Sara Ziff's 'Picture Me' Mini-Series: Models Told To Eat Half A Rice Cake, Cotton Balls (VIDEO)

As part of their documentary on the modeling industry, "Picture Me," Sara Ziff and Ole Schell filmed a three-part mini-series for The Cut addressing themes like youth, exploitation and body image. The final segment is particularly compelling. In it, model Amy Lemons explains to Ziff that when she was 17 years old, her agent told her to "eat one rice cake a day and if that didn't work only half a rice cake," and she's seen young girls dipping cotton balls in juice and eating them. Lemons added, "there are no rules or regulations...it's still like the Wild Wild West," and remarked that, "the CFDA needs to do a lot more than what their doing right now."

WATCH:

Check out part one and part two at The Cut.

Comments

[Theresa Ruth Howard]

10:13 AM on 10/02/2010

I'm so glad this is up. I wrote an essay about Fashion week(http://mybodymyimage.com/fashion-week) and mentioned this movie (I saw it in flight) and it was so enlightening and honest.
There needs to be some regulation, and as most of these girls start in the industry as minors this could be considered child abuse. We rail against pedophilia (especially in the church) but we can allow an industry to encourage young women to stave themselves for fashion and beauty. We need to take a hard long look at that. We should be enraged! where is our outrage?

http://mybodymyimage.om

[ThomasPaine1776]

04:23 AM on 09/26/2010

most people eat too much. We have a lot to learn from models. They understand the basics: Want to lose weight? Then don't eat so much. Some models take it too far, of course, but that is only because the industry demands it. But the basic facts are there for eveyone to see: Don't eat so much food, and you magically lose weight, which, for most Americans, would be a good thing to have happen to them.

[Gerald Ward]

10:49 AM on 10/01/2010

And they say Americans don't get irony.

[stargazr]

09:20 PM on 09/25/2010

Pure insanity.

[Very Berry]

09:37 AM on 09/25/2010

Cotton balls soaked in Diet Coke, or soaked in juice is an old model trick. (I am an ex model).

[writergal28]

11:22 AM on 09/24/2010

People here do realize that most models are much thinner than actresses and singers, right? Most non-model celebrities are at least five inches shorter than models and despite being the same dress size (or slightly bigger), are proportionately bigger. Look at it this way. I'm around 5'2", 95 lb and generally purchase size 0. If I stood next to a model, who'd look thinner, proportionately speaking?

[Conk]

09:31 AM on 09/24/2010

I can never, ever get my cotton balls cooked all the way through.

[andthatsnotall]

10:09 AM on 09/24/2010

You need to steam them.

[rivergirl301]

09:21 PM on 09/25/2010

And soak them in lemon juice.

[Gerald Ward]

10:51 AM on 10/01/2010

Have you tried the egyptian cotton balls? ...to die for.

[NevaforLeadership]

06:59 AM on 09/24/2010

As a matter of fact rice cakes are high density processed carbs. They are no good for anyone, especially for those who want to lose weight.

The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy, lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. That does not include rice cakes. So, even though it appears the featured models don't appear bright enought to capture the drift of the agent's message, there is in fact some truth behind the advice, which on the surface when not thought through, appears outrageous.

[alieninvader]

10:08 AM on 09/24/2010

They aren't interested in the best way to lose weight, only the fastest and yes, you will lose weight on a rice cake a day.

[logic-a-go-go]

11:43 PM on 09/23/2010

My dog ate cotton balls once.

[rivergirl301]

09:21 PM on 09/25/2010

And I bet you rushed him to the vet!

[alahnar]

11:13 PM on 09/23/2010

From the article: "the CFDA needs to do a lot more than what their doing right now."

That needs to be "they're" not "their." The person who wrote this IS a journalist, right?

[LiberalScoop]

10:54 PM on 09/23/2010

That's just flat stupid. 'Nuff said.

[Aitch5]

10:08 PM on 09/23/2010

Finally HuffPo has something about this documentary!

[Nicole Dixson]

09:53 PM on 09/23/2010

If she is eating cotton balls, she's got a lot more issues than trying to stay thin. Wow!

[caseyblab]

08:32 PM on 09/23/2010

There will always be somebody out there who will tell you to eat erasers, dirt, worms, straws, things off the floor, but usually it is your big brother, not your employer.

[logic-a-go-go]

11:43 PM on 09/23/2010

Better if it's your younger brother.

[regulargal]

08:14 PM on 09/23/2010

How sad for cotton.

[mytwocents02]

07:47 PM on 09/23/2010

"Eat one rice cake a day and if that didn't work only half a rice cake" and If cotton balls didn't work, suck on only Q-tips.

[logic-a-go-go]

11:45 PM on 09/23/2010

Rice cake equivalents are styrofoam. Cotton balls are to replace marshmallows. I'm guessing, anyway.