MnPhoto wrote:
Browsing through the member database, I was disappointed to see how few silver haired models are listed on MM.
What's going on here folks?
Albeit idealized, modeling should be a reflection of society.
Where are the 50+ models?

I know a number of them in London and know there to be some in NY too. However you are lilely to have to go through an Agency because sites on the net for model port hosting attract people who have very specific ideas about what a model should be. If we are thirty plus and not 5ft 11" or have 36DD we shouldn't be modelling according to some. Thankfully the 'real world' has a broader definition. It is indeed a shame that is not reflected here.

Eliza C wrote:
I know a number of them in London and know there to be some in NY too. However you are lilely to have to go through an Agency because sites on the net for model port hosting attract people who have very specific ideas about what a model should be. If we are thirty plus and not 5ft 11" or have 36DD we shouldn't be modelling according to some. Thankfully the 'real world' has a broader definition. It is indeed a shame that is not reflected here.

Hi Eliza,
There are plenty of commercial models in the industry. I am just disappointed to see that MM does not seem to appeal to that demographic. From a Commercial Photography perspective, it isn't all about T&A, but that seems to be good enough to make the website appeal to the more active online demographic.

Take for example the 50+ age range with gray hair - it's a handful.

Modelwire, which is tied into the "brick and mortar" modeling agencies, lists hundreds of commercial models in this age range. Those agencies are my main source for commercial models in all age groups.

I just wonder if Model Mayhem has a plan to expand its appeal, so that there is less of a focus on fine art, and more on general commercial photography.

MnPhoto wrote:
Browsing through the member database, I was disappointed to see how few silver haired models are listed on MM.
What's going on here folks?
Albeit idealized, modeling should be a reflection of society.
Where are the 50+ models?

Why is there such a lack of models from that age-group?

why are only the 50+ models considered "natural"?

MnPhoto wrote:

Hi Eliza,
There are plenty of commercial models in the industry. I am just disappointed to see that MM does not seem to appeal to that demographic. From a Commercial Photography perspective, it isn't all about T&A, but that seems to be good enough to make the website appeal to the more active online demographic.

Take for example the 50+ age range with gray hair - it's a handful.

Modelwire, which is tied into the "brick and mortar" modeling agencies, lists hundreds of commercial models in this age range. Those agencies are my main source for commercial models in all age groups.

I just wonder if Model Mayhem has a plan to expand its appeal.

I think the problem is that a lot of character and commerical older models that have joined here have had little feedback and probably would get flak if they posted in forums. However I know that several make a decent living that I have worked with. One chap is in his eighties for example and is used in may tv ads and movies as an extra plus does life modelling. Well in demand. What would the reaction be by many of those here of he joined MM? Ridicule probably. Because they are looking for t&a or 7ft tall 18 year olds.

Mark Laubenheimer wrote:

why are only the 50+ models considered "natural"?

For real.

Eliza C wrote:

I know a number of them in London and know there to be some in NY too. However you are lilely to have to go through an Agency because sites on the net for model port hosting attract people who have very specific ideas about what a model should be. If we are thirty plus and not 5ft 11" or have 36DD we shouldn't be modelling according to some. Thankfully the 'real world' has a broader definition. It is indeed a shame that is not reflected here.

Haha, it's true. New models often have to endure a bunch of criticism from a small sector about how they are too short/fat/old/ugly to be a model so they should FO. Which makes it a lot more difficult for the people who actually want to hire girls like that, because they do exist.

I noticed i started getting it about 6 years after i started modelling and after i had already been a full-time professional model. That's why you need a thick skin and a strong bullshit detector to do well on these sites.

JadeDRed wrote:
Haha, it's true. New models often have to endure a bunch of criticism from a small sector about how they are too short/fat/old/ugly to be a model so they should FO. Which makes it a lot more difficult for the people who actually want to hire girls like that, because they do exist.

I noticed i started getting it about 6 years after i started modelling and after i had already been a full-time professional model. That's why you need a thick skin and a strong bullshit detector to do well on these sites.

Agreed!
By the way, I purposely used "natural" as a  double entendre (or triple) in order to attract the three audiences that would be interested in the topic, because I think they are relevant to the conversation.

