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cameron russell

The model and activist shines a light on an important issue.

It's been more than five years since model and activist Cameron Russell filmed her breakthrough TED Talk, "Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model."

Russell is a model who has consistently used her platform to advocate for topics she's passionate about, such as gender, race, and climate change. She's also one of the founders of Model Mafia, an ever-growing network of models fighting for more equitable and less exploitative working conditions.

In the wake of the ongoing assault and harassment scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein, and the ever-present issue of sexual harassment in the workforce — which, according to a 2015 survey, 1 in 3 women in the U.S. workforce have experienced — Russell decided to once again use her following and position to call attention to an important, if unpleasant, topic.

Russell launched the #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse campaign on social media, asking for stories about sexual harassment in the modeling world. The responses were eye-opening.

Similar to how actress Alyssa Milano's viral "Me Too" tweet and the internet's powerful response put a spotlight on just how widespread assault and harassment are, Russell's campaign put the focus on how rampant this is within the world of modeling, specifically. Models sent Russell their all-too-common horror stories, and she shared them on her Instagram profile.

Stories of young women, some of whom were underage, being coerced into situations beyond their comfort zones filled the page.

Trigger warning ⚠️ #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse
A post shared by Cameron Russell (@cameronrussell) on Oct 13, 2017 at 6:44pm PDT

Stories of photographers asking inappropriate questions about the models' sex lives popped up multiple times.

Trigger warning ⚠️ #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse
A post shared by Cameron Russell (@cameronrussell) on Oct 13, 2017 at 12:28pm PDT

There were even some stories that demonstrated how models were made to fear for their physical safety while at work.

Trigger warning ⚠️ #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse
A post shared by Cameron Russell (@cameronrussell) on Oct 13, 2017 at 9:43am PDT

How and why does this happen? For one, harassment is often normalized in the workspace, allowing predators to continue the behaviors without punishment.

A personal story from Russell shows how that happens. On Instagram, Russell explains the time she saw the definition of sexual harassment on a labor law poster, saying that it looked "like [her] job description." (emphasis added.)

"When I got home and looked up the definition online, it was so spot on it felt like someone who knew us ... and of course they did. Sexual harassment is unacceptably commonplace. I sat down to try to make a list of my own experiences. Non consensual kisses, spanks, gropes, and pinches. Failing to provide adequate changing space, shaming in response to requests for adequate changing space. Bullying by editors, photographers, stylists, and clients to go topless or nude. Publishing nudity after contractually agreeing not to. Non consensual massage. Inappropriate emails, text messages, and phone calls. Pressure while underage to consume alcohol. Being directed to 'pretend like I'm your boyfriend.' Being forced to sleep at the photographer's home rather than provided a hotel. Having my job threatened if I don't participate. Being called difficult, feminist, virgin, diva when speaking up or saying no. Being unclear about boundaries because so many boundaries have been crossed. I lose count. And this is only what's easy to share, what's as commonplace as 9am call times, fittings, and lunch."

Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for H&M.

No job should include abuse. No matter the industry. And it's past time to start taking claims of workplace harassment seriously.

Highlighting acts of normalized harassment, such as those shared by Russell, is a great start. It helps us all understand the devastating effects of these actions that go excused on a much-too-regular basis.

Setting firm boundaries and letting other people who've been harassed or assaulted understand that they're not alone is a step toward stopping it in the future. It's a step toward a culture that will no longer tolerate these actions.

For more stories from the #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse campaign, visit Russell's Instagram page or check out the hashtag directly on Twitter and Instagram.

Family

27 progressive Twitter users worth following for a deeper look at a few familiar topics.

Looking for a more 'social' social network? Give these recommendations a try.

Twitter can be a huge waste of time — unless you're following the right people.

To mix things up, I try to follow new people at every available chance. Finding new voices and views to follow, however, can be challenging. After all, Twitter's "Who to Follow" section can feel a little stale at times. So if, like me, you're on the lookout for some fresh perspectives, here's a short list of some of the people who make my own Twitter feed fun and informative.

1. Sara Benincasa — @SaraJBenincasa

Author and comedian Sara Benincasa is your go-to Twitter account for lighthearted takes on current events, measured opinions on serious matters, and more than a few laughs. Her latest book, "DC Trip," came out late last year, and her next, "Real Artists Have Day Jobs," is due this April.

