# Is there a job on earth more worthless than fashion modeling? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549 "2003-11-16T14:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/21 "2003-11-16T16:32:18Z")
How about a news reporter. What is their point of existing? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/22 "2003-11-16T16:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bruce\_Daddy \* > \*\*Construction site stop sign flipper. \*\* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I spent three days doing that job one summer back in college. But it gets worse. They didn’t need me to flip the sign. They just needed me to hold it with the SLOW side facing oncoming traffic. Within an hour I was bored out of my fucking skull. When I asked why they needed an actual human being rather than, say, a metal stand to stick the sign in, one guy said he thought it was state law, and another guy said nuh-uh, it was definitely union rules. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/23 "2003-11-16T16:41:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Drastic \* > \*\*Pretty worthless, sure. But I still vote for telemarketer. > > Certainly, it’s not a job that correlates with wealth, but I drive it upwards because I’ve never had fashion models demand the right to use my home for a show. \*\* I _wish_! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/24 "2003-11-16T17:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by runner pat \* > \*\*How about those who DESIGN the clothes? \*\* Every time my magazine refers to a “designer outfit,” I stroll into the fashion director’s office and remind her that _every outfit is a designer outift_. No matter what they look like, someone designed them, they didn’t occur naturally, like fungus. By the way, she never listens to me. I should accept the word of a fashion director who has been seen wearing _gray_ with _beige?_ ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/25 "2003-11-16T18:04:38Z")
Meh, a similar argument could be made for professional athletes. All they do is play kid’s games and make other grown men conscious of their bulging guts and lack of physical coordination and conditioning. On the whole, I’d rather look at fashion models. CEOs of major corporations usually get paid enormous sums of money for either driving their companies into bankruptcy (c.f. Enron’s Ken Lay) or selling their company to a vast conglomerate, thereby cashing in on their stock options (c.f. the boards of Fleet Bank). Usually while laying off thousands of workers and moving jobs overseas. So given that fashion models are at worst, contributing nothing to the economy as opposed to actively destroying it, I’d say there are plenty of more worthless jobs. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/26 "2003-11-16T18:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by herman\_and\_bill \* > \*\*How about a news reporter. What is their point of existing? \*\* I’m gonna go with…to report the news? 😉 My vote goes for those people who stand on street corners around here waving signs for new housing developments. They just stand there all day listening to their headphones, waving signs. I don’t think a time has gone by that I haven’t passed them and thought to myself “what a ridiculously pointless and boring job…” ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/27 "2003-11-16T19:23:17Z")
**Remember, for every Supermodel there’s 100 showroom or catalog models who make a crappy salary for a short period of time and are never allowed to eat.** You say that like it’s a _bad_ thing 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/28 "2003-11-16T19:53:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*“As if the entire concept of ‘fashion’ wasn’t revolting enough…” \*\* Amen. The “fashion” concept only fuels prejudice of wealth, personal style, and body image. It’s sickening, but there’s money in it. What sickens me the most, is that most people who consider themselves fashionable will be disgusted with what they wore years ago, because it’s now “out of style”. Some may even despise what they wore six months ago. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/29 "2003-11-16T20:01:01Z")
On the other hand, fitness models, as long as they don’t hang on the muscles of some roid rager, and instead stand on their own, are very worthwhile. The great part about them is that many of them are not fashionally vain. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/30 "2003-11-16T20:08:41Z")
No question, it’s the letter-flipper job at The Wheel of Fortune. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, the WOF producers could at least _pretend_ that since someone needed to flip the letters, she might as well be a size 2 blonde model donning an evening gown and 4 inch heels. But ever since they’ve gone electronic, the can’t even pretend any more. She serves absolutely no function other than to provide eye candy now. Had she any self respect she would have quit once they defrocked her of her letter turning duties. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/31 "2003-11-16T20:09:26Z")
