The Devil sent me a message

[ed_rex]

Note: Forgive me — and please tell me! — if this is a second posting of the same entry. I can't see the original when I check my own account, yet I am still able to edit it. Do you folks see one version of this post, or two?

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Pardon me, sir, but that's a beautiful baby you have; can I interest you in exploiting her for $$$money$$$?"

Truth is, I started my daddy blog with at least half an eye on the idea of, somehow, earning some income through it. Hence the Ko-Fi link below most of the articles, though so far, that has netted me precisely zero coffees; between that and the lack of sales on Black Grass (the ebook version of which is currently on sale at the low, low price of only $3.99!), I'm kind of wondering whether I'm cut out for making money through anything but manual labour.

But I digress.

Will this be the photo that launches a fashion career?

Yesterday, I posted the above photo to my Instagram account and today saw the following comment:

What a darling! 😍 We'd love to have this little munchkin to represent our brand. If interested, DM our main account @jenorababies for the details. Make sure to tell them CASSIE sent you."

Now I'd be lying if I told you that Raven and I haven't already, if only somewhat idly, already thought of looking into baby modelling. We know we have an exceptionally cute baby on our hands, and earning (or should I say "earning") some extra money to toss into her education fund doesn't, on the surface, seem such a bad thing.

But we never seriously looked into it other than, on my part, checking DuckDuckGo for modelling agencies in Ottawa. There are some. I never made a call or sent an email.

But now I've been approached and must ponder the matter anew.

On the one hand, I have a long-held loathing for the fashion industry: its labour practices are often (usually?) horrendously exploitative of "Third World" labour and its marketing exploits and creates body insecurities and encourages pointless over-consumption, to name just a few of its sins off the top of my head.

But on the other hand, we live in a brutally exploitative society, and we will soon be a one-income family once Raven's maternity leave ends; we aren't poor, but we are far from rich and so the thought of extra money we can set aside for Baobao's future is tempting indeed. (And for that matter, while I worry about my scruples, I have to face the fact that, for nearly a full decade, my day job has been in the transportation industry, aiding and abetting airlines, despite my fucking terror of what global warming holds in store for my darling daughter's future.)

So here I am ... should I ignore the message or respond? What do you think, hive-mind?

Comments

[silverflight8]

This did double-post.

I have no idea how profitable those approaches are. I feel like a lot of people try to make it in social media as influencers (as I suppose they would use pictures of Baobao) and I have no idea how much money is in there for the vast majority of people who try (guessing - almost nothing).

I have no advice, lol. Sorry!

I'm running blind too

[ed_rex]

I have no idea what kind of money (if any) would be involved either. I haven't responded yet, and am still not sure I'm going to — though I am curious to know just what's on the table.

I feel like a lot of people try to make it in social media as influencers (as I suppose they would use pictures of Baobao) ...

I probably wasn't clear enough. The message came from a clothing company (https://jenoraboutique.com/), albeit one I had never before heard of before, and they want her to model their clothes for them.

The more I think about it, the more I think it likely we'll decline, but I'll probably "DM" them to find out just what it is they're asking. (I might also suggest they hire me to fix the English on their website, but that's another thing altogether.)

Re: I'm running blind too

[silverflight8]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with selling images of yourself for money. I think you and Raven are careful and obviously care more about Baobao than the money. Probably when she gets a bit older you'll want to stop so she can decide if she wants to not do that, but the main horror stories are from stage parents who are out to use their kids for money instead of getting money for the kid.

Re: I'm running blind too

[ed_rex]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with selling images of yourself for money.

Thanks for that. My brain agrees with you, though my knee still jerks against it. (Reminds me of a time back when I was 17 and had just moved into a house with some friends from school - yes, a different world, 1981 - and someone knocked on our door wondering if we would be willing to rent him our parking space behind the house. I argued that, since we weren't using it anyway, we should just let me him have it, gratis. This, despite the fact most of us were very poor, surviving on student welfare. And yet, if memory serves, my hippy-like argument won the day, and buddy got a free parking space in downtown Toronto. But I digress.)

I think you and Raven are careful and obviously care more about Baobao than the money.

I don't think I'm being too bold in agreeing that, yes, we are and do. :)

In any event, I finally wrote back yesterday, and got back a form note asking me to follow their company while answering precisely zero of my questions. Next!