Mar 18instant vintage : 03.2010 : …see no evil, hear no evil… (Confessions)
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most well-versed in the business of fashion…that’s what 39th and Broadway’s blog is for. However, I am not so naive to believe that world is nothing but pretty clothes, inspired designers, and brilliant photographers.
Photo via Hong Kong Hustle
Thanks to Natalie of Fashion Intel, I’ve been following Jezebel’s coverage…or expose…on popular fashion photographer Terry Richardson and am just short of feeling like I need to shower. Reading the stories of the models he’s allegedly taken complete advantage of while the head honchos of the industry (I’m glaring at YOU Wintour, Roitfeld, and those fast fashion giants I love to hate) turn their eyes aside is both gut and heart wrenching.
Jamie Peck, a self-professed non-model who likes to take “the occasional cheesecake photo” recounts a nude photo session with Richardson:
I told him I had my period so I wanted to keep my underwear on, and he asked me to take my tampon out for him to play with. “I love tampons!” he said, in that psychotically upbeat way that temporarily convinces so many girls that what’s fun for Uncle Terry is fun for them. I politely declined his offer to make tea out of my bloody cunt plug. It was then that he decided to just get naked.
That isn’t even the end of the story. In fact, it gets worse. I’ll let you read the articles and come to your own conclusions.
From Jezebel:
- Meet Terry Richardson, The World’s Most Fucked Up Fashion Photographer
- Exclusive: More Models Come Forward with Allegations Against Fashion Photographer
There are also some entries on The Cut, the fashion blog arm of New York Magazine:
- ‘Everyone in Fashion Knows Terry Richardson Messes Around With the Girls He Photographs’
- More of Terry Richardson’s Former Subjects Come Forward With Disturbing Allegations (basically a summary of the Jezebel article)
UPDATED: Being a proponent of dissenting opinions and playing devil’s advocate, I want to remind everyone that there are many sides to a story and the issue at hand. Brooke, gorgeous model blogger formerly of The Glamourous Eccentric (which I am wishing for her to resurrect), tweeted the following:
i’m all caught up on this terry richardson story.i know this is not the popular thing to say, but the way he is being attacked is unfair.
1.these girls were not helpless 2.we have a judicial system for sexual predators not an internet witch hunt. thats all i will say.
hate me im sorry but people need to question themselves before tearing him apart
his photographs are EXPLOITIVE by nature & thats why people loved him. now they want to turn around and say how disturbing and twisted he is.
just to be clear im not claiming he’s a saint but all the people calling for his work to be banned at Vogue Bazaar etc need some perspective
There is definitely no hate being dished from my direction. This point was brought up in the comment section of the Jezebel article as well. Although some of the girls making accusations were underage or in their late teens, it stands to reason that if a person of sound mind and body agrees to do something that they aren’t comfortable with, they are deserving of some responsibility for the action. It is also odd to cry foul when a photographer known for less than savory photos is attacked for providing a less than savory environment to work in.
Photo via Terry Richardson.com (very telling, I might add…)
I’d love to hear what you all think of this.
Discuss…
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ADDENDUM: Looking at that picture above reminded me of one of my favorite Jon LaJoie videos. I’m sure I’ve posted or mentioned this before, but it’s worth another run.
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Ok, NOW discuss…
And remember…I don’t do that disrespectful shit in my comment section. We’re all grown here or we can at least pretend to be.
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55 Responses to “…see no evil, hear no evil…”
terry is officially disgusting. but i guess it’s easy to see that he’s a few eggs short of a full tray. it’s a damn shame the things these women STILL have to go through, what with ‘equality’ and the industry being run by mavens and all. will they ever clean this nonsense up?
.-= pennerad´s last blog .. =-.
I don’t this it will be cleaned up until people start calling out other people for their shit. Mavens included.
Calling out people is probably one of my favorite things in the universe. In the words of my pal Cornell West, “injustice will keep me angry until the day I die.”
Thanks for the shout out Alicia and thank you for the continual discourse on pertinent matters that I rarely see on other blogs. I too plan on writing about art and the assholes who make it. Just days ago I posted some TR photos of Omar from The Wire – before I had even mentioned this story – and now I’m like WTF. I’ve never been a fan of TR but Omar is my soul mate and it makes me sad that men like TR become incredibly powerful.
I’ll save the rest for dinner tomorrow night. Looking forward to it! xoxo NJ
.-= Natalie / Fashion Intel´s last blog ..KALEIDOSCOPE CHLOE =-.
YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS!!!! Sucks about your soul mate, though…I won’t lie. I loved the ones he did of the President.
I’m baffled at how he still works when people know about how he operates. BAFFLED I SAY!!!
