On October 7th, Emily Ratajkowski joined Her Campus Media for an exclusive press conference via Zoom.
Emily Ratajkowski is a 31-year-old model, actress, writer, and engaged political progressive. The press conference focused on My Body, her bestselling debut novel released in October 2021.
My body
Ratajkowski’s novel reflects a work in progress as she navigates complex experiences with objectification, sexual assault, and capitalism throughout her life and career. She admits to the reader, “I’m still grappling with how I feel about sexuality and empowerment. The purpose of this book is not to arrive at answers, but to honestly explore ideas I can’t help but return to.”
Ratajkowski doesn’t try to mold her often-disturbing (yet chillingly relatable) experiences into a self-help book with a cheery ending and promises that everything’s going to get better. She understands the impossible contradiction of capitalizing on her body and its appeal to the male gaze while searching for true empowerment.
Although Ratajkowski doesn’t reach any conclusions, she declares to the reader, “I want more for myself. I will proclaim all of my mistakes and contradictions, for all the women who cannot do so, for all the women we’ve called muses without learning their names, whose silence we mistook for consent.“
press conference
Ratajkowksi opened up about everything to the Her Campus community— her love of coffee, politics, TikTok, being a single mom, and, of course, her book.
Beginning with the writing process, she said that My Body started out intended just for herself, stemming from “a real desire to make and create something.” But as the writing continued, “I kind of realized ‘woah, you are just looking to blame yourself!‘ That was really a release to figure out.”
For this reason, Ratajkowski’s writing process was more painful and self-enlightening than therapeutic. It wasn’t until her work started to reveal things about the larger world that Ratajkowski decided to pursue publication.
When asked about the effects of the book’s publication, Ratajkowski replied, “There was a lack of validation and respect for myself that I had, just working in the world as a body and as a commodity. I think that writing the book was the first time that I felt like I was really being seen.”
Modelling & Fashion
Ratajkowski talked about the problematic core of the fashion and modeling industry, saying, “I don’t care how much representation you have, racially, bodily, whatever— you’re still creating a beauty standard.” While this industry currently supports her financially, she hopes to move on to more writing projects— including fiction.
Ratajkkowski also brought up the issue of lack of unions for models, who are often young, underage, and vulnerable to exploitation. “There’s no protection for these young women,” she said.
When asked if she thought a women’s body would ever become non-political, Ratajkowski replied, “No.”
mental health
In another stand-out moment of the press conference, Ratajkowski spoke out about her struggles with mental health, including imposter syndrome and self-doubt. She admitted, “I feel too short to be a model, not educated enough to be a writer.”
Ratajkowski talked about the importance of both practicing gratitude and becoming aware of self-destructive patterns of thinking. She advised young people: “Don’t be so hard on yourself!” She continued to talk about how beating yourself down only makes it harder to become the person you want to become.
Conclusion
Just like many women, Ratajkowski is still learning, growing, and healing. I applaud the bravery required for her brutal honesty and self-contradictions. My Body reflects the complex experiences of a complicated person— but at the most stripped down level, it’s an unapologetic exploration of love, sexuality, and abuse.
Make sure to keep up with @emrata on social media, because she is announcing something exciting next week!
This article is part of a series, #FeministFriday, where Chloe Hummel seeks to highlight standout feminists making a difference in the world right now. Stay tuned!