Carol Marika

Funny I should be the first to post here. And in this forum.

Cool person. Helped me to cast a few projects and her friendship is appreaciated.

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IMAX

And there lies the problem. Who says they have to be tall? The industry?
Aren't you in "The Industry."? Change the industry. Beauty is undeniable.
Dream Big Dude...

MonicaG

...

MonicaG

Well said...

RedEarth

I think the issue lies somewhere else man. Why did Melyssa blow up (for a time anyway), as well as Buffie and Tiara?...and a lot of these others didn't? They took their exposure and formed their own niche being big fishes in small ponds. They used basic marketing/hustling principles to get over, just like Ludacris and Chamillionaire did in their industry. Do you notice that a lot of these urban models whose pics are posted here have practically nothing to sell on their websites? Maybe a calendar or dvd once in a while, or a few 8X10 photos IF THAT. What's the point of even having a website if you have no products to sell? I mean put your pretty face on a stack of t-shirts or a coffee mug or somethin'!!

Call me Ms. jackson

^^ who is going to buy their stuff when there are at least 3 other "models" that look just like them (or better) or have more "fame"
Maybe I say this because I am a straight female but I wouldnt buy any of their stuff if all they are doing is showing a$$... everyone has an a$$ shouldn't a model be bringing something special to the table?
Not to mention there are so many myspace chix willing to work for free... that most companies have to make a decision... pay a more experienced model a lot of $$$ or give a beginner model the job and save your $$$ for investments or your own pocket.

Quality or Quantity?

Unfortuantely many companies pick the second choice.

MusicPro

Branding is the issue, majority of "urban" entertainment individuals have no formal training or experience. they do what they think it should be, not what it is. Thats how the music game got f'd up, urban modeling the same way, thirsting over the wrong thing and trying to find a short cut. The best way to sum it up urban entertainment below the top tier position is nothing but hustling not a career.

RedEarth

Every eye candy male groupie has his own individual tastes. Everybody that's feeling a MonicaG is not necessarily feeling a Buffie the Body. So therefore it would be a shopper's market where the customers would go to whomever they prefer the most, and/or who ever has the best marketing skills...just like we do with our favorite fast food restaurants, gas stations and movie theaters...it would be just like anything else in this capitalist society. Also, the top four models you mentioned might have the exact same customers buying their stuff...look around these urban model sites sometime India and check out the membership lists...Ice Cold Champagne, 1900 Montana, Tiara, Taneish, a lot of the people that post here post on those sites too!
When you said they have no formal training or experience, you mean in basic business principles and marketing?

MusicPro

Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, Accountants all have to have a degree and then go to graduate school, then they have to work under somebody before they can practice on their own.

When L.A Reid took over Arista, they made him go to Harvard for some schooling before you officially got the job even though he already sold millions of records.

Now what makes a regular joe blow think they are qualified to run a record business? No matter what business you are into the bottomline is and will always be "Sales" if you sell shoes, tampons, cake, music or your image. Marketing is more than just passing out flyers and sending out emails. There is research, analytical data to identify trends, flucations, etc.. You have to understand shyt like this. Think about Coke and Pepsi, they co-exist but they compete but they never low ball themselves, the prices of either one are pretty consistent unless one runs a special but other than that a 2 liter is 1.49. you don't pepsi keep going lower to compete because both know that there is a bottomline that has to be met. Unfortunately if you don't have this training you wouldn't understand the real principals behind everything in business. Thats why you suppose to go to school

mrmckoy

Dude, all urban models do is brand. They burn out from promoting themselves and getting no return. And you can't market T & A to the masses (not this type).

Certain types of people look for it.

Either way, I'd rather Carol marika gets the attention she deserves. Didn't plan for the thread to become this.

Btw, what school would urban Models go to? "Kat William's School for the Thick and Gifted?" "Snoop's Pimpin U"(niversity)?

mrmckoy

I've got no power to change anything. Unless I'm doing a project where i'm producing.

Agents respond to the clients. Clients make the decisions. THe problem lies with them all though Agencies bear the critisism.

We are nothing more then an employment staffing agency looking for temporary workers.

But there are a lot of reason why the models need to be tall. Runway shows, etc... Wardrobes are made by designers for a certain size and if a model is within certain stats they automatically fit (it saves those professionals money and materials). There are more reasons then I could list here.