Thursday, March 15, 2007

From the culturally myopic parts of America that are more or less responsible for vital organizations like Christian Faith Financial, Intelligent Design as part of the science curriculum, Abstinence only sex-ed and the chance to score that free vial of miracle water with any phone-in purchase connected to Christian evangelist television comes the fashion equivalent of one of those insufferably try-hard Christian rappers – an agency called Models for Christ.


While it's just a guess based on wild generalisation and intolerance and a few hints from the stance of the footage of the founder that can be found here - let's take a guess about what type of person it takes to start an organisation like Models for Christ. Mr. Founder could certainly be a nervous self hating fashion queen ex-model who is trying to deal with the delicate balance between strict Baptist values he inherited from his emotionally distant father and passive, surface obsessed, nitpicking mother as he grew up immersed in small town USA and the basic fact that he likes being plugged by guys who look like Abercrombie and Fitch models.

Hmmm, how might he merge such culturally discordant and conflicting values without discarding his cripplingly strict, conservative morals and therefore the distant hope of his father's approval?

Why, open a modeling agency with the arbitrary and more or less absurd stipulation that all the models be Christian - that's how! Sure, he's surrounded by groups of hot young model boys as part of his job. Sure he convinces them to refuse work that even hints at portraying anything remotely sexual between them and female models. SURE. But, it's just a JOB.

So, on the surface you've got a fun loving, goofy group of scripture quotin' hotties who all have their Christ-focused hearts set on parading insanely priced clothes for the elite down the runway at Fashion Week. They'll get together on weekends, go on retreats, sing songs, work out together, obsess performatively over caloric intake and stick together back stage so they don't have to deal with the homosexuals or the sinful flamboyance. Once they leave a show, there's always a sigh of relief and a little self congratulatory prayer to thank God that once again they managed to be a part of the industry they all love so much but they didn't interact with its immoral components.

But underneath, of course, the truth is a little more jaw dropping. While no one mentions it, there's also the extensive underwear fittings conducted by said founder of Models for Christ in the boys' dressing area or the brief meth session and blindfolded circle jerk party in the back room of Karl Lagerfeld's after after party at Mr. Black in New York.

But, look. It didn’t happen if you couldn’t physically SEE what was going on. And besides, no one said being a Christian model would be easy. This is God’s work and the challenges should be met one at a time and with a penitent heart. And an iron clad ability to live in denial. [site]

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