2. Jane Doe, MD — @DrJaneChi

Jane is a physician (who happens to also provide abortions), an intersectional feminist, and lover of small, furry animals. There's almost certainly something important happening in the world you don't know about that Jane is tweeting about right now.

3. Robin — @caulkthewagon

Robin is a Bostonian who spent much of last year organizing around the #NoBoston2024 cause, fighting the city's bid to host the 2024 Olympics. She tweets about labor, organizing, and a variety of progressive causes.

4. Melissa Gira Grant — @melissagira

Journalist Melissa Gira Grant is the author of "Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work." She writes on sexual politics, technology, and workers' rights.

5. Imani Gandy — @AngryBlackLady

Imani is the senior legal analyst over at RH Reality Check. Her tweets on race, gender, and pop culture are supplemented by some really great, insightful articles.

6. Andrea Grimes — @andreagrimes

Andrea is a digital editor at the Texas Observer. She's passionate about reproductive health, and she's absolutely hilarious on Twitter. In response to the "ice bucket challenge," Andrea launched the "taco or beer challenge," in which you eat a taco and/or drink a beer, and donate to help fund abortion. Because hey, why not, right?

7. Michelle Kinsey Bruns — @ClinicEscort

As her handle indicates, she's an escort for patients in and out of abortion clinics, helping to shield them from anti-choice protesters. Michelle's series of tweets about clinic violence using the #is100enough hashtag went viral late last year after the shooting at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood.

8. Katie Klabusich — @katie_speak

Katie is a writer and host of "The Katie Speak Show" on Netroots Radio. She's a fierce advocate for abortion rights and bodily autonomy and is just an all-around solid choice to follow on Twitter. Last year, she was featured in an Upworthy story about abortion stigma.

9. Chris Mosier — @TheChrisMosier

Chris is an athlete and the first transgender member of Team USA. He's the executive director of GO! Athletes, a nonprofit for current and former LGBTQ high school and college athletes.

10. Molly Knefel — @mollyknefel

Molly is a journalist, writer, and co-host of the "Radio Dispatch" podcast. She's also an after-school teacher for grades K-8. She's a great follow for anyone interested in hearing a fresh take on current events.

11. Jessica Luther — @scATX

Jessica is an Austin, Texas-based independent journalist and sportswriter. She's done some truly impressive work on the topic of sexual assault within college athletic programs.

12. Carlos Maza — @gaywonk

Carlos is a research fellow at Media Matters for America. Until recently, his work focused primarily on LGBT rights, but it has since expanded to include a wide range of progressive causes.

13. Jamie Kilstein — @jamiekilstein

Jamie is a musician and comedian. He's the co-author of "#Newsfail" and co-host of the "Citizen Radio" podcast. Last year, Jamie was featured in an Upworthy article about catcalls not being compliments.

14. Ijeoma Oluo — @IjeomaOluo

Ijeoma is a Seattle-based writer and editor-at-large at The Establishment, a multimedia company founded, funded, and run by women. She's a great follow for smart takes on the intersection of feminism, race, pop culture, and parenting.

15. Pasta — @pastachips

Pasta is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based sex worker who writes and blogs about politics, labor, police violence, stigma, and other issues.

16. Monica Roberts — @TransGriot

Monica is a Houston-based blogger and civil rights activist. She's won multiple awards for her blog TransGriot, and in 2013, she was named to the inaugural Trans 100 list.

17. Chris Geidner — @chrisgeidner

Chris is the legal editor over at BuzzFeed News. In the past, he's done some truly phenomenal writing on LGBTQ issues, but lately he's been churning out some truly informative posts about the death penalty and the Supreme Court's role in its future.

18. Cameron Russell — @CameronCRussell

Cameron is a model, writer, editor, and climate activist. In 2012, she gave a TED Talk about appearance and the privilege that comes along with winning a genetic lottery. In 2013, she founded Space Made, an artist collective based in Brooklyn. Her tweets tackle issues of gender, race, and climate.

19. Linda Sarsour — @lsarsour

Linda is a racial justice and civil rights activist and media commentator. She's a Palestinian-American and Muslim. Her informative tweets give a fresh look at what sadly remains a very relevant issue: Islamophobia around the world.

20. Zoé S. — @ztsamudzi

If you're interested in issues surrounding race and gender, then Zoé is a must-follow. She's blunt, unapologetic, and so frequently just spot-on in her observations.

