The Danger of Being Desired
Emily Ratajkowski’s new essay collection, “My Body,” demonstrates reflections on exploitation and objectification that are more than just captivating. “I suppose this is the life cycle of a muse,” Ratajkowski writes in “Men Like You,” one of 12 essays in the collection. She sees herself as a walking muse who is supported by 30 million followers on Instagram. Her modeling portfolio fluctuates with lingerie and luxurious high-fashion photographs. Aside from her New York Times Bestseller, “My Body”, she is, and always has
been seen by the media as a sex symbol.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
In the essay collection, I was most intrigued by the essay named after Thicke’s music video, “Blurred Lines”. This made Ratajkowkski known and it kick-started her likeness. She was 21 years old in this music video, completely naked– that ended up having 768 million views on YouTube. “They were the talent; we were more like props,” Ratajkowski writes. Yet, the women tend to be who the viewers can’t look away from. Casual in their nudity, so composed, so unconcerned by the antics of the men objectifying them. Their sexuality seems to exist outside the range of the camera's gaze. In this essay, she also communicates back and forth with herself how it’s a blessing and a curse. She’s so easily loved, but too loved in a way. The euphoric highs made her fall into it, but it wasn’t until she grew up that she realized the lows of the industry.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
The book features several incidents of sexual assault throughout her career. She confesses with vulnerability, not to say, ‘Hey, I’ve been assaulted,’ but to walk her mind around the idea of being idolized as a young girl. She also pointed out the negatives of the model agency. It caused her to have an unhealthy relationship with food and an obsession with weight loss. Many of her agents left her when they felt she wasn’t looking her best. She depicts the fashion world as perplexing and greedy, yet she has no plans to leave the industry. She continues the life cycle of being a muse, learning to live a healthy and almost normal life.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
“My Body” sits in this margin between reassessment and self-protection. She rejects the world's determination to make her another object. She lets her followers in and tells them frankly how it is to be beautiful in this generation. The title of the book simply says her solution, “My Body”, she takes ownership.
Strike Out,
Emmy Brutnell
Saint Augustine
Editors: Jessica Giraldo
Emmy Brutnell is a writer for Strike Magazine, Saint Augustine. She grew up writing song lyrics and then horribly sang them. She enjoys reading poetry as well as filming for her youtube channel. Feel free to reach her @emmybrut on instagram, or by email- ebrutnell@gmail.com.
