Her Campus Media held a press conference with Emily Ratajkowski on Oct. 7 to speak about her latest book, My Body. While the book was originally published in October 2021, the press conference celebrated the release of a paperback version on Sept. 13, 2022. After a swift rise to fame in 2013 as a model, Ratajkowski has gone on to speak out against the institutional power and sexualization that men use to shame and control women within our society. In her debut book My Body, Ratajkowski recounts some of the most pivotal events in her life while shining light on the sexism and fetishization that men often inflict upon women.
Ratajkowski rose to prominence after staring in Robin Thicke’s music video for the controversial song “Blurred Lines” in 2013. Ratajkowski subsequently established a career as a model, actress, and now writer with numerous essays and My Body under her belt.
Ratajkowski has long spoken about the sexualization she has faced during her career. Working as a model, she often found herself in situations where she was objectified for her body. With the recent political turmoil surrounding women’s bodies in the United States, Ratajkowski noted at the conference, “I don’t think a woman’s body will ever be non-political.”
Ratajkowski has released personal essays in the past discussing her experience with sexual abuse and sexualization in the modeling industry. During the press conference, she mentioned that during the writing process, she realized that she’s long blamed herself for events that have happened to her in her past.
“When I was writing [My Body], I was determined to find self-blame,” she said. “I think a lot of people talk about writing their story because they needed to, but for me it was a little bit of the feeling of, ‘How did I get to this place in my life?’ I kind of realized, ‘Woah, you’re just looking to blame yourself.’”
It’s no secret that the modeling and fashion industries can be quite controversial, and Ratajkowski spoke about how the public often sees these fields in a misconceived light. “At its core, fundamentally, what it does is problematic,” she said, adding that there’s not much protection for the young women working in the field.
With no work union implemented to ensure protection for working models, Ratajkowski stated that she “still thinks that there needs to be more regulation in the industry,” something that she doesn’t “think many people know” is lacking.
Ratajkowski also shared her plans to not work in the fashion and modeling industry as a long-term career, leaving us wondering: What does she want to pursue next? Her massive social media presence has allowed her to connect with fans all over the world, racking up 29.6 million followers on Instagram and 2.8 million on TikTok. Like her exploration in My Body, Ratajkowski has found great comfort on TikTok, showing off a side of her personality the public hadn’t seen thus far.
Her community on TikTok was sparked by a need for connection with her fans. “There was no way for me to really connect [on Twitter and Instagram],” she said, adding, “I just decided that I love going off and making these videos and sharing my thoughts [on TikTok].” The cultural relevance of the platform is something that Ratajkowski proclaimed she was truly grateful for.
Approaching the one-year anniversary of the release of My Body, Ratajkowski has had time to reflect on the growth she’s made as an individual and a new mom. She said the biggest lesson she’s learned was, “Trust your gut, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
Giving birth to her son in March 2021 has allowed Ratajkowski to appreciate all that her body is. In what she named her favorite passage from the book, Ratajkowski reflected on a memory of riding her bike with her former partner and best friend after she realized she was pregnant. In those moments, Ratajkowski felt a power and gratitude for her body that she hadn’t detected before.
When asked what advice she would give to an early twentysomething contemplating their life, Ratajkowski said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She shared that she was extremely critical of herself in her early 20s as well, but urged her audience to not dwell on the past. “That is life. [Making mistakes] is how you grow up,” she concluded.