Emily Ratajkowski as a child
Emily was born into a complete family with mixed roots. Emilia's father, John David Ratajkowski , worked as an art teacher, was an artist and professed Catholicism. Mother, Kathleen Balgley, a writer who defended her professorial degree, adhered to Judaism. Her parents met while Kathleen was studying art with John in San Diego. Emily is the only and long-awaited child in the family, since she was born when her mother was 39 years old and her father was already 45.
Emrata was 5 years old when she and her parents moved to San Diego. After moving, her parents got jobs as teachers at the academy. Before this, the family lived in Bloomsbury, Kensington.
Emily Ratajkowski as a child photo
Ratajkowski grew up in Encinitas. As a child, she did not watch television because it was not available in their home environment. In her free time, she traveled with her parents and visited many cities in Europe: Bantry (Ireland), County Cork, on the island. Mallorca (Spain). Before starting her modeling career, the girl spent a long time in Ireland during the summer.
From an early age, Ratajkowski liked the theater. She attended ballet classes and performed in various performances.
Emily Ratajkowski at university
Childhood
The future supermodel was born on June 7, 1991, in London, Britain. She got such an interesting appearance thanks to a mixture of Polish, Jewish, Irish and German blood. Soon after her birth, the family moved to Encinitas, California, where the girl spent her entire childhood. Her parents are quite famous personalities: her father is a talented Polish artist, and her mother is a professor in the field of English and a modern writer.
Emily Ratajkowski as a child
As a young girl, Emily traveled often. She traveled throughout most of Europe, but many of the cities she visited did not become tourist destinations for her, but served as her new place of residence. So, for quite a long time the model lived in Bantry in Ireland and Mallorca in Spain.
Already at the age of 14, the girl was ready to boast of a contract with the famous Ford Models agency. At that time, she had to take classes in San Diego, and then go to Los Angeles to take new photos for the next advertising campaign or glossy magazine. Thus, the girl graduated from high school and even entered the University of California. However, Emily studied there for only a year, after which she finally decided to prioritize her modeling career.
Emily Ratajkowski in her youth
Emily Ratajkowski before she became famous
Emily started working with acting. As a child, she received the role of Elsa in the play, which was based on the work “ The Little Match Girl ” (H.H. Andersen). The production took place in California.
Ratajkowski graduated from high school. In 2009, I studied for only a year at the School of Arts and Architecture, that is, at the university. Soon, she began building a modeling career without graduating from university.
Emily Ratajkowski in the movie Disappeared
Emily Ratajkowski in the movie Gone Girl
Love story
At the beginning of 2021, the star married producer Sebastian Beer-McClard, whom she had only dated for a couple of weeks before the wedding. The actress explains her decision by the passion and great love that overtook her and Sebastian. The couple regularly posts hot home photos of the two of them, filled with care for each other.
Emily Ratajkowski model Emrata
Intelligent parents told Emily that the naked body is beautiful and nudity is not something criminal. Since her father was an artist and taught art, he introduced the girl to ancient Greek sculptures and photographs of significant personalities that had an erotic theme. Emily saw naked girls posing as models for her father. This influenced the future model: she learned the lesson of liberation and was not afraid to pose in the nude.
At the age of 14, she signed her first contract with the Ford modeling agency. Ratajkowski starred for Kohl's and Nordstrom while still studying at university. The girl was very lucky, since not all her peers were able to sign a contract with a famous agency at a young age.
Emily Ratajkowski figure without photoshop
Emily Ratajkowski figure without photoshop in bikini
Emily's body
Today Emily is a famous model, actress and international celebrity with a million-dollar body. Despite the fact that the girl regularly acts in films, her true passion is fashion. The Internet is full of hot pictures of models from advertising photo shoots and Instagram, which will take your breath away. But the portfolio of a professional model is filled not only with candid photographs.
Emily shoots for clothing and perfume advertisements and is a style icon watched by global fashion publications. Most of all, Ratajkowski adores his body. That’s why he regularly publishes photos on his blog.