21. Chase Strangio — @chasestrangio

Chase is a staff attorney at the ACLU, working with its LGBT & AIDS Project. He's a great follow for anyone interested in learning a bit about some of the struggles facing trans and gender-nonconforming people when it comes to the police.

22. Cyd Zeigler — @CydZeigler

Cyd is the co-founder of Outsports.com, a website dedicated to covering LGBT athletes. With some of the first athletes in major sports coming out as LGBT in recent years, Cyd's work has been essential reading as we watch these early pioneers make history.

23. Leah Torres, MD — @LeahNTorres

Leah is an OB-GYN who, yes, provides abortions. She's an advocate for her patients and is a proponent of comprehensive sex education.

24. Tina Vasquez — @TheTinaVasquez

Tina is an immigration reporting fellow at RH Reality Check. On Twitter, she shares her eye-opening opinions on race and gender and is most certainly worth a follow.

25. Ian Thompson — @IantDC

Ian is a legislative representative at the ACLU. He works on issues ranging from LGBT rights to sex education. Prior to working at the ACLU, he was an intern in Rep. Dennis Kucinich's D.C. office.

26. Dave Zirin — @EdgeofSports

Dave is the sports editor at The Nation. He hosts the "Edge of Sports Radio" podcast, and his work rides the line between sports and politics, giving him a unique perspective. He's the author of eight books.

27. Upworthy — @Upworthy

OK, OK, I work for Upworthy, so of course I'm going to recommend you follow us. But have you seen our live-tweets of award shows and debates? Or how about one of our UpChats? They're super fun and informative. And as a bonus, you get all our fun articles delivered right to your Twitter feed.

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A model uses her success to underscore some important points about image and privilege.

She exposes that there's a lot more that's fake besides the Photoshopping.

It'd be difficult to find a single one of us who hasn't been influenced by advertising and images.

It's so subtle that a lot of us could probably even tell ourselves we haven't been influenced because it's like the air we breathe — it's around us constantly and we don't even think about it that much.

Case in point — I bet you can finish this slogan without even Googling it: "Choosy moms choose ______." If you don't know the brand, I'd bet you're an outlier.

We're constantly absorbing data and impressions from imagery and ads whether we know it or not, and companies pay big money in the race to be the first to push their impressions into our faces. They certainly aren't paying that kind of cash for something if it isn't effective.

Let model Cameron Russell break it down because she nails it.

She's had success as a model for about a decade, and she took to the TED stage to share some unique insight from her journey.

Here are three great aha moments she brings to the audience.

1. Image can be a powerful influence over our perceptions, and some people are more able to wield it than others.

She came out looking like this, knowing it was going to give a certain first impression.

All images from TED/YouTube.

Then she did the first ever on-stage wardrobe change at a TED talk.

And then she explained why she'd do something so awkward:

"Image is powerful. But also, image is superficial. I just totally transformed what you thought of me in six seconds."

You'd never guess that she hadn't even had a boyfriend before this photo was snapped, right?

2. In response to girls asking whether they can be models, she explains that while there's nothing wrong with being a model, it's not a career path.

Cameron likens modeling to winning some kind of genetic and societal lottery. Her message to young people: Set your sights on something else.

"Be my boss. Because I'm not in charge of anything and you could be the editor-in-chief of American Vogue. … Saying that you want to be a model when you grow up is akin to saying you want to win the Powerball when you grow up. It's out of your control, and it's awesome, and it's not a career path."

She demonstrates what she's learned from 10 years of modeling: what direction to look, how to pose, and the art of looking back at imaginary friends for the camera 500 times.

3. What we see in magazines is a complete fabrication and a construction from something else entirely.

She wants people to realize just how fake what they're looking at in advertising really is. Cameron illustrates it with images of what she really was like during certain times of her life, in contrast with how magazine images portrayed her at the same times.

This side-by-side comparison is a magazine shoot and a family photo taken in close succession. A little different, right?

How much does it floor you that these photos were taken within a few months of each other?

Her entire talk is really fascinating and invites us to look at the advertising we see in a much more educated light.

Cameron makes some incredible points about how she's benefitted from a stacked deck in our society all because she won the genetic lottery, and she juxtaposes that against the different life experiences of others — all based on how society perceives their looks.

As one of my favorite bands says about media and advertising, "There is a war going on for your mind." If you're thinking critically about it, you're winning.

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