Notes

Interviewing Emily Ratajkowski: From blurred to fame.

The music video “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke might have won its controversial fame because of the lyrics or the exposed nudity, but one thing is sure: it was the moment for Emily Ratajkowski to shine.

Emily started her career at the age of 14, signing with Ford Models. After that, she tried auditioning for several productions like Nickelodeon or Disney. She tells me “At the beginning I was very exiting to start an actress career until I notice that the only they offered me were the mean girl or cheerleader roles.” Despite that, she did appear in 2 episodes for the show of iCarly.

Later on she attended to the School of the Arts and Architecture at UCLA, but left after a year. “I realized it wasn’t what I wanted, so I decided to leave and continue with my modeling career”. Continuing with her career as a model would include working for several stores like Nordstrom and Forever 21, she says “I learn a lot on those shooting campaigns but I think working with the photographer Tony Duran was what help me to be recognized as a real fashion model. He kind of put me in the spot of the fashion world, suddenly I was being the on cover of important magazines or modeling for Frederick's of Hollywood.” One of the covers she posed for was Treats! In the March 2012 issue, she’s totally naked in a fetus posse. “I’m okay with nudity, and I like my body even though is not the traditional model body”

But it was until her performance in the video Blurred Lines, released in March 20 of 2013, that she archived fame she had always wanted. She was cast for the video after Robin Thicke saw the cover of the magazine Treats!, he described her as “smart and stunningly beautiful girl”. She told me “At first I declined the role, I wasn’t sure if that was for me because I didn’t want to be seen just as a video model, but decided to give it a try after Diane Martel encourage me to take the role”. The video caused a lot of controversial opinions because of the nudity.

“I never understood why everyone was so alarmed by the explicit version of the video, being partially naked is not sexism” I asker if she had ever read the lyrics of Blurred lines, her response was affirmative “of course I have and I know why the song received so much criticism, its hard to ignore the parts that threat the women like an object”.

Emily has claimed to be a feminist despite of her appearance in the Blurred Lines video. “Many people said I’m a hypocrite by claiming myself as a feminist but still defending Robin Thicke’s video. I have always thought that a woman can be as sexually as she wants to be and still be a feminist too.”

After some months many parody videos were released to complain about how the video was using the women as an object. “I saw many videos about that, there was one I like a lot. It was made by some girls of Auckland University; I think is called Defined Lines.” She took her smartphone out and searched for the video “Yeah here it is! I must say is a brilliant video, look at how they switch the gender roles” In the video the men are the ones naked “And if you look at the lyrics, they are some kind of protest supporting feminism”.

The attention Emily received after the video help her reached major goals. Now she’s recognized as a sex symbol, being the #62 on the annual Hot list of the magazine Maxim, “I never expected that being on a music video could affect is this way my career as a model, its insane how after that magazines like Carine Roitfeld suddenly wanted me on their cover’s issues”

It didn’t just open opportunities as a model, also it helped her gain a role in the movie Gone Girl. She played Andie Hardy “At first people were telling that I couldn’t do so much because everyone was only focus on my sex appeal, but after the movie I received really good critics”

Emily Ratajkowski is just at the beginning of the fame road with all these opportunities that continue to flow to her, which include more appearances on important magazine covers and major roles for movies, like We Are Your Friends alongside with Zac Efron. “I like how my life has turn up to, and I surely don’t regret all the decisions I’ve”