Popularity
Emily received a share of fame - she was noticed by Tony Durand . She participated in several photo shoots with him. Her photos were published in several issues of Treats ! " Afterwards, many editors of erotic glossy magazines paid attention to Ratajkowski. She was offered photo shoots, and she agreed to cooperate. In 2012, Emily's photo graced the cover of the March issue of Treats! Then she appeared in a Carl's Jr commercial and collaborated with Nikon. Emily also managed to work with Jonathan Leder, for whom she posed nude when he created a photo album. She collaborated with Frederick's of Hollywood, advertising lingerie.
In 2013, she starred in “ Blurred Lines ,” a video created by Robin Thicke. The video itself was provocative, and Emily starred naked in it.
Emily was filming for a video for Maroon 5 . Afterwards, she worked as Bruce Weber. He photographed her for the cover of a glossy magazine.
Ratajkowski in Maroon 5 video
Erotic filming did not bother Ratajkowski at all, so she agreed to participate in them not even for the sake of money, but to reveal her potential. She posed nude for the Turkish and American versions of GQ magazine. Tony Kelly and Michael Thompson made her the heroine of this gloss. Ratajkowski’s photographs also graced the Sports Illustrated calendar.
Emily received 4th place in FHM's sexiest women on the planet, and then won the title of most desirable in 2014. She was included in Maxim's Hot 100.
In 2021, photos of the girl were included in one of the books without her consent. These piquant pictures had never been published anywhere before. In the same year, Emily writes an essay. It was published in Lenny and had a feminist theme. She posed nude on a horse for Harper's Bazaar and was a guest on the Project Runway show.
Emily Ratajkowski in Maxim magazine
Modeling career
- Height – 171 cm;
- Weight – 54 kg;
- Parameters – 85-65-86 cm.
Before signing a contract with a modeling agency, the girl dreamed of connecting her life with the acting industry. She even played in several plays, including The Little Match Girl and Harriet Potter and the Throne of Applewort. Noticing her potential for theatrical art, the model considered that acting in films was no more difficult, so she went to all kinds of tests and castings.
However, every time she was there they told her the same thing, that she was created only for the role of a “cheerleader girl” or a bitchy teenager.
Emily knew her capabilities, so she believed that she was capable of playing serious roles. But you need to start small. The girl agreed to unremarkable roles in two films, after which she was offered to play in the famous youth sitcom “iCarly”, where she appeared in the role of the girl Tasha. And even though Ratajkowski appeared in only three episodes, she is still confident that this series gave her the impetus to a real acting life.
Having signed a contract with Ford Models, the girl began an active modeling career. She was immediately offered cooperation by the famous youth brand Forever 21, as well as the brands Kohl and Nordstrom. Most often she was asked to take advertising photos in a swimsuit or underwear, but this did not bother the young beauty at all. Emily admits that since childhood she considered the naked body to be an absolutely normal phenomenon, so she does not hesitate to show it to other people, especially when the photo is taken by a professional photographer for a fashion magazine.
Emily Ratajkowski for Sports Illustrated
One of the talented photographers with whom she was able to work was Tony Duran. He photographed the model for several advertising campaigns, after which she began to be invited to fashion photo shoots in glossy publications. Thanks to Duran, the girl was noticed by the editors of the erotic magazine Treats! and was invited to a photo shoot. Both readers and editors liked the model so much that in 2012 she was invited to take several candid photos for the cover of this glossy magazine.
It was after cooperation with treats! the young model became even more popular and recognizable. She was appointed the face of an advertising campaign for the Carl's Jr brand, and she also worked with the famous company Nikon. However, Emily gained real success after she starred completely naked in the music video of singer Robin Thicke for the song “Blurred Lines.” The singer noticed the beauty in all her glory on the cover of an erotic gloss, after which he decided that she should become the heroine of his video at any cost.
Initially, the management of the YouTube video hosting site considered it too frank and unacceptable for its viewers, so it removed the video from the site. However, after some time it was returned to the rightful owner.
After the video was seen by the whole world, the girl became a new star of our time and understood in which direction she needed to move.
A completely naked Emily appeared on the main page of the men's edition of GQ. Professional photos for this magazine were taken by the talented photographer Tony Kelly. In addition, the model exposed herself for the Sports Illustrated calendar. According to fashion publications, Emily has been repeatedly called the new sex symbol and the most desirable girl of 2014.
