Models are real women too? no? (Coleen's Real Women)

Member Name: Larachristina

Product:	Coleen's Real Women
Date:	09/03/09 (201 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very entertaining, Coleen is very likeable.

Disadvantages: Doesnt really show how diverse the modelling industry already is.

"Coleen's real Women" is hosted by Coleen Rooney (wife of Wayne) and her fashion expert sidekick Camilla Johnson-Hill. Series two is currently being shown on ITV2, every Tuesday at 9.00.


Format
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Each week, Coleen aims to find three *real* women, to send to a casting for a national modelling/advertising campaign. The Plan is to get more real women represented in the modelling world.

Each episode begins by detailing what the brief for that week is. For example, one of the shows this series centered around finding a girl to front the new Wonderbra campaign.
In each episode,a crowd of "real" women go along to an audition in front of Coleen and Camilla, and then are whittled down until Coleen and Camilla find
three women who they will send to the casting, to represent real women. these three will go against professional models, in the hopes of scoring the campaign.

The chosen three girls are given a makeover, and a themed photo shoot, to make up a portfolio to take along to the casting.
If one of the three girls does score the campaign, she then has a chance to be signed by a top modelling agency. Something that will happen by the end of the current series.


Coleen & Camilla.
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I don't think this show would work, were it not for the natural charm, and easy grace of Coleen Rooney. She is very easy to watch, very like able and none threatening. Actually, she kind of personifies the *real* women concept. She isn't 5ft9 and thin as a rake, and she doesn't have the flawless features of a top model. Shes just like an ordinary girl, which makes her very easy to relate to (although I'm quite convinced that just one of her outfits probably costs more than my entire wardrobe).
Camilla on the other hand is a bit aloof, but has enough clout, and fashion industry expertise to lend a bit of experience to the show.

What do i think?
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Well, first and foremost, i like the show. i watch it every week, and i find it very interesting and enjoyable. I also have a lot of problems with it though.
I am not a brain surgeon. I have no brain surgery training, or experience. therefore, I feel absolutely no entitlement whatsoever to be a brain surgeon for a day. Catch my drift?
its this theory that everyone has the right to model, that irritates me slightly. People are picked for jobs, depending on their suitability to do said jobs, or experience with said jobs. not just because they think they should be able to do it.
The way that Coleen harps on about "real" and "normal" women each week is irritating. Models are real women too. The show seems to fail to recognize the fact that there are many many more varieties of models than just the bog standard rain thin, amazon tall catwalk type.
There are many different types of models, from catwalk models, to catalogue models, from plus size to alternative models, and they show widely varying types of beauty...so i am not really sure how this programme is aiming to do anything revolutionary.
Really and honestly, if the women who applied to the show put some graft in, got some experience, and found the right agency, then they would do just as well.
This however can be said for all shows in this vein, such as X factor, or American idol, so I shall stop complaining.

Beyond anything else, regardless of how realistic the show is, or whether it is actually doing anything to change an industry is gives a rather false impression of, the programme is wildly entertaining.

I love watching the photoshoots and makeovers, and always find myself rooting for the girls when they go to the final castings.

If you are interested in modelling.
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Contary to popular belief, you dont have to be excessively tall, excessively thin, or even excessively beautiful to model. There are a huge variety of modelling agencies in the Uk that cater to all types of models. You could be a hand model if you liked. Or an elbow model. Ok, perhaps not the elbows.
Im giving you a little list of alternative (as in, not super high fashion) agencies, just if you are interested in giving it ago, but dont want to have to go on Coleens show to do so.

http://www.ugly.org/
http://www.bmamodels.com/
http://www.themodelacademy.co.uk/home.htm


To learn more, go here.
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http://www.itv.com/coleen/

Summary: A light fluffy bit of entertainment for tuesday nights.