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My good friend and collaborator Nancy Upton, who I originally  wrote the role of “Nancy” for ( I’m never good at making up names) for my play Death For Sydney Black, has been on fire the past few days. She’s been getting a ton of attention for her sarcastically satirical, visceral and somewhat problematic/simultaneously inspiring photo submissions ( taken by Shannon Skloss) for the American Apparel’s plus-size model contest (oxymoron). Aside from being the contest’s front-runner, Nancy’s been written up and profiled for her rebellion in The Huffington Post, Bitch Magazine, The Frisky, Feministe and more across the blogosphere.  I love these in your  face, raunchy ranch filled images not only for the stance she takes against AA and their company policies but because they are just soo Nancy! She’s an incredibly smart, independent,  talented and beautiful woman who loves and supports other women, so you should support her too. As Nancy puts it via her Tumblr, ” Vote here for one more day. Or, instead of voting me up, send an email to the editor of your favorite fashion magazine/blog and request to see more of the talented models from the ‘contest’! Or, you know, do both. Really entirely up to you”.

My favorite thing about the well-deserved attention Nancy is getting are the polarizing comments she’s provoking. I think these reactions, especially the negative ones that argue how the photos promote and sexualize an unhealthy lifestyle despite it’s satire  only highlights the double standard ingrained in our brains from being so desensitized to the skinny,  weak and emaciated images we’re exposed to on a minute by minute basis.

We’ve grown so comfortable with these images and the messages that they give (submission! darkness! emaciated= beautiful=happiness!) …..

That when we see it’s polar opposite counterpart our minds freak out!

Ahhhh!! Sunlight!  Food! Woman! Power! Sex! Dominance! Those things are not supposed to go together! Mindgasm! Can you imagine seeing this image on a billboard? We would freak out, despite the fact that we see skinny girls on billboards all the time who are underweight, overworked and seemingly powerless. And what I like about these photos is that  you can’t argue against Nancy’s so-called unhealthy lifestyle without thinking about the “skinny girl’s” lifestyle of not eating. So, regardless to what kind of lifesyle you may think Nancy is promoting ( although take it from me, this girl  does not literally hump pies or bathe in ranch dressing every day and she takes good care of herself ) the photos get me and many others thinking about our relationship to food, it’s relationship to the advertising industry, and all of that in relation to women and how these things make us feel.   I think that alone = pretty fucking amazing and powerful art. Kudos to you Nancy and Shannon!