Gallery is clickable
In 2014, continuing her acting career, she played a minor role in the film “Gone Girl.” In 2015, she appeared in the drama 128 Heart Beats Per Minute. Her partner on the set was actor Zac Efron.
In 2021, Emily never ceased to surprise and delight fans with her participation in new interesting projects. For example, in March of this year she was invited to become the main character in an advertising campaign for a jewelry brand. Of course, there was some light erotica too. In the photo, the girl exposed her breasts and decorated her décolleté with all sorts of items, including a necklace, a choker and chains.
In many interviews, the model claims that she is a hostage to her sexy appearance. This is because because of this she is not given serious roles in films and the modeling industry.
Ratajkowski became famous thanks to her filming in the video and achieved that 4 years later she was invited to a music video to promote the artist. Our compatriot Dima Bilan flew to Los Angeles to shoot a romantic video for the song “Indivisible” with Emily. The girl, as in life, played the role of a model, and the singer played the role of a timid photographer.
In the summer of 2021, the model took part in a candid photo shoot for the fashion glossy Harper's Bazaar. According to the photographer's plan, she was supposed to transform into Lady Godiva and ride a white horse completely naked. Her body was covered only by curls of hair.
The summer was also marked by collaboration with the Amore & Sorvete brand. The girl became the face of the new line of swimsuits for 2016-17.
Emily is already so used to taking photos in a swimsuit that without much effort she can make a “candy” out of any frame. Even while on vacation and relaxing with her mother, she continues to show off her half-naked body.
Emily Ratajkowski 2016
2021 was not complete without new products in the field of cinema. Emily got one of the main roles in the Netflix comedy television series Easy. The series consists of eight episodes, each of which is a separate life story.
In 2021, Emily plans to continue modeling and acting in films. For example, next year the film “In the Dark” is planned for release, in which the girl got one of the main roles.
In addition, in February 2021, there will be an exhibition of nude photos of Emily, which she took back in 2012. These pictures have not been published anywhere before.
Emily Ratajkowski nude 2017
Emily Ratajkowski actress
From adolescence, the girl began to take part in various auditions and castings. She was constantly asked to play the bitchy thing. The first episodic game took place in “Andrew's Change,” a short film.
She received a small role in 2005 – the series “ Year and Day ”. She played Tasha in iCarly. In 2013, the model played in a short film of minor significance.
By 2014, Emily had received a more significant role in the film industry. She played Andy in Gone Girl, the lover of the main character.
In 2015, she starred in cameo roles in Entourage and Trophies Before Dying . She appeared as Sophie in the film 128 Heartbeats per Minute . In 2016, she played in “ Simply Simple .” She starred in “ Indivisible ” - Bilan’s video, which received many views on YouTube and VK.
Emily Ratajkowski in Dima Bilan's video
Movies
Ratajkowski dreamed of acting in films. At a young age, she even took part in several performances and realized that she liked it. The girl went to castings and screen tests, but everywhere she heard the same thing: you can only act in the role of a bitchy teenager.
Emily felt that she was capable of more and did not give up. Ratajkowski first played a supporting character in the short film Andrew's Change because she had to start somewhere. In 2005, the actress starred in a cameo in the TV series “A Year and a Day.”
Then the artist was offered the role of Tasha in the sitcom iCarly, where the American model appeared in 3 episodes. Emily believes that it was the sitcom that became the impetus for her future acting career. The film is about 13-year-old Carly (Miranda Cosgrove), who decided to create her own channel on the Internet, where she posted clips of schoolchildren filmed at home.
Kim Kardashian vuelve a posar topless pero ahora junto a Emily Ratajkowski: https://goo.gl/kDsMte
Posted by Harper's Bazaar En Español on Friday, April 1, 2016
Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski
In the second half of the 2000s, Emily plunged headlong into the modeling business. “Project Runway” was released with Ratajkowski’s participation, where the girl took a place among competitors advertising the products of 12 designers who entered into a battle among themselves for the main prize - $100 thousand to promote their own fashion business. The author of the show was the world-famous supermodel Heidi Klum. After each round, one participant was eliminated.
