I miss the International Male catalog

[+ friendofsheila]

The one in print. It was fun having it come in the mail and seeing those sometimes-wacky disco outfits on way-cute guys, and then later seeing them in undies.

 

And then the summer catalog!

 

Sigh.

[Epigonos]

Not only do I miss the catalog I also miss the store which was located on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. Damn that was more than a few years ago.

[+ glutes]

now Casual Male XL?

 

North of SF in Santa Rosa, they have a store that is the 'new' International Male. Catalogue I am unsure of...

 

http://www.casualmale.com/store/en_US/index.jsp

[Diverdan]

"Casual Male" is a nationwide chain of stores that caters primarily for the "big and tall" male. It is certainly NOT a 'new' "International Male, although Glutes may have been saying that "tongue in cheek"! I miss the International Male catalog and store too.

[RockHard]

Gays with no taste, begone.

 

I don't miss any clothing store that promotes ugly, tacky clothing to cheap gay men who have no taste and don't know any better. Gay men as laughing stock in our society is not my idea of a good thing.

 

Half-naked men wearing "wacky disco outfits" does nothing for my falling erection. Those International Male models looked stupid and I hear most hated being photographed in those silly clothes. (The things one must do for a paycheck.)

 

Honestly, who needs that cheap paper catalog cluttering up the mailbox when we have The Gallery here? The pixel resolution is so much clearer and licking my monitor screen tastes so much better than prepress ink.

[JT Brooklyn]

I recently got a Catalog unless it was "Undergear"? I usually confused them! LOL

[rvwnsd]

 

I used to hook up with a guy who, very early in his career, worked at International Male's corporate office. He mentioned that even some of the employees would roll their eyes and laugh at some of the "fashions."

 

That being said, I had a date with a guy who shopped there. It was a quick date.

[+ bigjoey]

One of the models there use to dance at the Gaiety. Had him home for a weekend after some New York meetings. After that, I looked foward to seeing him in the catalog.

[Guest Merlin]

International Male has been merged into Under Gear. I don't think the guys are as cute as they once were. UG has adopted the horrible fashion of the three 3 day growth of stubble.

[JT Brooklyn]

I'm of the thinking that there may be somewhat of a "Casting Couch" involved in this Model Print work?

 

Some guys seem to get more Pix's used constantly in their "Undies" than others.. who definitely are just as Sexy in theirs!

 

But I guess IF your Undie Pix is "Selling the Merchandise" the more exposure the better for I.M./UnderGear.

 

Also some of these Pix's have been "recycling" for Years I doubt the Models even look the same now....

[RockHard]

Professional models and porn actors are two different animals.

 

I'm of the thinking that there may be somewhat of a "Casting Couch" involved in this Model Print work?

Typically, this is someone's fantasy.

 

In order to be considered "professional," models are required to be signed with an agency. All legit agencies are lawyered up, and they work overtime to protect reps and reputations. Clients would be insane to insist on sex for a paid job, and it's my understanding that IM/UnderGear hires professional models, through an agency, and pays standard industry hourly rates.

 

I'm not saying that the threat of a lawyer prevents consenting adults from doing what they do. It happens to be very common for an art director or marketing manager to have his or her favorite models, and hire them as often as possible. Friendships do take place and models will often give a free day to a client if it means more exposure in the finished product but that free day usually comes after 3 or 4 days of full paid work, and the free day is typically approved by the agent.

 

The pressure of sex-for-work is a blatant sign that the man who signs the checks is a stupid idiot who craves lawsuits. Print work for a professional model should never be confused with porn.

[instudiocity]

UG has adopted the horrible fashion of the three 3 day growth of stubble.

Geez, so has the rest of the world...

[instudiocity]

Typically, this is someone's fantasy.

 

In order to be considered "professional," models are required to be signed with an agency. All legit agencies are lawyered up, and they work overtime to protect reps and reputations. Clients would be insane to insist on sex for a paid job, and it's my understanding that IM/UnderGear hires professional models, through an agency, and pays standard industry hourly rates.

 

I'm not saying that the threat of a lawyer prevents consenting adults from doing what they do. It happens to be very common for an art director or marketing manager to have his or her favorite models, and hire them as often as possible. Friendships do take place and models will often give a free day to a client if it means more exposure in the finished product but that free day usually comes after 3 or 4 days of full paid work, and the free day is typically approved by the agent.

Yup... and art directors and creative types may flirt, BUT they've got a product to produce. If the models are difficult, or sex gets past appeal, EVERYONE knows and that model is out of future jobs... except for possibly his sex partner/director.

 

The pressure of sex-for-work is a blatant sign that the man who signs the checks is a stupid idiot who craves lawsuits. Print work for a professional model should never be confused with porn.

Yup!

[Epigonos]

I taught photography for years. During those years a number of my student, both male and female, attempted to break into the world of modeling. A few succeeded the vast majority did not. Most advertising agencies leave the selection of a model or models to the outside photographers they intend to use. There are usually shown photographs of the model or models the photographer plans to shoot and the agency people may certainly reject a potential model but they do NOT usually select the model themselves. Some photographers are straight and some are gay and they FREQUENTLY do expect sexual favors from their models. I don’t know of any photographer who “insisted” that the model have sex with him or her the first time they shot the model BUT “many” make it crystal clear that if the model wants to be used AGAIN he or she must grant favors. My former students who developed successful modeling career were very open about the fact that they willingly played the game to get the jobs.

[RockHard]

Gentlemen, know your facts...

 

Most advertising agencies leave the selection of a model or models to the outside photographers they intend to use. There are usually shown photographs of the model or models the photographer plans to shoot and the agency people may certainly reject a potential model but they do NOT usually select the model themselves.

I'm sorry to say that none of this is true. (At least, not the way it was presented.)

 

If a model is being contracted to represent a product, the product's manufacturer (the man or company who signs the check or signs the contract) has final say over model choice. There is a lot of money at stake when a company makes the decision to let a model's face (or body) represent their product. The buck and the responsibility (success or not) always stops at the desk of the man who signs a legal Work Order, approving the concept and the budget for production and usage.

 

Some manufacturers do not know anything about the modeling business or whose face means what to a consumer. These businesses will often employ outside ad agencies to produce their campaigns. In this instance, other players will have input over model choice but never will a photographer, art director, or any other outsider have final say over model choice. There will always be room for collaboration when a third-party producer is hired to produce an ad campaign but the person(s) from the company who signs the check (the client) always has final say.

 

In other words, an art director or a photographer can express a desire to work with a specific individual but these suggestions are always presented to a client for final approval, and their reasons for choosing a specific model have to be explained. No creative decision is made without company approval because professional advertising shoots are governed by legal contacts. In the end, if the client doesn't like the model choice, for whatever reason, all the other players either have to go back to the drawing board or present their Plan B.

 

No businessman, in his right mind, is going to pay the production costs of an ad campaign, for his product, and let any other individual make final decisions that could effect the company's bottom line. To be so careless and indifferent creates a recipe for professional suicide.

 

Keep in mind, I speak only for professional productions. There are tons of non-contracted shoots that go on in the photo industry. People have to make money to survive. One can find thousands of people who claim to be "models" and these people have never been signed to an agency and, most likely, never will be signed. These days, everyone who owns a cell phone camera is calling himself a photographer. My point is, when a legal contract governs all decisions, the client always has final say.