On the train a couple of weeks ago, I had an epiphany. I was tripping off of the notion of the student intern, and how that socializes young people to accept working for free.
@RafiKam and I have had several conversations on twitter about who is an artist, who should get paid to be an artist, etc.
So on the train I came to the conclusion that like mommas and interns, artists are expected to work happily for free.
Think about it. People expect artist to create websites, write articles, DJ and do God knows what else for them for free. And I understand that there always times that we do things for people on the strength, however I am talking about the assumption that because you are creative then you are happy to be exploited.
Creative people need MORE dough. We are eccentric as shit, so that tends to mean that we like nice and or absurd things. AND, all this creativity requires food and vices. Okay, not vices but defiantly food, lol. I have two empty plates of food, an empty soda can, and a half glass of coffee on my table right now. Brain cells burn twice as much energy as ALL THE other cells in the body.
More exposure for my work does not pay the cell phone bill.
When folks want cheap or free labor, where do they turn? To students. The assumption is that there are so many of them, why not pay them chump change to do entry level work?
Now Maria Mies helped me to put this all into perspective. I have had this book out, Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale, since September 2010 and so I am happy that I am able to write this post.
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“by defining women as housewives, a process which I then call housewifization, not only did womens unpaid work in the household become invisible, unrecorded in the GDP…but her wage work was considered to be only supplementary to that of her husband, the so called bread-winner and thus devalued.”
We have to remember that before mass industrialization, the entire family worked to keep a house hold going. Making soap, making food, making clothes, heating lamps, building fires, all this shit took ALL DAY and a squad.
She goes on to say that there is a connection between the work that women do in the home and the ability for men to earn the cake they earn and for corporations to earn the profits they earn. She writes,
It became clear that women’s unpaid caring and nurturing work in the household was subsidizing not only the male wage but also capital accumulation.
Which brings me to the wages that men earn and the labor situation in Wisconsin. Mies goes on to argue that what has been occurring is that men’s labor is being housewiferized. She writes,
…demonstrated that not just that housework and housewifization were models for womens labor, but that transnational capital, in its effort to break the dominance of the trade unions, and to flexiblize labor, would eventually housewifize male labor: that is to say, men would be forced to accept labor relations which so far had been typical for women only. This means labor relations outside of the protection of labor laws, not covered by trade unions and collective bargaining, not based on a proper contract – more or less invisible, part of the ‘shadow economy.
Treating working men like women regarding wages and negotiation? How in the hell is any of this sustainable? Removing the right to collectively bargain? Treating men’s labor outside of the home, the way that women’s labor in the home is treated?
This is profound B.
Had you ever thought of the origins of the idea of the housewife?
Are you a momma, artist or intern whom people always expect to work for free?
How do you navigate or negotiate?
This is where I was coming from with my twitter rant about black females doing the “urban modeling” being on flyers, websites, magazines, videos, album covers and more yet NOT getting paid.
I have an issue with seeing my fellow models who are truly attempting to eat off of this entertainment industry, exploited yet doing nothing about it, and even perpetuating this by posting their “work” on facebook, twitter, where ever for everyone to look at, free of charge.
How is it work if no one is acknowledging your professionalism by paying what they owe? Professional models have to put time and money into their brand, to include hair, make-up, wardrobe, photographer fees, transportation costs to and from gigs, etc. Nobody wants tacky make-up, photos, videos, lighting, sound, bartending, etc. so they pay the professionals to come in and do it right – except for the models.
Why are we continuing to represent for an industry who does not respect us enough to give us anything back?
Yesterday, I saw that the team for a popular rap artist from the DC area who is signed to a major record label, and has a national following, was looking for models to be in videos, or to do promotional modeling.
I sent in my pictures and was told to contact them. Via text, a representative told me that they were interested in using me for videos, promotional efforts, or to come to events with the artist as a pretty lady. He asked was I interested, and I said sure, if these are paid opportunities. Surprise surprise, they are NOT paying the models.
I told him that I am not interested if I will not be paid. I have done extensive promotional modeling for major brands, and am always paid at a rate no lower than $20/hr. I do not understand how there could not be room in their budget to pay the models. His response, “You should be famous then.” I replied, “I should be famous because I do not work for free? Models are promoting this artist, with the intention of hopefully getting him more attention, which leads to more money in his and your pockets. I do not think paying me $50-150 for a few hours of my time is too much to ask for. Is this something that can at least be worked on?” To which he said, “I understand where you are coming from, if you are used to getting paid, why work for free?” I thanked him for understanding and responding and told him to keep me posted.