See you tomorrow. =D
I read about this yesterday and was totally disturbed. I understand having artistic methods and all brilliant artists being a little crazy, but the line between appropriate and completely disgusting and disrespectful is NOT a thin one. Let’s keep calling these dbags out.
.-= Linda´s last blog ..One question. =-.
Thank you for writing about this. I’ve also been following the coverage on Jezebel and I’ll admit that before, I’d never known much about Richardson. I just knew he was a guy who took photos of the “it” people, was a top photographer for Vogue and shot the President in a pretty flattering light. However, reading those stories on Jezebel over the past couple of days have made my skin crawl and outraged that this man has been preying on these young, less powerful women and getting away with it for so long. For the few women that have spoken up, it’s horrific to imagine the amount of women out there who he’s also taken advantage of.
I know there have been some comments such as “Well, they are models and there are tons of people in fashion who take advantage of them”, but that doesn’t make it right. Most of these women are young, in some cases from another country and don’t have the representation to protect them from this ass. Unless he tried something with one of the higher celebrities ( I’m sure he fell wayy the hell back with Obama), this type of behavior continues because he thinks he can get away with it. I applaud the people who have spoken out on it and I do hope he continues to be called out on his behavior so long as he continues to be a skeevy perv.
Sorry for such a long rant, but these types of stories are what makes me disgusted that I am even interested in the fashion industry at all. Not just because of Richardson, but also because of the people that protect him and turn a blind eye.
NO! We NEED rants. We need LONG discussions. And I completely agree with your last statement. The people protecting him and turning a blind eye are endemic of a HUGE problem with the industry: people are willing to go to extreme lengths and allow horrible things to happen in the name of determining what people will wear next year. Insanity.
Wow, I felt like I was reading about Dov all over again.
And…EW.
.-= jesse.anne.o´s last blog ..Links a la Mode =-.
Can you imagine him and Dov in a session together?!?! Ugh.
Yeah Eeeew
.-= RockandCouture´s last blog ..We’ve waited so long, waited so long =-.
What bothers me the most about this (there are a lot of things) is that people are just excusing all of his behavior like oh “well they are models so they should know what to expect” and “they are grown women who made the choice to be there.” I’m sure there are a lot of models that didn’t want to work with him because of his reputation, but had to take the job either for money or because of pressure from their agency. As a model, you are expected to do some uncomfortable things, but to have a man sexually harass you while you work isn’t in your contract. And that’s the thing, this is sexual harassment. If this were any other profession people would be up in arms over this. Just because it’s the fashion industry where “anything goes” doesn’t excuse anything.
There need to be more people looking after these young girls. Not everyone has a parent looking after them and obviously their agencies and managers aren’t either. He’s another man using his position to take advantage of women. The people supporting him, and the designers and magazines that still work with him, need to take a minute to realize what they are basically saying is fashionable. The woman arguing for him reminds me of all those people who still support Roman Polanski. The industry needs to set higher standards and take care of the people that make it was it is.
Wow…this is a speak-of-the-devil for me because I was recently thinking about Terry Richardson when I came across his blog…credit where credit is due, the man does some really nice portraits but it stops there. I was disturbed by some of his photographs. The main conclusion that can be drawn from his photographs is SEX. He doesn’t care about the clothes, he doesn’t care about the girls even, only cares about the girls (or guys) in the context of sex. He shows how much our society has degraded especially when it concerns sex. I’m not saying this as a prude or as a religious person (which I am, BTW), I’m just pointing towards the ‘entropy’ in our culture. Everything is degrading in our culture (relationships, education, etc) and energy needs to be used in order to put it back together again.
Sure, sex is sex (and can be very alluring and intriguing) but the way everything has been downspiralling these days, the lack of respect about sex is in fact hurting us. People like Terry Richardson need to be shunned. Sure, if he wants to do porno, go do porno. His putrid view of sex does not need to be spread into other fields, other fields which should not have to be propelled or influenced by sex. I realize that sex sells, but what is it selling exactly, in the context of TR? You don’t notice the dress (i.e. fashion) that Eniko Mihalik has pulled over her head, you notice her being naked. And unfortunately, instead of keeping the integrity of the fashion business (or any business –sorry mini-rant, but advertisements for K$sha’s CD on the DISNEY CHANNEL? seriously?) people support, being caught up in the excitement or the controversy.
Furthermore, some of the models ENJOY working with TR, read Abbey Lee’s comments on Fashionologie. As long as he has interest, he won’t go away
K, I don’t even know if that made sense, but thanks for an outlet of some of my recent ponderings
.-= Carina´s last blog ..Noble Endeavor =-.
