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Models Choi Yu-jeong, above, and Lee Ji-hoo, below, pose next to automobiles during the 2013 Seoul Motor Show which was held from March 29 through April 7. "Racing models" are still looked at with prejudice and treated differently from fashion models, although a growing number of the latter are taking on the job. / Courtesy of Wise Entertainment |
‘Racing girls' modeling for cars seen with prejudice
By Jung Min-ho
Fashion models pose in front of cameras to display clothing. The beautiful women at motor shows, called "racing models" here in a clumsy spin of English, do the same for automobiles.
But expect different treatment if it's cars that you represent. Fashion models are constantly put on a pedestal and the most high-profile of them often are respected as artistic and creative minds. Models posing beside the wheels, on the other hand, will be called ''booth babes,'' ''bimbos'' or much worse.
This gap in public perception is becoming increasingly awkward because it's increasingly the same women that appear both in fashion shows and industry trade events.
There was a time when top models worked exclusively in high fashion. They were seen at major fashion shows like the Seoul Collection and on the pages of fashion magazines such as Vogue and Bazaar. In presenting the creations of the luxury industry, the models were also able to market a classic and elegant image of themselves. Cars and shopping catalogues were things they sneezed at.
However, a growing number of models are crossing traditional boundaries these days as competition becomes fierce in the age of 24/7 media. But the old preconceptions that held fashion models above the rest still remain strong.
''Models are models. Any talk about there being a class is meaningless,'' said Ryu Ji-hye, who appears to be the country's most popular racing model based on snap Internet polls.
''But the misconception is still there and that influences reality. The treatment we get from industry people and fans is very different compared with fashion models. While people will casually say that no job should be on a higher ground over others, they really don't put their money where their mouths are.''
Motor shows and sporting events here have drawn criticism here for hiring scantily-clad women to attract people's attention. This discomfort fuels part of the disrespect for models like Ryu, who are simply serving the demands of an over-sexualized culture.
''After the media made them icons of sexiness, the public's reaction to racing models has been polarized,'' said Jeong Jean-keau, president of the Wise Entertainment model agency.
''The Internet is overflowing with vicious postings about racing models. They are called sluts or portrayed as dumb. But the Internet also provides the platform for some of the models to become famous and transcendent.''
It sometimes appear that the photos of racing models are the engine that drives Naver (www.naver.com), the country's most popular website that controls more than 70 percent of search traffic here. Ryu said top racing models can make over 20 million won (about $18,000) a month. Much like fashion models, these women are committed professionals, Ryu claims, but facing unfair stigma because they are, well, too sexy.
The latest jab at racing models came from MBC television's sports presenter Jung Woo-young, who after covering an auto race event tweeted that the models are ''erasing the essence'' in the sports competitions they are seen at.
Jung quickly deleted the tweet and apologized, but that didn't stop Ryu and other racing models for lashing out at him for being a bigot.
''It's always about professionalism,'' Choi Yu-jeong, another racing model, said.
''When motor sports began taking hold about a decade ago, people, including myself, didn't have a feeling for them. I think we contributed in making those events popular and should be respected for that.''
Choi actually cut her modeling teeth as a fashion model. At the Seoul Motor Show this year, well-known fashion models were presenting products from Hyundai, Kia, Audi and other carmakers, she said.
Modeling, whether it's for clothes, cars or strolling around with numbers in a boxing ring, is physically and mentally demanding work that requires a lot of preparation.
Ryu recently had eye surgery after her vision was damaged because of the bright flashes from cameras at shows. She has also got a lumbar disc herniation after working for years on high heels following graduation from high school.
As ridiculous as it may sound, the term racing model is supposed to represent progress. These models have been widely called ''racing girls" before the Korea Model Association coined the term racing model to promote a more professional image for them. Of course, it didn't work as prescribed.
The saddest thing for Ryu is that the stigma against racing models prevents her fans from outwardly expressing their affection for her.
"If they do, people call them perverts," Ryu said. "I feel really bad for my fans."
Nevertheless, with the Formula One Korean Grand Prix annually held in Yeongam and a new auto park poised to open in Inje this month, the job prospects look good. And according to the Wise Entertainment head, the competition for positions is becoming increasingly fierce.
''I see the vision as very bright," Jeong said. "We will try to make a foray into the mainstream by taking advantage of social media. Maybe, something will change."
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