Amanda Fortini looks into the language of style in her critque or the ironies of the Kate Moss situation and one quote from the ad folks comes out clear and strong:

"There has been a period of a few days where people have waited to see which way the wind is blowing on this." As it happened, the appearance of drugged-out chic was acceptable; the reality was not.

She was dropped . . . not on principle, but because it looked like it would make more money to do so and less to keep her.  The drug habit has been known to these folks for some time.  As long as there were no photos, they didn’t care.  The police are now investigating her despite also being very much aware of her habits for quite some time.  If these people of influence and power and moral indignation believed so truly in their hearts that her actions are so wrong, she should have been arrested, fired, what-have-you some time ago.  The Moss story isn’t just about a model’s downfall, it is also about the hypnocrisy of those around her and those in power who let her fall into this rather nasty lifestyle without stepping in and putting a stop to it in the first place.

Models often fall into the trap of drugs, ciggarettes, and caffeine addition and worse because they are expected to be something that humans just aren’t built to be . . . adult waifs.  Sure, they may tell us they have speedy metabolisms . . . some may even have such miraculously dysfunctional metabolism sets that are certainly counterproductive to healthy living but most don’t, most are just girls who were naturally slim when they started who then had to find anything and everything they could to stay emaciated.  It isn’t like this is shocking news, despite the way the industry is reacting . . . the Mirror got the shots through and undercover photographer in the recording study . . . it was not an empty studio and notice not a single person around her was shocked or flabbergasted or outraged, this was what they considered normal behavior . . . not really a very wholesome image of the industry, but it is a reality.

Moss is not the only one . . . however, she is most certainly the sacrificial lamb.

A lot of folks in the industry are jumping over one another to distance themselves from Moss and the drug abuse she now stands for despite it being a behavior set that they have encouraged as a means to keep models unnaturally slim.  At least President Bush has spoken out in favor of Moss . . . "Some asshole took a picture of Kate Moss doing lines, and now she’s being victimized for imaginary crimes" . . . okay, it’s Bush but he’s been remixed into white lines by the Party Party remix project.

Seriously, if the industry wishes to dump Moss, then they should dump the whole shebang of drugs, cigarrettes, alcohol, and worse.  They know of many more who are in much worse condition than Moss.  Heck, why not recruit some models with body types that more reflect human norms – healthy, fit, hale, and buxom and beautiful.  Girls in the industry could then spend their worries about staying in the right body type by eating well and exercising.  They got trapped into the waif look because of the problems with photography and the very big problem of designers making clothes that only look good on a waifish body.  Well, if these designers are so good, how about making clothes that look good on a healthy averagish body?  If they can’t do that, then they’re not really very good designers, but singleshot poseurs with little more than flash and glam and no substance.

Reform the industry, not a single model.

Don’t get me wrong, Moss ain’t no saint and yes her drug use is illegal . . . she knows that and should be responsible for her actions.  However, many of those who have been financially tied to her who have known of her behavior and condoned it, even encouraged it, should not be allowed to cut the cord and call it quits merely because they merely condoned it in secret.  They agencies and industry benefited from her addictions to drugs, alcohol, caffeine, ciggarettes, and more and encouraged her behavior in their greed.  They are not condemning her now because of moral outrage but out of service to financial self-interest.  Bottom lines.  That’s not illegal per se, but it certainly is very very creepy.

Oh, the image of the day is here.