I’m on Team Terry Richardson. For so long sex has been seen as threatening and photographers like Terry Richardson are making it mainstream which is exactly what it needs to be. Sex is like breathing. One of the most natural things we are capable of doing/having. With his camera Richardson captures the true essence of these models and personalities. He is bold and shocking and you can see how free the models look in these photos. How uninhibited. You know them better by looking at them through Richardson’s camera. Richardson is an artist and yes, he’s slept with many models. But he hasn’t raped any of them. He is very sexual but does not exploit these girls. People accused him of objectifying women by shooting them naked and so he started to let them shoot him naked. It was a response to people like those who are criticizing him now. Fashion is dependent upon the body. Without the body we have nothing. So to photograph the naked body for fashion magazines is going back (like many collections do) to see where all of these bold shoulders and fur pants are coming from. The body as a means of expression. As the most incredible fashion to ever be created.
Like I said, I’m on Team Richardson. Are you?
.-= Tiara´s last blog ..Two Naked Women Act as a Threshold to Marina Abramovic’s Moma Exhibit =-.
You guys are bringing up some great points. Thank you.
Tiara, I am ALL with you on the idea of sex being like breathing & the most natural thing we are capable of doing. The taboos that are placed on it make for more harm than good, IMO. BUT, the atmosphere in which his work is being produced concerns me (if what is being said is true in terms of his exploiting models). He takes very provocative pictures and if his aim is to make sex mainstream, mission accomplished; no hate from me. If the models are also working with that aim in mind, more power to them. However, if there is a situation where someone is feeling coerced into fellating or giving a hand job to the photog, there is a problem.
To Carina, do you think sex has degraded so much because of the taboos that are placed on it? I wonder if we were more liberal in our views about nudity/our bodies/sex, then TR wouldn’t have to go to such extremes to prove whatever point he’s trying to prove.
Bleaky, I’m with you, especially when it comes to minors. There need to be more protections in place. I’m sure TR isn’t the worst of the worst and my spidey senses tell me that some girls’ women’s voices aren’t being heard because of fear for their future careers.
I get that sex is like breathing, but that’s not the vibe I get. I’ll be honest, some of his sexual pictures do feel ‘natural’, but many do not. And about TR going to extremes to try to prove a point, I’m not getting that either. I just think he does those pictures because he wants to, because that’s what his brain and balls are telling him to do. Especially the shots with his arm around a naked chick and that infamous grin + thumbs up. What point is that proving?
.-= Carina´s last blog ..Noble Endeavor =-.
EDIT: I get that sex is like breaking, but that’s not the vibe I get from some of his photographs
.-= Carina´s last blog ..Noble Endeavor =-.
I don’t know if I can say I’m on a “team”, but I do agree with a lot of Tiara’s points. I follow a photography blog that seems to post mostly nude photography, majority of which is of women. However, I think that the context in which these photographs are created ARE significant to what they’re going to represent…
The situation just sounds freakishly like the movie Hard Candy… ugh.
Brooke brings up a good point, though. We do have a legal system to combat this… If what is said is true, why aren’t these models pressing charges? If they’re not doing so out of protection of their own careers or something, that’s their own choice. It just seems to me that if his behavior were really unwarranted enough for people to, as Brooke said, “start an internet witch hunt”, why he hasn’t been at least sued yet.
.-= sui´s last blog ..{ portrait } teaser in black and white =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
“the context in which these photographs are created ARE significant to what they’re going to represent…”
YES. YES. YES. What is TR representing? We can speculate all day…and I love speculating, but I really need to research this dude’s aims and intent.
great I messed my EDIT up too…hey Alicia, is there a way to edit our own posts?
.-= Carina´s last blog ..Noble Endeavor =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
You should be able to now. =D
P.S. love that video. HAHA.. poor guys with those kinds of glasses. I have glasses like that too actually. sadness!
My last comment of the day… I PROMISE
I just wanted to say add onto what I said. I appreciate nude photography, I think that the human body is beautiful and I love how artists are able to capture this. I also appreciate how artists (photographers in this case) capture human nature, including our sexual tendencies. HOWEVER, I don’t feel that these are TR’s intentions. Through a portion of his photographs (again, some of them ARE really good) I just feel that he is using them to pump his muscles, nothing more, nothing else.
.-= Carina´s last blog ..Noble Endeavor =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
I would love to know what his intentions actually are. I’m sure he’s mentioned it somewhere.
TO GOOGLE!!!
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by InnyVinny: NEW POST: umm…Terry Richardson…let’s discuss http://www.innyvinny.com/2010/03/18/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil/...
I agree that just because he’s in fashion doesn’t mean he’s exempt from criticism and scrutiny. If he’s truly the pervert that these models are claiming, then why do people continually work with him? And my question is “Are we really surprised?” His images were perverted in nature, that’s how he got his fame…
However, it still doesn’t make it right, especially if he was molesting and violating women under age. It’s like R. Kelly, everyone is trying to justify his behavior because of his talent! I say “What’s talent got to do with?” Ike Turner was a genius and a woman beater and if TR is really as perverted as these models say he needs help..
