Posted on 12/17/2008 1:19:01 PM PST by george76
Artists' models in Paris stripped naked Monday, braving freezing temperatures to protest against a ban on tips and to demand better pay and recognition.
More than 20 male and female models, some posing nude while others were draped in a colorful array of shawls, sheets and fur coats, took part in the protest that had the backing of two of France's biggest labor unions.
The action was triggered by a recent decision by the Paris authorities to enforce a ban on artists' tips, known as "cornet" after the rolled-up cone of drawing paper in which painters traditionally dropped some money for their models.
"We're very badly paid and it's always been that way," said model Carole Kras, who joined others in the courtyard of a 16th century palace that houses the Paris cultural affairs offices.
"We've always had the 'cornet' to make up for some of that but now they want to get rid of it," she said, as shivering colleagues got dressed after briefly disrobing.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
You could cut glass with those things...
Sitting way up high. Way up firm and high.
Lemme guess, it was the dudes who dropped trou for the protest. I don't picture even Frenchmen wearing shawls or fur coats.
So the city employs the nude models. That seems like a pretty odd arrangement.
She said an average wage of 10 euros ($13) an hour for posing sessions that often lasted around three hours was inadequate.
I think she has a point, there. Thirteen bucks an hour for what is skilled work is pretty low wages.
Christophe Girard, an official responsible for cultural affairs at the Paris city hall, said authorities had no choice but to ban the cornet, which had been ruled illegal.
Why was this done? Was the system being abused, with the cornet being exchanged for ... (ahem) ... other services?
The only thing those people should be modeling is socks....on the radio.
Not Safe For Work
Are tips even customary in France in other industries?
Recognition? Post pictures of yourself nekkid on the internet and someone will recognize you.
Sigh...it never fails that the threads that should have pictures of the accused don’t and the ones that don’t do. Pictures of naked models is a basic human right, dang it.
It always pays to remember that adage, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
It's tradition. Good artists starve too and are not recognized in their lifetimes. But their works and their models' pictures outlive them.
Looks like someone has the aids.
I can resist anything except tempation.
For those who don't want to go to the page, there are some Euroguys from the chest up in desparate need of some cheeseburgers and some Eurogirls from the collarbones up. Nothing horrifying like Helen Thomas at the protest, but then nothing showing exactly how cold it is either.
Larry King had a face for radio and a voice for newspaper. The USA Today ran his picture and then some damned fool gave him a tv show after his radio gig bombed out.
Nude models have labor unions in France? What are their demands, sunscreen and pasties?
All hail socialism.
Rosie O’Donut has a clause in her contract demanding sunscreen and pastries.
Derek Zoolander: “Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously good looking?”
Obligatory picture of notorious nude model, Helen Thomas.
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