Fashion Freakism

Washington Post has a feature called Citizen Models - the article refers to John Galliano's spring runway show in Paris. Galliano used a few 'unorthodox' models to provoke reaction:

The human-specimen display on the runway, meanwhile, was unnerving. The audience was invited to stare. (And mother always said that was impolite.) Were people applauding because the culture believes it takes an exceptional amount of nerve for a fat person to model an evening gown and not collapse in tearful embarrassment over the fact of her fleshy arms? (Cheer for the fat girl!) Whose sensitivities are really being appeased?

Is it art or is it a circus? Quite frankly a typical runway model can be every bit as freakish as Galliano's so-called 'citizen models'. After all - the typical sick-looking hollowed-eyed waif that graces most catwalks can hardly be called normal.

The audience's reaction to the unusual models sounds much the same as children at a circus. I wonder how the models felt?

The audience laughed. One woman in the audience jerked fitfully back and forth, she was so overwhelmed with amusement. Some people pointed and howled in hysterics. Others applauded appreciatively, offering the models encouragement for stepping into the spotlight -- a daunting task even for those who do it five or six times a day.