I heard about The Model Agency from my father, who described it as the worse programme ever. To be honest I thought he was exaggerating, especially as it hardly sounded like something he would enjoy. However, this offering from Channel 4 is horrific. Ultimately, the whole concept of the model industry is not one with which I have any empathy, given that I would describe myself as a militant feminist. For a feminist, one of the main issues with in the programme is the way it describes young models, many of whom are just 15 or 16. These teenagers are “fresh girls” – as though they are no more than commodities.
The basis of the first episode is that one of their models, aged 16, is having a hard time away from home on her own in New York. The girl, India, abandoned in a huge city to attend castings, decides that actually she doesn’t want to be a model and wants to go back to school. One of the first things the model agency head says is that every young girl’s dream is to be a model, so India’s change of mind doesn’t go down well. What shocked me further is the way the agency insists no pressure is put on the girl, yet phones her insistently to find out what she is doing and what she is thinking. Then, to make matters worse, those at the agency speak as though she is being disrespectful towards them. Other than this, they never seem to do any work, but instead spend their time gossiping or smoking outside.
The only redeeming feature of The Model Agency is that some of it is interestingly shot, especially the talking heads, although everything they say is entirely pointless. Any feminist would hate this show on principle, but it is so hugely boring that I can’t see why anyone would ever like it.
Lily Allen: Riches to Rags is similar to The Model Agency in that it gives the viewer a sense of annoyance at the incompetence of some people. The documentary follows Lily Allen as she ditches the music industry and tries to open up a shop renting out high fashion. The main problem with this idea is that Lily and her sister, Sarah, are not in touch with reality and as so no idea how much they should charge for the use of any their goods.
Lily admits that she is used to spending thousands of pounds at the drop of a hat and so is totally unaware of what the average person would spend on renting an item of couture fashion. The sisters also seem to have no idea how to run a business, barely understanding what an account sheet is.
However, what distinguishes Riches to Rags from most reality shows that follow a celebrity is that Lily Allen comes across well as a quite funny, down-to-earth person willing to admit the surreal nature of her life. The tensions between her and her sister add to this. In contrast with other celebrity documentaries, the two don’t attempt to gloss over the difficulties between them, especially after Sarah spends large amounts of money in America without buying the kind of products they actually need. As frustrating as Lily and Sarah are, this is an entertaining if vapid programme worth watching if you are short of something to do.
