Terry Richardsons Ads for Equinox Fitness Clubs

A controversy has broken out over Terry Richardson’s new ad campaign for Equinox fitness Clubs. Critics of the campaign argue that the models are way too thin and are very passive creatures, the attempt at arm wrestling aside.

Huff Po asks: “Do you go to the gym to get healthy and strong — or skinny and sexy?” and Anne answers with this comment:

Your own separation of “healthy and strong” from “skinny and sexy” puts you in the same group of fashionistas who don’t utter healthy + strong + sexy +­ muscle lust (or muscle definition­) in the same sentence.

In the downsizing of models from the Crawford, Campbell supermodel size 4-6 with muscle-def­inition, real power, influence and big bank account days, those words got ripped apart as not being mutually inclusive. The truth is real-women gym rats come in many shapes and sizes and many enjoy both a healthy body AND an appreciati­on of their own sex appeal with muscles that are hard-earne­d. Others pursue the “I’ll die if there’s an ounce of fat on my body and any muscle tone” approach, which is their prerogativ­e. From all I know about sexuality research — which is a lot — the latter group tend not to be the ones with intense libidos. Exceptions exist, of course. What’s wrong with the Terry Richardson ads is their one dimensiona­lity, and I would expect nothing else from him, being that Terry is a rather simple-min­ded guy.

via fsta