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Opinions on Yasmin Benoit's image


MakeupJunkie4

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I've seen more of her this year in articles, and one question keeps occurring to me and I'm curious what the ace community thinks. 

 

In your opinion, do the sexy underwear pictures that often accompany Yasmin seem to be A) boundary-pushing ace representation, conveying that we shouldn't be stereotyped? Or B) simply a time-tested way to get people's attention, so that they'll (hopefully) read the accompanying article?

 

Not trying to start a judgmental, person-bashing session here - I don't know her personally, and I think she's aesthetically adorable! Just asking for your take. :) 

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She clearly is hoping for A, but I'm sure what people are seeing is closer to B.

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Fraggle Underdark

Maybe both. Also, I read her career is in modeling? Maybe she was a model before she started talking about asexuality, so there just happened to be scantily-clad photos of her because her career involved having scantily-clad photos taken of her.

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She does have a modeling career, and I can only imagine how much sexualization/harassment/unwanted advances that may get her. I think she's chosen to use her voice to make it possible for lingerie modeling and asexuality to be compatible concepts in people's mind, rather than running away from modeling because of this treatment. And of course people are going to see it more as trying to get attention, because so many of them will always (consciously or unconsciously) think that's what any assertive attractive woman is doing (and I think the race element adds more objectification that I can't speak to because I don't know what it's like to be subject to that).

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12 minutes ago, fragglerock said:

there just happened to be scantily-clad photos of her because her career involved having scantily-clad photos taken of her.

Yes, I remember reading this, so it makes sense that the photos exist - but the fact that they're being used as primary photos in articles is what I'm questioning. I mean...I know it's a different situation, but if a celeb has a nude photo "leaked", do we always have those photos featured in the articles about them afterwards? LOL

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Fraggle Underdark
13 minutes ago, MakeupJunkie444 said:

Yes, I remember reading this, so it makes sense that the photos exist - but the fact that they're being used as primary photos in articles is what I'm questioning. I mean...I know it's a different situation, but if a celeb has a nude photo "leaked", do we always have those photos featured in the articles about them afterwards? LOL

If the decision to use a scantily-clad photo is made by an article writer who's not Yasmin, then I definitely expect the motivation is mostly #2. If Yasmin is making the choice then it seems like an effective way to achieve both #1 and #2.

 

ETA: a leaked nude would be 1) considered pornographic/indecent etc, 2) presumably against the wishes of the subject, and 3) not part of the person's professional portfolio. Using those pictures feels to me like using the song of an artist as background music in a video clip about them. But I haven't looked into Yasmin or these articles much.

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DarkStormyKnight

Tbh I think she's awesome and can do whatever the hell she wants. That said, I think it's great that she's challenging the typical stereotypes of asexuals-as-modest nuns thing and using her modeling career to amplify asexuality as well. I kinda doubt that many people are seeing images of a hot girl and thinking "wow maybe I'll learn about asexuality now". Time for more diverse asexual voices! Including those who like to dress sexually!

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7 hours ago, DarkStormyKnight said:

I think she's awesome and can do whatever the hell she wants.

No one said she COULDN'T do what she wants...?

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I love Yasmine's work, and I think she's important for changing expectations of what asexuals look like, both by being a BIPOC and being a lingerie model. She's said before in interviews that she's turned down jobs where they've wanted her to act overly sexual, so it's really not like she has no limits at all. Her job as a lingerie model is to model lingerie, as any other fashion model models clothes. Sure lingerie modelling will garner a specific type of attention, but that happens regardless really. I think the 'asexual lingerie model' gimmick is only a gimmick so long as people don't see asexuals as normal people who could be in any field instead of repressed/immature souls, which is exactly what she's going against.  

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3 hours ago, daveb said:

But some people are judging.

I didn't take any of the comments so far as "judging", but...OK.

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6 hours ago, stampoc said:

The ace community should accept everyone.

 

There should be no harsh rules to be a valid asexual. 

No one said they DIDN'T accept her as part of the ace community. And I wasn't aware that there were "harsh rules"...? :-/ 

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Don't you all miss the main point here? Shouldn't the real question be should AVEN, thus a big part of "the asexual community", be represented by her as a member of the Board of Directors? Shouldn't we all get a say on that?

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@timewarp IDK....does the gay community get to say who their spokesmen should be? *not trying to be snarky, I legitimately don't know* Personally, I feel like Yasmin's choices don't dictate my own. Even if she's somehow become "the spokesperson" for all asexuals (which I don't think she is), I still have my own mark to make with the people who know me. Who she is, what she does, all of that pertains to her, but not me. IDK if that makes sense, but that's how I feel. Her being herself does not reflect on me, being myself.

