Comments by "林子倫" (@zilun) on "Unreported World"
channel.
-
28
-
+Mae
Since where did I say you need to be impressed by my comment? I'm saying, that wasn't a correct observation. Do you call American kids with Hollywood dream ending up broke on streets of Sunset Boulevard or strippers as a form of human trafficking? How is this any different? Comparing this to slavery is trivializing the hardships and abuse of slavery. Slaves didn't have agency to quit, or say no.
As for modeling agencies paying pennies to these models, every banana you paid $1 for, $0.10 goes to the farmer. $0.9 goes to wealthy corps selling those goods. Which in turn profit shareholders of shipping companies and grocery chains. You are okay not paying for bananas ethically, but not okay with consumers of fashion brands not paying models ethically? Why? Because those are pretty girls and farmers look like crap? You want to solve this problem? Easy, boost Eastern Europe's economy. No different than if you don't want women of Thailand cleaning and messaging tourists' feet for pennies, boost their local economy. And yes, I already make it very clear it IS unethical. Geez. And I didn't say the solution was boycotting, I was saying, no one is going to boycott it, so it is going to continue to be what it is. Because impoverished regions of Eastern Europe aren't going to get free money from the world, impoverished regions of Thailand aren't going to get free money from the world.
13
-
9
-
4
-
3
-
3
-
Oh, too confusing? Okay, here's a simplified version. You think just because "some" ended up with debt, it means it's human trafficking? Here's a thought: Disney wants to cut costs. I'm the middleman recruiting kids with some art tendencies from India. I have to train them, which costs me, but I pay for costs upfront and get back when those kids get paid by Disney for their work. Some get a lot of work, some didn't make the cut and owe me student loans. It's unethical because those who benefit from it most are Disney shareholders who didn't contribute. Q1. Unethical, but is that human trafficking? Q2. And if India already provide free art education that I charge, and opportunities as great as Disney offer, would my business exist?
So, it is how it is until economics change.
Secondly. Those Eastern European women have brothers, male cousins. Their male peers don't have this modeling option. How do those men make a living? Those women have the agency to choose.
2
-
Like I said, if you are expected to bring in the skills yourself, you still need to take classes. Ugh. what if they go to modeling class in Ukraine, then gets picked up by agencies, can't find work, went home and owe student loans in Ukraine? Same difference. What does this even have to do with prostitution? Because it's young women? Replace modeling with 'being a translator' and replace young women with 'men'. Entire story stays the same, some made it, some end up in debt. Still human trafficking?
These women can go home whenever they want. They can go to the police whenever they want. They can have their families go visit them whenever they want. Did those two abducted Venezuelan teens get to go home whenever they want? Were they free to go to the police? Were any models in this report being sold to brothels? Any?
Again. Not all are in debt. Some. There are many, many, many Eastern Europeans who started out that way who found so much success in Asia that they have their own TV shows not related to fashion, like travel shows, food shows, whatever. They get paid like local celebs for local ads. Because those models adapt their culture, learn their language, have great work ethics and work well with others, have a plan beyond just modeling. It's the same with any job. Some gets to the top, some get chewed up.
You did see a brief moment where a manger was upset because he was expecting models to come and work but no one showed up. Could be translation issues, could be someone at agency playing office politics, but getting justifiably or unfairly blacklisted for future work is far from being sold as prostitutes or slaves.
Chinese experiencing extreme poverty 70 years ago were shipped to Singapore exactly the way you described, owing their boss, most Indians, their faire which they had to work off. All later found success and started their own business upon learning whatever trade they learned.
Again, they don't have to do modeling. They can go and work labor like their male peers. There is a reason they flock at the chance. It is because they have heard stories of financial success of those who had gone before them.
2
-
1