Do you have to be Thin in LA? (Riverside: income, trailer)

[antialphabet]

There's a 9 page long thread on fast food in the LA forum.

[Ashleykitty]

Hi. Hate to break it to you--looks in LA count. Wheter you are cleaning toilets, waiting tables, working retail or doing photography employers always hire the good looking person. LA is pretty shallow. People out here want to be surrounded by beauty. Its a tough town.

[fastfilm]

Charles, Mike121 and Ashleykitty have it right for anyone working in media here. I am a professional photographer in L.A., and if I looked like a female version of Jack Black (at his heaviest: he varies, as do most all of the non-naturally thin or determinedly anorexic actors in L.A.-they shape up bigtime just before movie work, and slack off afterwards. Hence an entire tabloid cottage industry devoted to tallying celebrities' varying weights) I would not be projecting any credibility that I knew what L.A.'s glamour standards were. The only ones who could get away with looking like a slob or be extremely heavy would be way-established male photographers, and even they don't do that here. You'll get used to exercising and dieting.

[Radical Raul]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

Charles, Mike121 and Ashleykitty have it right for anyone working in media here. I am a professional photographer in L.A., and if I looked like a female version of Jack Black (at his heaviest: he varies, as do most all of the non-naturally thin or determined anorexic actors in L.A.-they shape up just before movie work. Hence an entire tabloid cottage industry devoted to tallying celebreties' varying weights) I would not project any credibility that I knew what L.A.'s glamour standards were. The only ones who could get away with looking like a slob or be extremely heavy would be way established male photographers, and even they don't do that here. You'll get used to exercising.

This so untrue, you have let yourself be programmed to think this way. If you do what you love to do, purely out of love and do it well, stick to it and put yourself out there, eventually you will get noticed.

It's the quality of your work, your ability to work well with others and the way you present yourself on a professional level that gets results.

With the attitude you just stated you are seriously limiting yourself.

I should know, I've been there.

All the best.

[fastfilm]

I'm still there, and working.

I thought a photographer should chime in. Actually, the poster who mentioned networking is more important than talent in the entertainment and media businesses has it most correct. Yes, Radical Raul is right about team skills, presentation and persistance, but regarding just the quality of the art in our business, contacts are way more important in same than one's own talent. Without entree and subsequent appreciation of your work, you can be as talented as Van Gogh, and concomitantly be driven just as psychotic by lack of recognition.

I used to joke that in celebrity portraiture, entree was more important than having a camera; to wit: if you have access to the desired subject, you can parlay that into coming back with a camera. If you have no access due to non-networking skills, you just have a camera, and no work to show from it!

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by monti

No, you *have* to be thin and good looking. It's a requirement. Also - beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. Looking like a heart throb celebrity also will help.

Unless you want a job in RETAIL where in order to get a job FOLDING JEANS they call you a model to keep the pretty people on the floor.

[BRinSM]

you don't have to be thin in LA, but many, many people here (regardless of the industry they work in) take care of their bodies. I moved here after college and i think the number of fit people in LA wore off on me fairly quickly. I started running and biking and have since lost my college beer gut and run triathlons. It may sound superficial, but that's what it took me to start leading a healthier lifestyle. I think leading a healthy lifestyle is something to be proud of regardless of what motivates you.

[mikesandbeck]

How much of this applies to the men of LA? (outside of Hollywood)

Do the men who don't work in the entertainment media industry need to look like models to make it in the LA workforce and to make it with the LA ladies?

[Taboo2]

Mens Fitness ranked LA in the top of the fattest cities.
The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America - Men's Fitness
Compared with SF
The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America - Men's Fitness
Oakland
The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America - Men's Fitness
or Seattle
The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America - Men's Fitness

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

Mens Fitness ranked LA in the top of the fattest cities.
The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America - Men's Fitness

LA is the 11th fattest city. Sort of like I wrote earlier in this thread.

Originally Posted by Charles

Depends what part of LA. The neighborhoods with $200K+ median incomes? Lots of hot moms. Very associated with economic position.

What about the other 95% of LA? Fat, smoking, medically unmanaged, out of shape people are everywhere.