Open Letter

I have something to say about Lohan on and IN the new Purple Magazine, as most of you might.

So the defense for Lohan appearing on the cover donning herself a martyr in Ann Demeulemeester (well played stylist):

"We chose Lindsay to model for us in spite of this hypocritical controversy because we appreciate her for who she is -- not just for her glamour, but because she's so sexy, she lives for nightlife, and she knows how to dress for the world that watches her. She's fearless, opinionated, and is maybe the sex icon of her generation. She's a talented actress with a skill honed from her 20 years in front of the camera, starting at age three.

We --Terry Richardson and I [Oliver Zahm]-- also love Lindsay because she incarnates the reality of glamour -- as much a realm of darkness as of light. She lives in two worlds, on and off the stage all day every day. On stage she's a trained veteran. Off stage she has to cope with an exaggereated solitude, out of the light, fending off success seekers, the paparazzi, the enticements of men (including her father), the rejections by women. And she has to deal with the problems of intoxication that stem from all of this -- those which ripen off stage in reaction to the intoxication of being on stage.

It's no wonder she empathizes with Marilyn Monroe, also a controversial actress of her time, a preeminent sexual icon with drug problems. With glamour comes both darkness and light. Think of Mariyln in The Misfits or Isabella Rossellini singing "Blue Velvet" in David Lynch classic of same name: a woman escaping madness, obsession, and her own private chaos to transfigure perfection and beauty herself."

pg. 64 Purple Fashion, Issue 13 Spring Summer 2010

I won't bother to picture Lohan, tear her apart or deconstruct this line of bullshit line by line.

I'll point out what they did right here.

About the only they got right here is the obsession media has on sucking the life force out of beautiful, young, troubled women. Calling it out is not escaping it, fellas. You didn't break down any walls here. This is blatant and disgusting exploitation of an obviously troubled young person in the media. The big reveal in the editorial is exposing the lack of her personal well being. (her body damage) And for that, I find it disgusting to hang gorgeous frocks on a body full of pain.

I wish her well.

But damn the proliferation of profiting from pain. Especially woman's pain.

In fashion, the bad comes with the good. And now on with the good...