Cameron Russell

Looks arent everything, believe me, Im a model

Vocabulary:
superficial
insecure
Strike a
balance
genetic
lottery
legacy
cash out on
Is akin to
Pay a cost

a. To find a compromise between two things

b. An inheritance; something transmitted by an ancestor to his or her
descendants
c. Earn from
d. presenting only an appearance; concerned only with the obvious or
apparent
e. to suffer the consequences for doing something or risking something
f. Lack of confidence about oneself or ones ability to do things well
g. To be born with the best of everything genetically
h. essentially similar, related, or compatible

Comprehension:
1. Why does Cameron Russell change her outfit at the beginning of the talk?
A She didnt want the women in the audience to feel horrified because of her short dress
B She was uncomfortable in the heels she was wearing and needed to change
C She wanted to demonstrate how superficial the perception of her image could be
D She wanted to show how quickly models can change outfits and styles

2. Cameron Russell says that she became a model by winning a genetic lottery and being
the recipient of a legacy. What is the legacy she is referring to?

A The admiration of health, beauty and symmetry

B The bequest of a certain notion of beauty, specifically of tall, slender, white women
C The gift, by will, of money from her ancestors
D The tradition of models being discovered by scouts

3. The comparison of magazine pictures and snapshots are meant to demonstrate which of
the following?
A Models actually live normal lives
B Cameron Russell is just as beautiful without makeup
C Magazine pictures are image constructions created by professionals
D Photoshop retouching is the sole component in the reconstruction of a models image

4. How does the perception of their body image change in girls from age 13 to age 17?
A 17-year-old girls are much more confident with their bodies than they were at 13
B 13-year-old girls and 17-year-old girls have similar perceptions of their bodies
C 13-year-old girls like their bodies 53% more than 17-year-old girls
D The number of girls who dislike their bodies increases from more than half at 13-yearsold to more than three-quarters at 17-years-old

5. What is a trait of many models that is infrequently disclosed?

A Physical insecurity
B High intelligence
C Physical confidence
D A dislike of high heels

6. What did the study by an NYU Ph.D. student in 2007 find about ethnicity on the
runway? What do these findings say about representation in the modeling world in
general?

7. According to Cameron Russell, what does a woman need to become a model?

8. What is Cameron Russell referring to when she talks about the free stuff she gets in
real life?

Discussion:
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What did you think of the video?

Do you agree that looks are superficial but powerful?
Do you think the photos of models in magazines are harmful to regular women and girls?
If models are so beautiful, why are they so insecure about their physical looks?
Do you benefit from your looks in your own society?
Do your looks cause you difficulties?
What is the effect of the power of image on a womans success?
Is perceived beauty always advantageous?