I bet I will be the only, if not one of the few, models who challenges the idea of working for this famous artist for free. The mentality of a lot of these girls is that by doing this work for free, they will get exposure/popularity, which can lead to paid gigs. In my experience, this notion is wrong. Since there are so many girls hungry for the spotlight and attention from MEN based on their sexuality, if one girl won’t work for free, there are several more lined up waiting to take her place and get their time to shine.
I met an urban cover girl who has been published in several Men’s magazines at a shoot one day, and while showing me her tear sheets in her portfolio she expressed how these magazines did not pay her, or had promised to pay her but had yet to deliver. How is it that this cover model is the main point of attraction for people to come PURCHASE your publication, but she cannot get a cut from your profit?
Ultimately, I feel like women who continue to participate in this modeling without being compensated, are allowing these men/women to have power over their bodies by not being in control of who is permitted to use your images, and at what cost. I have too much respect for myself to put my own time, money, energy into an endeavor, and get nothing in return.
Posing and having an image attractive to your industry takes practice, creativity, and funds. If you like to be half naked as a hobby, fine. But if we really want people to take us seriously as professionals, we need to be smarter business women and negotiate pay. Now I am not sure if this is a hopeless cause because with the presence of these images being so readily available on social networking sites, why would people pay for what they can have for free? Who is in control here?
Also Renina, I am having trouble differentiating between these concepts; women being viewed as sex objects, dominated and judged on the size of our physical attributes and how much they appeal to men’s sexual imaginations vs. simply “doing what we please” with our bodies, deciding we don’t care what anyone thinks because posing and posting our scantily clad bodies is just something we like to do? Why are so many young women chasing this dream to be the sexiest girl on the net? Is that really something to aspire to based on the history of how the sexuality of black women has been so heavily controlled by others?
Sorry for having so much to say, I feel like I am alone here in caring about getting my money and respect! I have tried to have this conversation with other models and they either don’t respond or they say just charge it to the game o_O Can we get some collective bargaining? The game is in debt! #iResist
Lilli,
Good for you for standing up for yourself.
Unions
Unions are powerful. The NFL is locked out right now, because the players want the owners to open the books and the players are saying oh well, Fuck you and every thing you are talking about.
Black women + Beauty + Media
I would wager that we want to be seen because we are rarely seen. When I learned that Brown skinned Black women were angry that they didn’t see themselves in Drakes “Best I Ever Had” Video, I realized that I was missing something about the power of seeing yourself in media, even if it is under highly exploited conditions.
Regarding Modeling for Free
What incentive does someone have to pay you if they know that you will do it for free? Keep in mind that modeling is a job. In many ways you all are treated like interns and everyone else that is expected to happily work for free.
Your Question for Me:
Also Renina, I am having trouble differentiating between these concepts; women being viewed as sex objects, dominated and judged on the size of our physical attributes and how much they appeal to men’s sexual imaginations vs. simply “doing what we please” with our bodies, deciding we don’t care what anyone thinks because posing and posting our scantily clad bodies is just something we like to do?
Why are so many young women chasing this dream to be the sexiest girl on the net? Is that really something to aspire to based on the history of how the sexuality of black women has been so heavily controlled by others?
==========
There is a distinction between showing our bodies because its our body to show. And showing our bodies because we expect to get a modeling gig out of it.
Rather than ask why are young women chasing the dreams to be the sexiest, Where are the messages in schools, homes, mainstream media and churches that tell us that we are worth more than what is between our legs and how we look?
How can we be healthy when our society (churchs, schools, governments, television, films) is not?
“Rather than ask why are young women chasing the dreams to be the sexiest, Where are the messages in schools, homes, mainstream media and churches that tell us that we are worth more than what is between our legs and how we look?
How can we be healthy when our society (churchs, schools, governments, television, films) is not?”
Word.
“Had you ever thought of the origins of the idea of the housewife?”
No. But it was only recently that I read some material that schooled me to the fact that what a lot of women do in the home is work. As a bachelor, I have always known it was work (and respected it); but I never put it within the perspective of labor, wages, and economics. It just deepened my perspective I guess. When you think about leisure and social relationships, it is small wonder why a lot of women have much of a better idea of their importance than their male partners. And what break-time do mothers get for their labor? Hmmm. Some days I wonder about men. If it is so easy, go in the kitchen then, clean the house – you are the man, right?
