Analysis and Response: Cameron Russell's 'Looks Aren't Everything'

This essay summarizes and responds to Cameron Russell's TED Talk, 'Looks Aren't Everything.' Russell, a fashion model, discusses the importance of looks in her career and life, highlighting the superficiality of the modeling industry and the societal pressures surrounding beauty standards. The essay analyzes her points on the genetic lottery, the underrepresentation of minorities, and the insecurities faced even by models. It reflects on her honesty and the balance of ethos, pathos, and logos in her speech, emphasizing the message of believing in the homogeneity of beauty and loving oneself. The essay ultimately supports Russell's call to question superficial images and appreciate inner qualities over outward appearances, promoting self-acceptance and challenging societal ideals of beauty. Desklib offers a wealth of similar student-contributed assignments and study resources.

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LOOKS ARE NOT EVERYTHING BY CAMERON RUSSELL
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Looks are not everything by Cameron Russell
In 2013 Cameron Russell, an American fashion model was on the stage on TED talk. The
theme of her speech was about the importance of looks in real life. She talks about her career, her
image and how it was people perceived the image of looks. The aim of the essay is to summarize
the speaker’s point of view and a response to the speaker’s talk. The essay gives a short
paragraph on a speech given the speaker followed by the response. Lastly, the essay consists of a
conclusion involving the summary and response.
The model Cameron Russell has been modelling for ten years. She has been featured in
various international magazines and advertisement such as vogue. She has worked and
collaborated with brands such as Luis Vuitton, Benetton and many more. Also, she has been the
runaway model for Victoria secret, Versace, channel and many more. She has been one of the
top models who is seen everywhere and girls are found dreaming of being in her model life full
of luxury, glamour and happiness. However, there is a different reality behind the glamorous life
on runaway which was spoken by Cameron in her TED Talk. She talks about her ten years
journey and how it is perceived as the best by average girls.

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Cameron is one of those who has benefited from the genetic lottery, perfect height,
slender body and white skin. According to her beauty is unworthy to envy beauty (Hoy). In TED
Talk, she answers few questions that people usually have for models. The questions involve how
she became model and she humorously answers who has already worked as a model for few
years as a model for some reason could not become the president of state for the fact that people
are going to give an awkward look. Therefore, she continued doing what she was doing. She
answers the question regarding her feeling of being a supermodel. Cameron’s interesting point
that she put her achievements and her career as a model on her luck which gave a slender figure,
good height and the privilege of being born a white. She spoke about the minorities existing in
the modelling industry and how low are the number of minority exists in the industry as they do
not fall under the societal ‘ideal beauty’ (Yan and Bissell). She showed pictures pointing out the
difference between her pictures and her reality. The main point of it was shown that she was not
indeed the person shown in the picture. Highlighting the phase of her life when she was isolated
from her childhood by forcing her to take part in photo shoots in bathing suit revealing her body.
Also, it was surprising to hear her say that models are insecure too all the time like any other
person. Although it was ironic since models are portrayed as the flawless. Hence considered the
cause of insecurity.
Cameron Russell was brutally honest with her perspective in the TED Talk. Her speech
had an appropriate balance of ethos, pathos and logos. She helped people understand themselves
on basis of their qualities and not by looks. Often people self-criticize based on the images that
are superficial and make the societal perspectives as the factor of judgment which she exposed
and spoke about. She talks about the question she gets about receiving free stuff and she answers

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saying that the free things she gets are often things that she would have got even if she was not a
model. Lastly, the takeaway line of her speech that was believing in the homogeneity of beauty.
TED talks always bring creative people on stage who inspire other people by talking
about their journey of life. It was surprising to hear a model on the platform of TED Talk asking
people not to begrudge her for her beauty. She made her point very clear with her own pictures
that images can deceive people it is superficial. There are many people behind a cover picture of
a magazine or on the runaway. Therefore, people should believe in the homogeneity of beauty.
She made everyone believe by her speech in spite of belonging to the same industry which helps
her earn her living that the image of ideal beauty superficial and therefore one should love
themselves the way they are.

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Reference:
Hoy, Alyson. "Haunted by Real Life: Art, Fashion, and the Hungering Body." Canadian
Curriculum Studies: A Métissage of Inspiration/Imagination/Interconnection (2018): 250.
Russell, Cameron. “Looks Aren't Everything. Believe Me, I'm a Model.” TED: Ideas Worth
Spreading, 2013
www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everything_believe_me_i_m_a_mode
l?language=en.
Yan, Yan, and Kim Bissell. "The globalization of beauty: How is ideal beauty influenced by
globally published fashion and beauty magazines?." Journal of Intercultural
Communication Research 43.3 (2014): 194-214.