This is a sponsored post for Kieran Stephens Designs (KSD). Find out what sponsored posts are here.
Before I get boobs deep into the post let me tell you that KSD has some items on sale. So, you know, you should go check that out because who doesn’t want a bargain!?
The images below have been kindly provided by Kieran Stephens Design.
Alright, on to the post. I’ve been trying to start this post for three days. Three. Days. Sometimes I want to say things but I get so worried that I am saying it wrong that I wind up not saying anything. Well, today we’re going to work on changing that. Let’s give this a go.
A few weeks ago, yes I am that slow, Kieran from KSD asked me if I knew of any models that were more diverse than me; thin, white and female. Not that there’s anything wrong with models who look like me. It's just that, well, in the world we live in there is a shift towards more diverse body types and less of a focus on structured gender roles.
Granted, not everywhere, but I like to pay attention to and look for more diverse models.
You see, Second Life is bursting with ideas and people living their virtual life as authentically as possible. We have whole areas dedicated to furries of all types and all kinds of play. There’s role play sims for nearly every type of species imaginable. There are sims for pretty much every fetish out there - there’s no denying these exist even if they’re a very small number. There are creative sims and artistic worlds, dedicated to creating wonderfully indulgent atmospheres. There are places for singers and builders and photographers. There are even locations for driving almost any kind of vehicle available!
Yet we still don’t see androgynous models, fat models, models of colour or disabled models. Of course, some of you will be able to point to examples of each of these, and for that I am grateful. However, the ads and images these models are in are not mainstream; by this I mean they’re not continually present in feeds, advertisements or any places Second Life images are usually found.
There are, of course, some concerns regarding diversity in our wonderful virtual world. For instance, it would probably not be the best idea to “put on” an androgynous avatar just for the sake of a picture. It becomes disingenuous and trivial, pandering to some unfortunate misunderstanding of what is being sought and asked for.
Instead, we’d need to find people within our virtual world who find their first and second lives are less separate, at least in regards to their virtual appearance!
So, I ask you dear resident of Second Life, would you be willing to accept more diversity of models in the type of advertisements you see?
Would you, as a consumer, welcome models who are not the current meta?
I know I would love to be able to feature bloggers, models and designers who embody diversity. I would love to promote their work because it’s, honestly, more meaningful than mine; another white girl writing shit.
So if you ever wonder why I support and, potentially, pimp the hell out of KSD it’s because Kieran is working hard to be inclusive and diverse. And sure, it’s not easy to swim against the current, but if salmon can do it, so can we.
Love, Kirinyth