“Are you a momma, artist or intern whom people always expect to work for free?”
As an artist trying to build a living off what I do, I decided a few years back to value the work I do. And that has meant being very particular about my expectations. The notion of doing work for free has always felt insulting to me. Not to mention that it is depressing when I see other fellow artists doing work for nothing; or close to it – for that one so-called “break”. I have had to pass on a few “opportunities”. Which is not easy sometimes. But rather than allow the sadness to overwhelm me, I just use it to delve more into the art I create. It has also forced me to be very business-minded; so that I am becoming more proactive in developing strategies to create opportunities based on the value I believe I create. Not saying that I will never do work for free – it just has to be on my own terms, not because I will gain “exposure”.
So @Lili – you are a rare commodity that has the audacity to think for herself (unlike the herd)…but you are not alone! Keep taking no shorts and keep it moving and keep your head up and improve on your craft. Wish you all the best in your journey.
Nice post too.
and what happens when you’re a mama + an artist?
shit is doubly hard. you get stuck in positions *ehem* that you don’t even want to be in because you NEED the money more than if its just you. #IShouldKNow
on getting put on as a writer, i feel like TOO often, esp in the era of blogger, people EXPECT you to give away words for free. i’m not a rapper. i do not free style. i take time on each word, sentence, phrase. not everyone can string together words just so…so it shouldn’t be treated like anybody can do it. and yet, it is. You see how Ariana Huffington told those bloggers who wanted to get paid for their work to eff off? She middle-fingered them QUICK.
things in the game be hard, yo.
peace sis,
because im a momma, scholar and artist, getting at this blog is hard. it will be real dope if u had a book on some of these issues… jus sayin 🙂
Just to throw this in: “Difference as deficit.” I’ve been exploring this term from Ellen Swartz’s journal article “Diversity: Gatekeeping Knowledge and Maintaining Inequalities”. Basically, what I’ve been unpacking recently is that difference has always been used as a way to devalue, and in order to be seen as equal, the male-centred economy has required women to forget their womanness -> periods? child-birth? breast-feeding? menopause? – HIDE them to be equal. No preferential treatment!! You know what’s preferencial treatment? Building a WHOLE economy based on male bodies. Work hours, vacations, housing, labour negotiations, governance.
Now what’s happening to the men’s labour is on a level of class – not rich like me? Well then you’re of no value. This society devalues the feminine, so anything devalued is often associated with the feminization of XYZ – feminization of poverty (even if men experience it – but I also understand the historical and current context), feminization of men’s work (it’s men who are affected, so why is it feminized), feminization of education (oh look, our education system is in the toilet, let’s call it feminine). Women have always taught, always over-represented the world’s poor, always worked. It’s the term feminization that I am problematizing. We still maintain the devaluation if every time we note a problem, it’s the feminization of it.
It is Difference as Deficit – it is why so many people push to show they are the same in order to be seen as valuable. (6-week maternity leave? TOO MUCH. I want to pretend I didn’t have a baby before I become devalued by the economy.) I refuse to be THE SAME in order to be valued. Period. Can we challenge this please? At least vocalize it. Discuss it. So we can stop trying to be like the dominant ideals and force recognition for everyone’s hard work.
I’m still unpacking. Writing papers. Ugh.
I’m an artist and people expect me to work for free all.the.time. As a matter of fact, people act insulted when I tell them my rates and that I won’t work for free.
As a matter of fact, I was put in a position last fall where I worked really hard on a project for a major corporation (with deep, deep pockets) for free. I met all the requirements, including their ridiculous deadlines, and then they decided not to use anything I had done.
In hindsight I should have just flat out refused to work on it. (Actually I did refuse but I was told I didn’t have a choice. I still should have refused and just dealt with the consequences.) In the end I felt very much taken advantage of and devalued.
I think people fail to understand that creative work is still WORK. Whether you’re writing at your laptop, designing a brochure, shooting video, taking pictures—while it’s not factory work or, I don’t know, stock brokering or whatever it is people think of as “real work”—it’s still work. It’s still labor. It’s still time. And to expect people to give you their time, energy, labor and creativity all for free or to actively balk at paying for that shows a lack of respect for creative work.