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i'm proud of her but her image confuses me...

i'm like "yesss! asexual representation!!....but wait...she doesn't look asexy at all..."

i guess the whole point she is trying to make is to be able to push the boundaries on the whole "asexual look", but i don't think a lot of sexuals will see her point.

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Doesn't it all boil down to the fact that somehow we all have internalized aphobia and think there's one universal way how aces should look like? As in "not sexy"? Which is super dumb? That whole conversation reminds me of that meme:

you-dont-look-ace-what-does-an-asexual-4

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On 9/25/2020 at 5:13 AM, MakeupJunkie444 said:

No one said they DIDN'T accept her as part of the ace community. And I wasn't aware that there were "harsh rules"...? :-/ 

No worries, I know what you mean 

x

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On 9/26/2020 at 10:35 PM, timewarp said:

Don't you all miss the main point here? Shouldn't the real question be should AVEN, thus a big part of "the asexual community", be represented by her as a member of the Board of Directors? Shouldn't we all get a say on that?

I didn't think we voted any of the BoD on? There's a question about whether we should, I suppose, but seems weird to single Yasmin out!

 

I'm with CBC on this one anyway. Yasmin can wear whatever she wants while doing her thing - if it works for her, why not? 

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7 hours ago, Blaiddmelyn said:

I didn't think we voted any of the BoD on? There's a question about whether we should, I suppose, but seems weird to single Yasmin out!

 

I'm with CBC on this one anyway. Yasmin can wear whatever she wants while doing her thing - if it works for her, why not? 

Well, for starters this thread is about her.

 

But obviously it could be interesting to discuss how much the other BoD members represent AVEN. You would find that it's a very easy question when it comes to Michael D for example, who's been extremely active on AVEN and also doing loads of work off AVEN that has all been clearly related to AVEN. On the other hand you'll find that David Jay hasn't been active on AVEN for many years and is kind of the AVEN celebrity they fly in from some beach in California for special events, to talk about the old times. Apart from that he pretty much does his own thing, same as Yasmin. Now I respect what they do, don't get me wrong, but it's their own thing and it's not at all clear to me whether they actually represent AVEN by doing so.

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13 hours ago, timewarp said:

Well, for starters this thread is about her.

 

But obviously it could be interesting to discuss how much the other BoD members represent AVEN. You would find that it's a very easy question when it comes to Michael D for example, who's been extremely active on AVEN and also doing loads of work off AVEN that has all been clearly related to AVEN. On the other hand you'll find that David Jay hasn't been active on AVEN for many years and is kind of the AVEN celebrity they fly in from some beach in California for special events, to talk about the old times. Apart from that he pretty much does his own thing, same as Yasmin. Now I respect what they do, don't get me wrong, but it's their own thing and it's not at all clear to me whether they actually represent AVEN by doing so.

True,  but the topic of whether we should vote the AVEN BoD is rather separate from the question asked, which was about Yasmin's clothing.  

 

Tbh, the politics of AVEN go right over my head and I don't pay much attention to its inner mechanics etc. But the BoD's job, I'd guess, is to make decisions about how AVEN is run, not represent the site hugely to the world at large. I'd also say that in the AVEN projects I've been involved in over the past few months, I've actually seen both of them being involved and contributing. The fact they don't necessarily post on the forum doesn't mean they aren't contributing.

 

But as I say, I'm not particularly fussed on AVEN politics or who/how it's run so *shrugs*

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Yasmin was a lingerie model before becoming an advocate for asexuality awareness.  She said that she didn’t see why she would stop dressing exactly the way she did in previous shoots, just because of her sexuality.  This is also why she came up with her ‘asexual looks like’ campaign to show that we are all different, can’t be stereotyped and there isn’t a definitive look to an ‘asexual.’  Also, whether we like it or not we do live in a sexualised society.  Therefore, people will sexualise lingerie pictures (whether that’s the intention of the model or not) so why not get paid for it while you’re at it?! It’s like how people dance sexily or act.  Gay people can play straight people in films etc.  It’s not a reflection of who they are, it’s a character they are playing.  Yasmin can wear what she wants, when she wants and it’s not an indication of her sexuality or how she feels inside. I think she’s amazing and I think anyone doing that much awareness raising for our community is a blessing and a godsend and I couldn’t be more thankful for her! 

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She's brave and I applaud her for creating asexual visibility. How she dresses is entitely her choice, it's not my place to be critical.

 

 

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20 hours ago, kimbo21 said:

I think she’s amazing and I think anyone doing that much awareness raising for our community is a blessing and a godsend and I couldn’t be more thankful for her! 

That!

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