The next time Emily appeared on screen was in 2013 in an insignificant short film, but a year later she gave fans a meeting in the full-length thriller “Gone Girl,” where she played the heroine Andie Fitzgerald, the protagonist’s mistress. The leading actor, Ben Affleck, invited to participate in the film. The film was received positively by film critics and audiences and grossed $370 million.
A year later, Emily played herself in the comedy Entourage about actor Vince (Kevin Connolly) and friends who challenge Hollywood. At the same time, the model appeared in the cast of the mini-series “Trophies Before Death,” a comedy about jazz musicians of the 50s. With the participation of Ratajkowski, the musical drama “128 Heart Beats Per Minute” was also released, where the actress played the main character Sophie, the friend of DJ Cole (Zac Efron).
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A post shared by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata)
The figure of Emily Ratajkowski in a swimsuit
In 2016, Emily Ratajkowski played in the comedy series “As Easy as Easy” about the experiments of young friends living in Chicago. In the same year, she visited Russia to film Dima Bilan’s video “Indivisible”.
The actress starred in the thriller “In the Dark” (“The Invisible Man”) about the blind pianist Sofia (Natalie Dormer), who becomes an accidental witness to a murder. Filming took place on the streets of London for just 3 weeks. There are no studio shots in the film - the indoor takes were filmed in real buildings.
Ratajkowski’s 2018 was marked by his work in the film “The Perfect Trap.” Together with Aaron Paul, the star played the main role. And in the 2019 project “The Art of Deception,” Theo James played Emily’s on-screen lover.
Emily's career 2017-2018
The model released her own line of swimsuits “ Inamorata ”.
The model's acting career began to develop rapidly. In 2021, she plays roles in the films: “ Cruise ”, “ Lies and Theft ”, “ Pretty all over ” (the role of Mallory), “ In the Dark ”, “ Welcome Home ”.
Emily Ratajkowski in the movie Full of Beauty
Model career
The phyto girl's parents belonged to bohemians and instilled in their daughter a sense of beauty. The naked body is a symbol of harmony and perfection. The girl became acquainted with classical sculptures of Ancient Greece and erotic photo shoots of Herb Ritt and Helmut Newton. As a child, Emily often met naked models in her father's art studio and visited nudist Spanish beaches with her relatives.
The start of Emrata's modeling career turned out to be very successful. At the age of 14, the international modeling agency Ford Models signed a commercial contract with the girl. Fitonyasha perfectly knew how to show herself from a favorable angle. The need to be naked for filming in lingerie did not frighten me at all. For Emily, nudity is a norm that cannot be embarrassed or ashamed, especially in works taken by professional photographers. The beauty represented the brands Forever 21, Kohl and Nordstrom.
The result of Ratajkowski's close collaboration with photographer Tony Duran was of interest to erotic gloss publishers. In 2012, the actress exposed herself for the first time in men's periodicals. Emrata's hot photos grace the cover of the March issue of Treats!. Candid photo shoots increased the popularity and demand of the model. She was invited to star in an advertising campaign for the fast food chain Carl's Jr.
Sports Illustrated magazine invited a fashion model to shoot an erotic calendar. The collaboration with the lingerie brand Frederick's of Hollywood and DKNY turned out to be productive. At the awards ceremony for representatives of the modeling business in Los Angeles, she was awarded the “Model of the Year” award.
The girl collaborated with the outrageous photographer Jonathan Leder. In 2021, the erotic photo album Unseen Ratajkowski: The Luxury Edition was published without Emrata's permission.
Emily Ratajkowski and Sebastian Beer her husband
But, suddenly in 2021, Ratajkowski and Sebastian Bear-McClard got married . He is an actor and producer. This wedding was not announced in the press in advance, but took place in February. The couple's wedding took place after a two-month affair at City Hall in New York. The celebration was modest, only close friends and pug dog Emily were present. She put on a suit that was mustard colored and included trousers and a jacket. Soon, the newlyweds made their first public appearance together at the Independent Spirit ceremony, although they themselves did not receive or were nominated for awards.
