hip hip hooray hate mail!

"funny how you think you are better than models but in all reality are still just a model"

Clearly an uneducated comment (via Facebook's glorious Honesty Box, which I thought I'd long ago deleted), the writer of which I assumed would likely be capable of comprehending only the simplest and most idiotic of responses; "fuck off and find something better to think about." While I didn't intend to waste words in a direct response to someone so clearly unenlightened, this episode did provoke some contemplation, the manifestation of which I'm now expressing via the oh-so-Sophisticated Webpost (aka Blog).

I've been reading up on the essay portion of the SATs (which are a response to a quote or statement) and what the studyguide folks suggest test writers do is identify the claim made and any assumptions inherent in the statement.

Claim: Kyla, in all reality, is just a model.
Assumption: Kyla thinks she is better than models.
Assumption #2: something is funny.

Clearly the second assumption is easiest to address; the writer probably did not mean 'funny' in the usual ha-ha sense of the word, but rather enjoys utilizing superfluous words to introduce their statements.

Moving on to address the first assumption, 'Kyla thinks she is better than models,' I would like to point out the fact that I am a model. Thus the above statement would seem to imply that I think I am better than myself. Humoring the writer of this message, however, I will accede that they likely intended to accuse me of thinking myself superior to 'other' models. This is false in many respects. Firstly, I am certain that there are a number of models who do their jobs much more skillfully than myself (consider, perhaps, the industry acknowledges supermodel extraordinaire Coco Rocha, whom a stylist on a recent shoot informed me sets aside days to practice her jumps-of course I cannot attest to whether or not this information is true, but that one would believe it certainly lends weight to the impression of Coco's skill as a model). I'm sure that if the message-writer were reading this (if I had not blocked them on facebook), they would be exclaiming in frustration, for they intended neither of the aforementionned interpretations.

I believe they were insinuating that I think I am 'too good' for other models. I don't hang out with a large number of models, nor do I party in the model circles. I will not deny that my behaviours are such. But consider also that I do not hang out with a large number of individuals, nor do I party with anyone at all. Consider also that in this world there are people who like to talk about books with other people who like to talk about books, and there are people who like to chug beer with other people who like to chug beer. And then there are people who like to stay in by themselves and read, write, and on occasion blog. To be honest it is true that I am not particularly interested in dull conversation with anyone, model or otherwise, and have had few intellectually stimulating conversations with other models. Yet those few have ranked as some of the best, and I have also eavesdropped upon some which were far beyond my level of knowledge.

The main claim of the message which I have yet to address is that I am 'in all reality, just a model.' Fine if we are defining people solely by their occupations. My brother, then is just a student (that, or just a hockey player). My best friends are just hostesses. Barrack Obama is just the president of the united states. No he's not, hes BARRACK FUCKING OBAMA. Some people who work in fast food restaurants have limited educations. Some don't. Some model snort coke, are not interested in higher education, have eating disorders and bad attitudes. Others don't. My booker Krisana has mentionned other girls with Elite who do rock climbing and one who goes to Harvard. They sound fantastic. But I haven't met them yet because they are rock climbing and going to Harvard and I am reading and writing. I refuse to be defined by my profession; what a terribly unimaginative way to view the world and other human beings! Let's group people according to the colour of shirt they're wearing right this instant, or what they ate for breakfast. No, thank you! I am friends with many people who are very different from myself; I'm too much of a hermit for life to be exciting if I weren't. When I think of the people who have influenced my life, I don't think of their professions. Erica Macdonald, one of my roommates in Paris, was always happy, and proved to me once and for all that there is no reason I can't choose to be as incessantly happy also. When I think of Erica, I don't think 'model,' rather, I hear her shouting "Paris summer 2007!!! YEAHHH!!!" from atop the Eiffel Tower.

So, here it is, my response to that darn honesty box message. While I'm a little embarassed that something so dimwitted could provoke such a lengthy response, now that I've typed it there's no use in erasing it. And I'm sure that it will be better appreciated in this form than as a reply to someone who likely would not understand, and worse, would not care.

Am I a snob? Well, I am particular about my time, and would likely choose to read at a casting, or stay in on a weekend night. I define people not by their professions but their qualities, and choose my friends in a like manner. I would say that I am not a snob anymore than the girls who sit at castings discussing last weekend's parties rather than inquiring as to what I am reading (which is to say, not). But I also identify myself as Kyla rather than 'a model'-this is apparently incomprehensible to some. Thus I am certain many aspects of my conception of reality might be considered strange. For example, I love hate mail. It gives me something to write about.

and P.S., for the record, being Kyla means being a model by occupation as well as a voracious reader and passionate student and lover and liver of life. It also means being stubborn and opinionated and frequently infected by a bad case of travel-bug. It means I drink a lot of licorice spice tea and wear a lot of black and do a lot of yoga. It means that if you send me hate mail, I WILL blog about it, but first I will reply with a proper 'fuck you' response!