Hola. Em dic Cameron Russell, i des de fa un temps sóc model. De fet, des de fa 10 anys. Sento que hi ha una tensió incòmoda a la sala ara mateix perquè no hauria d'haver-me posat vestit. (Riures)
Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I've been a model. Actually, for 10 years. And I feel like there's an uncomfortable tension in the room right now because I should not have worn this dress. (Laughter)
Per sort he portat un canvi de vestuari. Aquest és el primer canvi de vestuari en un escenari de TED, així que crec que sou molt afortunats de veure-ho. Si alguna dona s'ha esgarrifat de debò quan he sortit, no cal que m'ho digui ara, ja ho veuré després al Twitter. (Riures)
So luckily, I brought an outfit change. This is the first outfit change on the TED stage, so you guys are pretty lucky to witness it, I think. If some of the women were really horrified when I came out, you don't have to tell me now, but I'll find out later on Twitter. (Laughter)
També penso que sóc bastant privilegiada per poder canviar el que penseu de mi en tan sols 10 segons. No tothom té la oportunitat de fer-ho. Aquests talons són molt incòmodes, que bé que no els hagi de dur. La pitjor part és posar-me aquest jersei pel cap, perquè és quan us rieu de mi, així que no feu res mentre me'l posi pel cap. Bé.
I'd also note that I'm quite privileged to be able to transform what you think of me in a very brief 10 seconds. Not everybody gets to do that. These heels are very uncomfortable, so good thing I wasn't going to wear them. The worst part is putting this sweater over my head, because that's when you'll all laugh at me, so don't do anything while it's over my head. All right.
I per què he fet això? Ha sigut estrany. Bé,
So, why did I do that? That was awkward. (Laughter)
Well --
espero que no tan estrany com aquesta fotografia. La imatge és poderosa, però també superficial. Acabo de transformar totalment el que pensàveu de mi en sis segons. I en aquesta fotografia, encara no havia tingut cap xicot en la vida real. Estava molt incòmoda i el fotògraf em deia que arquegés l'esquena i posés la mà sobre el cabell d'aquell noi. I, a part de la cirurgia, és clar, o del bronzejat falç que m'havia fet dos dies abans per la feina, hi ha molt poques coses que podem fer per transformar el nostre aspecte, i el nostre aspecte, tot i que és superficial i immutable, té un gran impacte en les nostres vides.
(Laughter) Hopefully not as awkward as that picture. Image is powerful, but also, image is superficial. I just totally transformed what you thought of me, in six seconds. And in this picture, I had actually never had a boyfriend in real life. I was totally uncomfortable, and the photographer was telling me to arch my back and put my hand in that guy's hair. And of course, barring surgery, or the fake tan that I got two days ago for work, there's very little that we can do to transform how we look, and how we look, though it is superficial and immutable, has a huge impact on our lives.
Així que avui, per mi, ser intrèpida significa ser honesta. I estic sobre aquest escenari perquè sóc model. Estic sobre aquest escenari perquè sóc una dona bonica i blanca i a la meva indústria d'això en diem una noia sexy. I contestaré a les preguntes que la gent sempre em fa, però amb un gir honest.
So today, for me, being fearless means being honest. And I am on this stage because I am a model. I am on this stage because I am a pretty, white woman, and in my industry, we call that a sexy girl. I'm going to answer the questions that people always ask me, but with an honest twist.
La primera pregunta és, com et vas convertir en model? I sempre dic simplement, "Oh, em van trobar", però això no significa res. La verdadera raó per la que em vaig convertir en model és perquè vaig guanyar una loteria genètica i sóc la receptora d'un llegat, i potser us pregunteu què és un llegat. Bé, durant els últims segles hem definit la bellesa no tan sols com a salut i joventut i simetria que és el que estem programats biològicament per admirar, sinó també com a figures altes i esveltes, feminitat i pell blanca. I aquest és el llegat que es va construir per mi i és un llegat del qual me n'he aprofitat. Sé que hi ha gent al públic que són escèptics ara mateix i potser hi ha alguns "fashionistas" que diran "Espera. Naomi. Tyra. Joan Smalls. Liu Wen." Primer, lloo els vostres coneixements sobre models. Molt impressionant. (Riures) Però desgraciadament us haig d'informar que el 2007, un estudiant de doctorat molt inspirat de la Universitat de Nova York va contar totes les models de la passarel·la, cada una de les que va ser contractada i de les 677 models contractades, només 27, o menys del quatre per cent, no eren blanques.
