January 5, 2008

If it Looks like a Rat. . .

For a moment, imagine you are a model. You’ve always taken good care to make sure you accept projects that are respectable. You don’t want your image tarnished because you have a husband, children and even elementary students since your day job is as a graduate student in elementary education.

You accept a job modeling a necklace. You go to the shoot, and film several different scenarios. They’re all family friendly and potentially humorous. At the end of the shoot, while wearing a silky lingerie camisole and necklace, you’re asked to lay down on the red satin sheets and writhe around a bit as if you’re a-hem, enjoying something.

When the ad comes out, the only thing you see is yourself writhing around on the sheets, looking "happy." All that funny family-friendly footage is gone. This is what remains. If you can’t see the video, go here for the video direct from you tube. (This is totally not work safe unless you watch it on mute. I wouldn’t watch it around your children either unless you plan on having a lengthy discussion that you might not yet be ready to have):

Need a minute? Understandable. . .

(Twiddling thumbs). . . ready now?

So, you do what any scorned American would do, right? You sue the company for portraying you in such a manner and expect to get $5 million out of it.

If I didn’t know better, I would think that this entire thing (commercial and lawsuit) is a publicity stunt pulled by Szul.com and the model to gain "buzz" about their ad campaign and to get their name out there. I’m sorry, but I just can’t imagine someone being stupid enough to think that footage like this wouldn’t be used if you allow it to be filmed. We live in America where sex sells. Let’s see, humorous commercial featuring a necklace, or one with a woman writhing around on a bed? I’m putting my money on the bed images to get more attention. How about you?

This isn’t some young, naive girl either. She’s a grown woman, in her 30’s with a family and a career other than modeling. If she’s been in the business for so long, then why couldn’t she spot a bad situation. If I’m a model and I go to film a funny commercial and someone asks me to put on lingerie and writhe around on satin sheets, I think I’m probably going to sense that there is a serious problem and get myself out of there. If she was so concerned about not tarnishing her "wholesome" image, then why did she agree to do this anyway? It’s not like someone stood there with a gun and made her do what she did.

Congratulations to Szul.com for finding a way to get their previously unknown name out there in ways they could not ever have imagined. There’s nothing like another frivolous lawsuit to get the attention of the entire country and beyond.