Model Emily Ratajkowski explores the complexities of being objectified as a sex symbol in her new essay collection, “My Body.” With 28 million Instagram followers and a modeling career focused on lingerie and swimwear, Ratajkowski rose to fame as an idealized beauty. However, her book details the psychological impact of being constantly desired.
Ratajkowski draws parallels to Audrey Munson, an early 20th century model who posed nude for famous sculptors but later attempted suicide multiple times. “I suppose this is the life cycle of a muse,” Ratajkowski writes, “Get discovered, be immortalized in art for which you’re never paid, and die in obscurity.”
At 21, Ratajkowski shot to fame dancing nude in Robin Thicke’s 2013 “Blurred Lines” music video, which now has over 768 million YouTube views. “I wasn’t just famous; I was famously sexy, which, in many ways, felt gratifying,” she writes in her essay named for the song.
Ratajkowski explores instances of being sexually objectified, like being hit on after a visit to a Korean spa. She also details sexual assault by photographers and others in the fashion industry. Her essays depict modeling as an exploitative business that teaches women they are replaceable.
However, Ratajkowski still plans to model while using her platform to highlight issues in the industry. “I am complicit,” she writes about continuing to profit off her image. Through raw, personal stories, Ratajkowski prompts discussion around women’s power dynamics and the life cycle of the muse.