So the first question is, how do you become a model? I always just say, "Oh, I was scouted," but that means nothing. The real way that I became a model is I won a genetic lottery, and I am the recipient of a legacy, and maybe you're wondering what is a legacy. Well, for the past few centuries we have defined beauty not just as health and youth and symmetry that we're biologically programmed to admire, but also as tall, slender figures, and femininity and white skin. And this is a legacy that was built for me, and it's a legacy that I've been cashing out on. And I know there are people in the audience who are skeptical at this point, and maybe there are some fashionistas who are like, "Wait. Naomi. Tyra. Joan Smalls. Liu Wen." And first, I commend you on your model knowledge. Very impressive. (Laughter) But unfortunately, I have to inform you that in 2007, a very inspired NYU Ph.D. student counted all the models on the runway, every single one that was hired, and of the 677 models that were hired, only 27, or less than four percent, were non-white.
L'altra pregunta que la gent sempre em pregunta és "Puc ser model quan sigui gran?" I la primera resposta és, "No ho sé, no estic a càrrec d'això". Però la segona resposta i el que realment vull dir a aquestes nenes és, "Per què?" Saps què? Pots ser qualsevol cosa. Podries ser la Presidenta dels Estats Units, o l'inventora del pròxim Internet, o una poeta cirurgiana cardiotoràcica ninja, que seria genial, perquè series la primera". (Riures) Si després d'aquesta increïble llista encara diuen, "No, no, Cameron, jo vull ser model," llavors dic, "Sigues la meva cap". Perquè jo no m'encarrego de res, i tu podries ser la cap de redacció de la Vogue americana o la directora de H&M, o la pròxima Steven Meisel. Dir que vols ser model quan siguis gran és el mateix que dir que vols guanyar la loteria quan siguis gran. Està fora del teu control, i és increïble, i no és una carrera professional. Ara us demostraré 10 anys de coneixement de model acumulat, perquè, a diferència dels cirurgians cardiotoràcics, es pot condensar en un moment. Així que si el fotògraf està just aquí i la llum està allà, com un bonica HMI, i el client diu, "Cameron, volem una foto caminant," bé doncs aquesta cama va primer, maca i llarga, aquest braç va endarrere, aquest braç endavant, el cap està a tres quarts i tu només vas endavant i endarrere, només s'ha de fer això i llavors mires als teus amics imaginaris, 300, 400, 500 vegades. (Riures)
The next question people always ask is, "Can I be a model when I grow up?" And the first answer is, "I don't know, they don't put me in charge of that." But the second answer, and what I really want to say to these little girls is, "Why? You know? You can be anything. You could be the President of the United States, or the inventor of the next Internet, or a ninja cardiothoracic surgeon poet, which would be awesome, because you'd be the first one." (Laughter) If, after this amazing list, they still are like, "No, no, Cameron, I want to be a model," well, then I say, "Be my boss." Because I'm not in charge of anything, and you could be the editor in chief of American Vogue or the CEO of H&M, or the next Steven Meisel. Saying that you want to be a model when you grow up is akin to saying that 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. I will demonstrate for you now 10 years of accumulated model knowledge, because unlike cardiothoracic surgeons, it can just be distilled right now. So, if the photographer is right there, the light is right there, like a nice HMI, and the client says, "We want a walking shot," this leg goes first, nice and long, this arm goes back, this arm goes forward, the head is at three quarters, and you just go back and forth, just do that, and then you look back at your imaginary friends, 300, 400, 500 times.
Sortirà alguna cosa així. (Riures)
(Laughter) It will look something like this.
Amb sort una mica menys estranya que la del mig. No sé que va passar allà.
(Laughter) Hopefully less awkward than that one in the middle. That was -- I don't know what happened there.
