Gerren Taylor
TheStarScoop.Com got the scoop from Gerren Taylor, a former supermodel (or more of a sometimes supermodel at the moment). Now 18, she talked with us about her most important job right now: helping young girls.
The Star Scoop:
Tell us how you would sum yourself up to our readers.
Gerren Taylor:
My name is Gerren Taylor and recently the press has been glamorizing my modeling career, but it's not the message that I want to tell. The real story is basically how it's been a learning experience that's helped me to speak to young ladies about body images and self esteem issues to let them know we are not victims. We are victorious. And it only takes us to change.
The Star Scoop:
You're part of the documentary, "America the Beautiful." What is it about and why are people so interested in it right now?
Taylor:
The film basically covers how the obsession over the current notion of beauty isn't good for us. It also makes us aware of the power we do have. It deals with other topics like plastic surgery and how media affects especially young girls and women. The film weaves my story throughout. It tells how I started modeling at 12 years old and I was on shows like Oprah, Entertainment Tonight. Some people in the industry had labeled me the "it" girl of the time. I was like the girl of the moment. And, at 14 some of the industry were calling me obese and I was a size four. Basically, my runway career just came to a stop. The movie kind of follows that whole thing.
The Star Scoop:
What do you think something like that says to people about how focused we are with sizes and modeling?
Taylor:
I have no regrets because something positive has come out from it. My self worth and my validation now comes from helping others. Low self esteem and a negative body image is basically running rampant through high schools and college campuses. I just want to do my part to help. I tell my friends, family and girls I go and speak to, your souls and your spirits, your true beauty is found on the inside. Your heart, how you treat others, your charisma, your personality, basically what makes you unique. We have to take our self esteems back. We have to discover what's unique and beautiful about us and make that our value system. The images we're bombarded with daily in magazines, that's not a value system. Young and old have adopted that as truth. Oprah quoted that five year old girls were more afraid of getting fat than losing a parent or getting cancer. I just thought that was really sad.
The Star Scoop:
Wow. So what do you think people who aren't in your position as a public figure can do about this?
Taylor:
I basically say that we need to find a new standard of beauty, reinforced by our family and our friends. I think the power of language is really important. I did a seminar with a group of teenagers in high school. I put positive affirmations all on the wall, and I had everybody stand up, get a piece of paper put on their back, and the whole room went around and wrote something that they liked about that person, that they saw in that person. After, everybody was happy. They found out stuff they didn't even know about themselves. Just stuff like that...the media basically paints the picture that we'll be happy and successful as long as we're beautiful like Paris Hilton or Beyonce. We'll get the guy of our dreams, drive fancy cars and stuff. I tell my girls a lot that we can't copy, we can't try to be like these celebrities because it's a fantasy. It's a mirage. They don't really look like that. Nobody looks that perfect that in real life. A lot of the girls don't understand that there's a lot of airbrushing, Photoshop. They change noses, eyes, necks. We have to take the focus off of these.
The Star Scoop:
Are you still involved in modeling?
Taylor:
I sometimes do a lot of print jobs and stuff like that. Not a lot of runway, high fashion stuff. I do teen magazines. But right now, it's not the most important thing in my life. I believe I have to be in the industry because I talk about it so much. I can relate to a lot of what goes on, and I can pass it on to the people that aren't in the industry. They should realize that it's just a job.
The Star Scoop:
What do you think that shows like America's Next Top Model? Is it doing good work or bad?
Taylor:
It depends how people look at it. I know how I look at it. I look at the show, and I see fun, it's entertaining. Drama. That's how I look at it. But there's girls who look at it as more than that, dedicate their whole lives to it, do what they can, and copy what they see on TV. I just tell everybody, we have to change the way we see. The industry won't change. We have to change the way we see when we watch these shows or look at actresses.
The Star Scoop:
To our readers, what do you want to say to them directly about how they can help themselves?
Taylor:
When I do my seminars, I have a list of power tools that I use. Improve our self image, for example: There's one where you avoid exaggeration. Try to avoid thinking in extremes. In all reality, it's not never, it's not always. Nip negative thoughts in the bud. I'm sure you know too, that we can sit here, and somebody says what don't you like about yourself and we can just go on and on and on. If somebody says, what do you like about yourself, you have to think like, hmmm. You can't go down a list. Realize the stuff you do like about yourself. Think positively. Accept your imperfections. Accept your flaws in being human. That comes along with life.
The Star Scoop:
Any final thoughts for us?
Taylor:
I wanted to say, a lot of girls think the modeling life is so glamorous. But it's way out of control. There's an agency in Europe, and they put a circus mirror in the model department. A circus mirror when they look at themselves - you know how you always look fat when in circus mirrors. They put a circus mirror in the model department so when they look at themselves, they always look fat. That's ridiculous. A lot of these women are depressed and they don't know what to do or who to turn to. I don't suggest modeling to girls. Especially young girls. It's not all the glitz and glamour...it can be dangerous, too.
The Star Scoop:
For more information about Gerren Taylor and the documentary "America the Beautiful," visit: www.americathebeautifuldoc.com