What's the Beef? Crystal Renn's 'Festin' Vogue Paris Oct 2010 Images

Crystal Renn’s manga editorial ‘Festin’ (translated banquet) for Vogue Paris October 2010 anniversary edition is a brilliant example of Carine Roitfeld’s mind at work. I’m not sure that the jewels survive the food setup, but the photos are a visual metaphor for Renn’s own relationship with food and the reality that the world is getting fatter.

The images, shot by Terry Richardson who is the new king of shooting bull with these photos coming right after his Lady Gaga series of her beef bikini, are also a statement on Modern values versus the emerging Cultural Creative ones.

In reality, the ultimate Modern values woman is actually the size 0 who will never indulge in food to excess. However, if the object of her affection is shoes, baubles or luxury in almost any other form, the Modern woman seeks excess in her life.

On an esoteric level, Terry Richardson loves decadence, and I believe strongly that food has replaced sensuality and sex, in the lives of so many women. The result of America’s winner-take-all global influence is an emphasis and encouragement of rampant consumption.

Richardson’s argument that 80 percent of his subjects want to be porn stars has him creating unadulterated lust of a culinary kind in these photos. Call it food porn.

It’s important to note that brain science research confirms that our limitless relationship with biggie-size portions and being members of the clean plate club becomes as excessive as portrayed by Crystal Renn in these images.

Our brains behave as if we are on heroin. The region where critical thinking operates shrinks in size. Yes, we are rendered stupider because of our excessive relationship with food. This obesity reality is nowhere as serious in France as America, and perhaps Carine Roitfeld is sending a tennis ball volley across the Atlantic.

Should we be insulted by these images? Many will be — I’ve checked the blogs already. The photos are so not politically correct.

In my playbook, the Vogue Paris Crystal Renn ‘Festin’ photos are a fine example of Carine Roitfeld’s provocative French mind delivering the beef. May she live forever inspiring American and British women to make peace with an out of control relationship with food that is killing us.  Anne

Images via Fashionising.com.

Update on Thu, September 30, 2010 by Anne

Carine Roitfeld speaks to her intentions with the Crystal Renn editorial and the increasing pressure to be politically correct in today’s world. Read NYTimes Q and A.