JessieLeigh wrote:
I expected this thread to be about boobs.

We all did, *pats shoulder*, we all did...

JessieLeigh wrote:
I expected this thread to be about boobs.

We all did, *pats shoulder*, we all did...

JessieLeigh wrote:
I expected this thread to be about boobs.

We all did, *pats shoulder*, we all did...

JadeDRed wrote:
Haha, it's true. New llamas often have to endure a bunch of criticism from a small sector about how they are too short/fat/old/ugly to be a llama so they should FO. Which makes it a lot more difficult for the people who actually want to hire girls like that, because they do exist.

I noticed i started getting it about 6 years after i started llamaling and after i had already been a full-time professional llama. That's why you need a thick skin and a strong bullshit detector to do well on these sites.

Very true.

Connie Berchem wrote:
I'm 60 yrs young and I'm on MM

Connie

There are also other older models here.

Connie Berchem wrote:
I'm 60 yrs young and I'm on MM

Connie

You are a beautiful 60 yrs young, Connie.

Damianne wrote:
I'm naturally 22.
All natural age.

Your age group is very popular on MM.

MnPhoto wrote:
Browsing through the member database, I was disappointed to see how few silver haired models are listed on MM.
What's going on here folks?
Albeit idealized, modeling should be a reflection of society.
Where are the 50+ models?

Why is there such a lack of models from that age-group?

I guess I never got the memo that modeling should be a reflection of society. Wal-Mart is a reflection of society but I don't want models who look like Wal-Mart patrons.

There aren't a lot of 50+ models on MM for the same reason you won't find as many 50+ models at any modeling agency...because there are just fewer of them.

MnPhoto wrote:
Your age group is very popular on MM.

Are you seriously curious why there are more models in the 18-22 demographic than 50+?

No, 18-22 isn't just "popular" on MM. THAT is the age range, and younger, of models throughout the world. Surely that doesn't come as a huge revelation?

Do you peruse a VS catalog and wonder, "hmm...why are there no models in the 50-64 age group?" Do you walk across a college campus and think, "Where are all the elderly students?"

I swear I must be going crazy lol.

JessieLeigh wrote:
I expected this thread to be about boobs.

Or tats. Or both.

JessieLeigh wrote:
I expected this thread to be about boobs.

As long as we talk about women who are over 50, we can talk about boobs without threadjacking.

I'll start. Sofia Loren is natural. She has modeled. She has great boobs.

MnPhoto wrote:
Browsing through the member database, I was disappointed to see how few silver haired models are listed on MM.
What's going on here folks?
Albeit idealized, modeling should be a reflection of society.
Where are the 50+ models?

Why is there such a lack of models from that age-group?

Seriously though, how does 'natural' equal 'over 50?'

MnPhoto wrote:

Your age group is very popular on MM.

Therefore I must be unnatural

MnPhoto wrote:
Browsing through the member database, I was disappointed to see how few silver haired models are listed on MM.
What's going on here folks?
Albeit idealized, modeling should be a reflection of society.
Where are the 50+ models?

Why is there such a lack of models from that age-group?

The simple reality is that most photographers are just looking to shoot T&A and they prefer younger women.

About 5 years ago I went to a workshop in Jersey that was held every couple of weeks.  The organizer typically hired models in their early twenties.  On this particular occasion there was one model that was about 50.  The majority of the photographers complained about having such an old model.  The irony is that the photographers that were complaining were for the most part older than the model.

MnPhoto wrote:
The issue is not that there aren't any models with naturally gray hair.

The fact is that they are overwhelmingly under represented, and unlike the male models, the female models are more likely to color their hair, in order to appear younger, thus reducing the website's appeal for a very real demographic in commercial modeling.

I feel that most women don't want gray hair. They'd rather retain the hair color that was once natural to them. You're not going to see alot of models with gray hair in part because you're not going to see many women with gray hair. They exist and you'll see them from time to time but its not a majority.

-B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote:
Maybe we need another website called MATURE MAYHEM?

Seriously, this is probably the most ridiculous rant I've heard this year.

+1