Desafortunadament, després d'haver anat a l'escola, tenir un currículum i fer algunes feines, ja no pots dir res més, ja que si dius que vols ser la Presidenta dels Estats Units, però al teu currículum hi posa "Model de roba interior: 10 anys", la gent et mirarà de forma estranya.
Unfortunately, after you've gone to school, and you have a résumé and you've done a few jobs, you can't say anything anymore, so if you say you want to be the President of the United States, but your résumé reads, "Underwear Model: 10 years," people give you a funny look.
Una altra pregunta que la gent sempre em pregunta és, "Retoquen totes les fotos?" I sí, gairebé retoquen totes les fotos, però això només és una petita part de tot el que passa. Aquesta va ser la primera foto que em vaig fer, i també va ser la primera vegada que em vaig posar un biquini, ni tan sols havia tingut la meva primera regla encara. Ja sé que això és molt personal, però era una noia jove. Així és com era jo amb la meva àvia tan sols uns mesos abans. Aquesta sóc jo el mateix dia que aquesta foto. La meva amiga va poder venir amb mi. Aquesta sóc jo en una festa de pijames uns dies abans de fer-me fotos per la Vogue francesa. Aquesta sóc jo amb l'equip de futbol i a la revista V. I aquesta sóc jo avui. I espero que el que veieu és que aquestes fotos no són fotos meves. Són construccions, són construccions fetes per un grup de professionals, perruquers, maquilladors, fotògrafs, estilistes i tots els seus assistents i preproducció i postproducció, ells han construït això. Aquesta no sóc jo.
The next question is, "Do they retouch all the photos?" And yeah, they pretty much retouch all the photos, but that is only a small component of what's happening. This picture is the very first picture that I ever took, and it's also the very first time that I had worn a bikini, and I didn't even have my period yet. I know we're getting personal, but I was a young girl. This is what I looked like with my grandma just a few months earlier. Here's me on the same day as this shoot. My friend got to come. Here's me at a slumber party a few days before I shot French Vogue. Here's me on the soccer team and in V Magazine. And here's me today. And I hope what you're seeing is that these pictures are not pictures of me. They are constructions, and they are constructions by a group of professionals, by hairstylists and makeup artists and photographers and stylists and all of their assistants and pre-production and post-production, and they build this.
Val, una altra pregunta que la gent sempre em fa és, "Aconsegueixes coses de franc?" Sí que tinc massa sabates amb un taló de 20 centímetres que no em puc posar mai,
That's not me. Okay, so the next question people always ask me is, "Do you get free stuff?" (Laughter)
excepte abans, però les coses de franc que aconsegueixo són les coses de franc que aconsegueixo a la vida real i això és del que no ens agrada parlar. Jo vaig créixer a Cambridge i un dia vaig entrar en una botiga i m'havia deixat els diners però em van donar el vestit de franc. Quan era adolescent, anava amb cotxe amb una amiga que era molt mala conductora i es va passar un semàfor en vermell i, és clar, ens van parar, tot el que vam necessitar va ser un "Ho sento, agent," per poder continuar el nostre camí. I he aconseguit aquestes coses de franc per la meva aparença, no per qui sóc, i hi ha gent que paga per la seva aparença i no per qui són. Visc a Nova York, i l'any passat, de 140.000 adolescents que van ser parats i registrats, el 86 per cent eren negres i llatins, i la majoria eren homes joves. Tan sols hi ha 177.000 homes negres i llatins a Nova York, així que per ells, no és qüestió de, "Em pararan?" sinó de "Quantes vegades em pararan? Quan em pararan?" Quan investigava aquesta conferència, vaig descobrir que de totes les noies de 13 anys dels Estats Units, al 53 per cent no els agrada el seu cos, i aquest número puja al 78 per cent quan arriben als 17.