> [@](#): > > said\*\* Bruce\_Daddy\*\*: > Construction site stop sign flipper. During one of the three years I worked for the PA Dept of Transportation (Penn DOT) I was a stop sign flipper. It may seem pointless to you, but when you’re driving in your car through one of those construction zones, it’s up to the stop sign flipper to make sure that there are no cars coming in the opposite direction through the one open lane. Point of sign flipper: Safety. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/32 "2003-11-16T20:23:05Z")
Recreation therapist. The sole purpose of this job is to take disabled people to the movies, shopping, theatre… wherever. Talk about a worthless use of time… ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/33 "2003-11-16T20:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Krisfer the Cat \* > \*\*Recreation therapist. The sole purpose of this job is to take disabled people to the movies, shopping, theatre… wherever. Talk about a worthless use of time… \*\* I sure hope that’s a _whoosh_. There’s a hell of a lot of good being done by a recreation therapist. I can’t think of a single positive effect fashion models have on anyone, not even themselves. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/34 "2003-11-16T21:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Finagle \* > \*\* CEOs of major corporations usually get paid enormous sums of money for either driving their companies into bankruptcy (c.f. Enron’s Ken Lay) or selling their company to a vast conglomerate, thereby cashing in on their stock options (c.f. the boards of Fleet Bank). Usually while laying off thousands of workers and moving jobs overseas. \*\* That’s a bit simplistic. For every Ken Lay or Bernie Ebbers, there are also guys like [Jim Goodnight of SAS](http://www.businessleader.com/bl/nov99/cover.html),[James Sinegal](http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_38/b3800003.htm), [Joseph Neubauer](http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_38/b3800018.htm) and [Aaron Feuerstein](http://www.aish.com/societyWork/work/Aaron_Feuerstein_Bankrupt_and__Wealthy.asp). You just don’t hear about these guys nearly as much as the scandal-makers, but they’re out there. Being CEO is basically getting paid to make decisions- decisions that affect all the stakeholders in a corporation. This includes employees, shareholders, the local community, your suppliers, your customers, the local government, etc… Generally speaking, the top three are your shareholders, employees and customers. Different companies rate those three differently though- some companies are very employee driven, some are very customer driven and others are very shareholder driven. Being CEO is a tough job- very few decisions you make are going to make everyone happy, and most are going to piss one or more stakeholder groups off mightily. That’s why they get paid the big bucks- to make these decisions and be responsible for them. The real question in all this corporate malfeasance stuff is why the boards of directors weren’t keeping a closer leash on their CEOs? Ultimately the board is who decides on the performance of a CEO, and if the board is letting a CEO get away with crap, then it’s as much the board’s fault as the CEO’s. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/35 "2003-11-16T21:12:28Z")
I must disagree, whoosh or no whoosh. I used to BE a rec therapist, and there was a time I would have agreed entirely. Who needs to be SHOWN what to do for fun? Well, actually, there are a fair number of mentally or psychologically impaired persons who DO require some training in how to have fun. One chappie I can think of right off (fetal-alcohol syndrome, basically raised in isolation in an upstairs bedroom, 'cuz his folks were embarrassed that he existed) didn’t know there WAS anything to do for fun except television and masturbation. ---
**Author:** ![Bucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Bucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bucky)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/36 "2003-11-16T21:16:08Z")
Fashion desingers are more worthless than fashion models because they have negative value. Face it , “hot” designers actually often design clothing not intended to be worn. Advertisers, however, lead my list. Other than using sexism, racism, anti-intellectualism, consumerism, materialism, national chauvinism, fear, and lies to sell their prodcuts, their okay. Really, we could all manage to buy stuff without ads. Ads for prescription drugs, being the main cause of the recent skyrockets in costs, may be the worst. In other words, models are useless but mostly harmless tools. Fashion designers are actually evil in their promotion of sick body images. Advertisers will occupy a special circle of Hell. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/37 "2003-11-16T21:17:17Z")
How about astronomers? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/38 "2003-11-16T21:18:30Z")
What I wanted to add to that was “heck, I couldn’t even convince a bunch of Dopers that I was a useful member of society” ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/39 "2003-11-16T21:19:56Z")
English royalty. Pope. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549/40 "2003-11-16T21:23:30Z")
total hijack **Wang-ka** yer a MASTER now? And for sure you’ll be shunned with that low post count;) Hijack off Sorry I spent 5 weeks in rehab and have worked for 17 yrs in the school system dealing with disabled children… I stand by my opinion of rec therapy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-job-on-earth-more-worthless-than-fashion-modeling/213549.md?page=3)