pointing the finger at the wrong publication. Thank you so much for commenting, I really appreciate getting everyone’s opinions on this issue!