I do have too many 8-inch heels which I never get to wear, except for earlier, but the free stuff that I get is the free stuff that I get in real life, and that's what we don't like to talk about. I grew up in Cambridge, and one time I went into a store and I forgot my money and they gave me the dress for free. When I was a teenager, I was driving with my friend who was an awful driver and she ran a red and of course, we got pulled over, and all it took was a "Sorry, officer," and we were on our way. And I got these free things because of how I look, not who I am, and there are people paying a cost for how they look and not who they are. I live in New York, and last year, of the 140,000 teenagers that were stopped and frisked, 86% of them were black and Latino, and most of them were young men. And there are only 177,000 young black and Latino men in New York, so for them, it's not a question of, "Will I get stopped?" but "How many times will I get stopped? When will I get stopped?" When I was researching this talk, I found out that of the 13-year-old girls in the United States, 53% don't like their bodies, and that number goes to 78% by the time that they're 17.
La última pregunta que la gent em fa és, "Com és ser model?" I crec que la resposta que busquen és, "Si ets una mica més prima i tens el cabell més brillant, estaràs molt contenta i seràs fabulosa". I quan estem entre bastidors, donem una resposta que potser fa que sembli això. Diem, "És genial viatjar, i és genial poder treballar amb gent creativa, inspirada i apassionada". I aquestes coses són veritat, però només són la meitat de la història, perquè el que no diem mai davant de la càmera, el que no he dit mai davant de la càmera, és, "Sóc insegura". I sóc insegura perquè haig de pensar en la meva aparença cada dia. I si mai us pregunteu, "Si tinc les cuixes més primes i el cabell més brillant seré més feliç?" tan sols heu de conèixer un grup de models, perquè tenen les cuixes més primes, el cabell més brillant i la roba més maca, però probablement són les dones més insegures físicament de tot el planeta.
So, the last question people ask me is, "What is it like to be a model?" And I think the answer that they're looking for is, "If you are a little bit skinnier and you have shinier hair, you will be so happy and fabulous." And when we're backstage, we give an answer that maybe makes it seem like that. We say, "It's really amazing to travel, and it's amazing to get to work with creative, inspired, passionate people." And those things are true, but they're only one half of the story, because the thing that we never say on camera, that I have never said on camera, is, "I am insecure." And I'm insecure because I have to think about what I look like every day. And if you ever are wondering, "If I have thinner thighs and shinier hair, will I be happier?" you just need to meet a group of models, because they have the thinnest thighs, the shiniest hair and the coolest clothes, and they're the most physically insecure women probably on the planet.
Així que quan escrivia aquesta conferència, vaig trobar molt difícil trobar un equilibri honest, perquè per una banda em sentia molt incòmoda per sortir aquí i dir, "Mireu, he rebut totes aquests avantatges d'una baralla de cartes ordenada al meu favor", i també em sentia molt incòmoda si continuava dient, "i no sempre em fa sentir feliç". Però el més difícil va ser desfer un llegat d'opressió de gènere i racial quan jo en sóc una de les beneficiàries més grans. Però també estic contenta i em sento honrada d'estar aquí dalt i crec que ha sigut genial que hagi pogut venir abans que hagin passat 10, 20 o 30 anys i hagi tingut més experiència en la meva carrera, perquè potser llavors no explicaria la història de com vaig aconseguir la meva primera feina, o potser no explicaria la història de com vaig pagar la universitat, cosa que sembla molt important ara.
When I was writing this talk, I found it very difficult to strike an honest balance, because on the one hand, I felt very uncomfortable to come out here and say, "Look I've received all these benefits from a deck stacked in my favor," and it also felt really uncomfortable to follow that up with, "and it doesn't always make me happy." But mostly it was difficult to unpack a legacy of gender and racial oppression when I am one of the biggest beneficiaries. But I'm also happy and honored to be up here and I think that it's great that I got to come before 10 or 20 or 30 years had passed and I'd had more agency in my career, because maybe then I wouldn't tell the story of how I got my first job, or maybe I wouldn't tell the story of how I paid for college, which seems so important right now.
Si se'n pot treure alguna cosa d'aquesta conferència, espero que sigui que tots ens sentim més còmodes reconeixent el poder de la imatge en els nostres èxits i en els nostres fracassos.
If there's a takeaway to this talk, I hope it's that we all feel more comfortable acknowledging the power of image in our perceived successes and our perceived failures.
Gràcies. (Aplaudiments)
Thank you.