Emily also has an official Instagram account with a large number of followers.
Emily Ratajkowski and Sebastian Beer her husband
Personal life
Despite her young age, Emily has already managed to attract attention with several novels. 1It is known that in 2013 she began a warm relationship with creative director Andrew Dryden. Unfortunately, they were not a couple for long, and already in February 2014, for unknown reasons, the model and director broke up.
Emily Ratajkowski with Andrew Dryden
2However, Emily Ratajkowski did not suffer for long from the breakup with her ex-boyfriend, and a few months later it became known about her new romance with musician Jeff Magid.
Emily Ratajkowski and Jeff Magid
Emily Ratajkowski on Instagram: @emrata
Emily Ratajkowski: “I don’t regret the image I created, but I made mistakes”
“Maybe let’s do it on video?” – just a few weeks ago I could not imagine such an offer from the subject of the interview. But thanks to the coronavirus, now Zoom calls have become part of the routine, and a few words are exchanged not face to face, but from lens to lens. And here I am, in full dress, sitting in front of the screen and chatting with 28-year-old Emily Ratajkowski, who seems to be doing everything from modeling to writing (but more on that later).
You yourself know the devastating effect the pandemic has had on all industries. Print media also suffered: imagine, no more personal interviews and filming. But the creative industry couldn’t just go into hibernation, so we had to look for new solutions. Although we decided even before the lockdown that Emily Ratajkowski would appear in this issue of GQ, by the time the quarantine began, neither the shooting nor the interview were ready.
Luckily, Emily is a content goddess who knows everything about visuals. She didn't need a huge team to organize the shoot. The photographs published in the magazine were taken by Ratajkowski's husband - without leaving home, right in the midst of COVID-19. However, the interview, frankly speaking, was a success.
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Well, welcome to this strange world where Zoom rules the roost...
Oh yes, this is really very strange. You're in London, right?
Yes, and you're in New York. How is the situation there?
My husband and I are still thinking about running away from here. My parents live in California. Everyone understands that there is no point in traveling now. But perhaps a little later we will be able to get out there. After all, New York is the epicenter. Although you know, the liquor store near my house is still open. I live in Tribeca, and it's pretty quiet and peaceful.
What are you doing during quarantine? Just don’t rub salt into the wound: I still have two children.
Nowadays, parents need to be given a medal. No, I'm serious. My friend and I once agreed to drink wine over FaceTime. She has a nine-year-old daughter who needed help with her homework, then put her to bed. And she still couldn’t sleep: every now and then she would come into the room with a question like “Mom, what are you doing?” Just an illustration for a booklet on birth control.
You are sitting in isolation with your husband ( producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, who worked on “Uncut Diamonds” with Adam Sandler and “Good Time” with Robert Pattinson. - Ed. ). How has family life affected your worldview?
It's quite fun to be in quarantine when you're married. I think many marriages will break up after this. But my husband and I have a strong partnership. I think I learned a lot from them.
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How do you cope with anxiety and stress?
This is probably the hardest thing: seeing threats everywhere. The number of cases is growing, I know people who have tested positive, but have no symptoms yet. I think what worries people is not even the disease itself, but the unknown: no one knows when it will end.
You are at the head of the Inamorata clothing brand. How has coronavirus affected business?
In general, we are very proud that most of our production is not in China, but the factories in Los Angeles, as well as in Brazil, are closed. We try to carefully think through each subsequent step. It’s good that we interact directly with the buyer; in this sense, the business was ready for shocks. We have sales. But considering that in January we moved to a new office and hired two more employees, the situation, frankly speaking, is not fabulous. We usually release collection updates every two to three weeks, but things are different now. You have to improvise a lot.
In general, for a business where there is a lot of improvisation, you are quite successful.
I don't have serious business experience. My father is a teacher, my mother is a writer, and all my relatives are either doctors or lawyers. And no one who would run a successful business. I am, of course, not the first entrepreneur in the family, but one of the first. Typically, brands would pay me for content that would promote their product. I signed a couple of contracts with major brands, for which I received a small but decent percentage of the profits. “Since I earn so much, then the companies must be doing very well,” I thought. As soon as I posted a photo, I was bombarded with questions about what I was wearing and where to buy it.