Woo-sa!!!
I agree with Brooke sometimes models decide to go through this although they willingly know what they are doing is not professional, however I have to disagree when young underage girls are pushed to get naked and take Terry’s shit, many young girls wanting to make it big get intimidated by a pedo like Terry and don’t want to ruin their chances at a modeling career and get used and even “morally sodomized” by this pervert. I once knew a guy who wanted to take pics of me at his studio, I was really young and I agreed, after a few mins he asked me to take off my top, I laughed at his face and told him NO! It’s amazing how many women feel pressured to do anything to please photogs and men, but there’s nothing wrong with saying NO! If you feel uncomfortable in any situation no matter how much something means to you, it is better to get away from it than to regret it later.
Much love,
Glendy
.-= Glendy´s last blog ..Outfit Diary: The Cheshire Cat in the City =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I’m pretty much in the same state of mind on this one.
to me, terry richardson is a pervert. his talent pales in comparison to helmut newton, who succeeded in making his subjects feel sexy without asking them to blow him. however, the models can’t be blameless. it’s perfectly understandable that these are young, naive, impressionable and sometimes desperate girls, but they can’t act like they didn’t have a choice. they did.
alicia, i think this was a really thoughtful post and appreciate being able to contribute in the discussion.
Alicia Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
No worries! Thank you for joining in. I agree on the Newton sentiment, too. He managed to be provocative without making me feel dirty.
Wow, I’m glad I came here! I’ve just warded him Cunt of the WeekTM because his behavior is not acceptable. HE needs to keep his cock in his pants and away from models who think they need his approval to get work. He is a major scumbag and a menace. It is sexual harassment pure and simple. As for nudity and sexuality, why do we need it in fashion photography? Why do we need to be embarrassed about opening a Vogue magazine in front of our sons and daughters?
Fuck that scumbag and Oliver Zahm too while we’re at it.
.-= Sister Wolf´s last blog ..Cunt of the Week™: Terry Richardson =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:43 pm
We’re on the same page!?!??! YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
very interesting….this I did not know.
I don’t care if they were willing or not– if they’re under 18, that’s statutory. Gross.
.-= dreamsequins´s last blog ..City of Angels =-.
Just wondering if he would pay for my used tampons….
What can I say, I’m mercenary.
.-= WendyB´s last blog ..Introducing the Asterisk Ring =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
These are the reasons why I <3 you.
personally, i find his work tiresome…. it’s that creepy diy porn style chic that’s so popular in the 00′s, some of it’s polished, yeah, but he’s relying too much on shock and sex and not enough on imagination.
that said, it’s hard to believe that anyone is suprised by this, and it’s good that people are finally making a big deal out of this. intuitively you know it’s wrong, but feel like there’s that big reason why it is , but you can’t say it without sounding like a crazed maniac.
i think the real reason why people are so upset, because most women can relate to a point in their lives where they were taken advantage of in this way, sure it may not be some top fashion photographer and we may not be models, but most women have experienced men crossing the line and not been able to say anything out of fear of sounding crazy, being a killjoy, or losing an opportunity.
it’s complicated, and i can see how some people think we’re overreacting, but something inside me says we aren’t reacting enough.
.-= jennine´s last blog ..Crusin’ the Vintage Fashion Expo =-.
Alicia Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I completely agree. I think we’ve all been there, so a lot of this outrage is (warranted) projection. It’s a wonder how this hasn’t come up before during the course of his career. I’m sure these incidents happen more than people care to mention, so why is it only starting now?
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
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[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
This is an interesting discussion, sorry I’m late to it, but thank you for raising it.
I just wanted to point out that the “we have a legal system for this” argument is completely off base. The legal system is terrible at dealing with this kind of thing. Come on! if flat-out rapists almost never get convicted by our legal system, if women who sue are victimized for speaking up (stigmatized, scrutinized, smeared, etc), as we all know happens, then we can’t trust the legal system. Add in the fact that it costs money and time to file a lawsuit, as well as (when sex is the issue) you having to be a completely squeaky-clean “victim” to even claim there was anything he COULD have done to you..
It’s not like once you invoke the law The Truth Magically Sets You Free and the Guilty are Locked Away.
This is especially true in the industry. If a model is trying to get jobs, and she is known as someone who “complained” about her treatment, she will be less likely to be hired. So who is in a position to speak up? The whole thing is biased against the weakest being able to speak up.
So why now? I imagine it has to do partly with chance, and partly with some people feeling slightly safer about speaking up (Jezebelers may have less to risk than individual models, for example)..
[...] Inny Vinny – See No, Hear No Evil: Exposing photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]
[...] Inny Vinny – See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Jezebel exposes photographer Terry Richardson [...]