At some point, I realized that it would be complete madness to continue to work only for others without trying to do something of my own.
Launching a brand, growing up - how has all this helped you deal with criticism?
As people age, they find their true selves, especially women. Usually you can figure out who you are, what you want to do and what you can give to the world while you are between 20 and 30. As a rule, at this time people have a private life, which I, for example, did not have. But that's okay too. I'm used to the fact that all my actions are evaluated by many people. What you see on the Internet is not my whole life. Sometimes people feel like they know absolutely everything about me. “Yes, we know what kind of dog you have,” “we saw your husband,” and so on. But this is not the real me. And I'm proud that I was able to defend myself and figure out who the hell I am.
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I heard you started writing.
I'm working on a collection of essays. There are only about 10 of them, but I try to make each one perfect. This is one of my main activities in isolation. And this is the advantage of quarantine. I have about 160 pages of draft written, with comments from my agent. All I needed was to concentrate properly. I promised myself that in April I would ask everyone to leave me alone until I finished. You see for yourself how it turned out.
Is this fiction?
No. I would say it's a memoir, but I added reflections on politics. I reason based on my experience as a model - the parallel is that I also monetized my image, but became its victim . This is not easy to analyze. Plus, I'm looking at this from a feminist perspective, looking for answers that I may never have.
Where do you write in self-isolation?
The best thoughts come to mind before bed. I write them down in notes on my phone – it’s like a stream of consciousness. And the next morning I re-read it - and if I’m lucky, some of it looks meaningful. Then I start drafting.
I’m writing something creepy, but I’m thinking to myself: “This is just terrible! Why are you even doing this?”
But this is the only way the first version is born. The next day I re-read everything again, and it turns out that not everything is so bad. Then I edit the text and work on the overall structure. It’s a constant struggle and dissatisfaction with yourself: editing is exhausting, you don’t get any bonuses for it. But I like it. And yes, the book is very disciplined: I feel much more responsibility than if I had to write a blog post or a school essay.
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Do you regret the image you created around yourself?
I don't think "regret" is the right word. As a young woman, I came to understand myself and my values a certain way, which included many mistakes. I don’t regret the image I created, but if you ask me if I made mistakes, I’ll say yes. True, it is still unclear how much of this is my fault.
Do you feel like you had enough guidance at the beginning of your career, at 17 or 18?
They didn't direct me at all. I feel like I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Our culture places so much emphasis on fame and beauty that these things are blinding.
Especially when you're 20 years old. At the same time, I learned a lot of lessons. It’s unlikely that I would be where I am if it weren’t for all this experience. I am still exploring myself because there is no one truth. The only advice I can give to young girl models is to trust your intuition and know your worth .
Very often, beautiful or open people find themselves hostage to their image. Haven't you had this?
In my case, modeling was not a way to show off, I was just making money to survive. Thanks to this profession I have stability. Fame is also wonderful. It’s not that I want to be famous (although probably every 20-year-old girl thinks about it). At one time I was very embarrassed by people’s reaction to my activities. I heard: “You can’t do this.” This is how I learned that sexism and misogyny are alive, because many people cannot comprehend how a girl with a certain appearance can talk about politics or read books. But this is simply ridiculous.
I remember giving an interview a few years ago. When it came out, I read that the journalist told his girlfriend about our conversation, and she responded: “Do you really believe that she could read all this?” Pure sexism. In our time, this would not work. This just goes to show how deep the perception problems with women are. It happens that I myself catch myself thinking such thoughts. Tell me, have you read Demi Moore's memoirs?
Yes, I read it.
I realized that I had prejudices against Demi. I was a little dismissive of her because she's an actress, because she has such an amazing body, because she's sexy. Yeah, that's Emily Ratajkowski telling you, what irony . I'm just giving an example of how deep misogyny can run.
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You are increasingly drawn to politics - at least you express great support for Bernie Sanders. In addition, information is now emerging that the impact of COVID-19 on the economy could seriously undermine Donald Trump’s chances in the election race.
Honestly, that would be great. Now they are finally talking about what Bernie Sanders has been saying for years. Those who have always argued that socialism is evil have an increasingly worse attitude towards the current government. Still, I think there is some truth to the claim that Trump is a “war president.” People are scared. It’s too early to talk about anything and put forward hypotheses, but I’m not at all sure that the Trump era has come to an end . Everything may turn out differently.
As an average New Yorker, what do you think of Trump's plan to get everyone back to work? Is it too soon?
I think we're all afraid of a lot of things right now. The pandemic has triggered a domino effect. I'm grateful that I don't have to live from paycheck to paycheck, but I understand that many people live like this - and it's terrifying. The situation is very difficult. On the one hand, there are risks to health, on the other – to the economy. But it is important that the virus has demonstrated what a fragile world we live in. Everything we have can fall apart in an instant. I hope our state will learn the right lessons from this.
Frankly, I am horrified that America could still vote for someone like Donald Trump.
It doesn't scare me that much, and that's why many of my "leftist" friends hate me.
I think the election and re-election of Trump is a reaction to too moderate policies.
It’s like with Brexit: you can leave everything as it is, in the center, or vote and go to the right. Keep in mind that the reality of most ordinary people is the questions “how can I feed my children?” or “how to pay the rent?” They care little about the rights of trans people; they solve the problem of their own survival. They will not vote for a politician who says: “We will leave everything as it is, we will gradually move forward.” That's why I think Bernie is so important - he offers a more radical left-wing ideology. The problem of 99% versus 1% (the theory according to which the 1% of the richest people on Earth own 99% of the values. - Ed.) will not go away after the pandemic, the gap between rich and poor will only increase. The collapse of the economy will only contribute to this.
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When did you first hear about Bernie Sanders?
I talked about this on Michael Moore's podcast. All these radical thoughts started creeping into my head when I went to college. Education is very expensive. I studied at the University of California for a year, my main specialty was art. Luckily, I was able to pay for my studies because I worked as a model. The reason I dropped out was simple - modeling brought me a lot more money, the financial prospects were not comparable to what I would have received if I graduated with a huge student debt and returned to my parents. This was the first call. And then I learned about the Occupy movement, where I became inspired by the idea that capitalism might not be the best model for everyone.
Were you sold on Barack Obama's vision?
I supported him. Those elections were the first in which I took part. I worked for the school newspaper covering this. I remember when he won, I cried with happiness, my parents cried. But over time, Obama's policies became more and more moderate, and this greatly disappointed me. Then Hillary showed up. I looked at her and thought, “Okay, here’s our next president.” Like everyone else, I was absolutely sure of this, there was not the slightest doubt. The Republicans were in a bit of a mess, we had the number one candidate.
The first black leader of the state was to be followed by the first woman, so we thought.
But to be completely honest, even then there was something that confused me about Clinton’s policies, especially regarding women. I definitely wasn't a fan. But when Bernie appeared, I realized that this was it. I took part in the 2016 campaign, and that's when I met Senator Sanders. Since this all started.
Did you feel like you had to vote for Hillary just because she's a woman?
There is no point in making a woman president just because of gender. For example, I wouldn't vote for Sarah Palin. We need someone who takes women's interests into account. I can say that the 2016 election was wild, but now Bernie is back and I'm excited about that.
Do you consider yourself a socialist?
I don't think I can call myself that. It seems to me that people are too afraid of the concept of "socialism" for no particular reason. I think capitalism is much more dangerous. In my mind, Bernie is not concerned with the enrichment of a small group of individuals, but with the overall quality of life. He stands for progress. Many consider him radical - but can you outdo Trump here? And in general, “radical” is simply someone who gets straight to the point and simplifies things.
I don't think Trump's right-wing views can be defeated by a moderate.
We need someone to counterbalance, radical on the other political pole.
Well, but then there is only one question: can a decent person win?
I don’t know, I try not to think in such categories. Everyone was sure that Trump would lose, and look what happened. Back then, people generally wondered whether the Republicans would survive the election. So anything is possible, don’t you think?
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First published on the British GQ website.
