Make Me a Model, Vol. 1

In this instructional video, fashioned in part after current “reality makeover” programs, teenaged girls Sara and Aja are plucked from obscurity by modeling agent Alayna Sheron to receive makeovers, haircuts, lessons in body movement, and numerous tips on the modeling industry. Sheron, also a fashion show producer and former Miss Washington, possesses enough industry know-how to strike a reasonable balance between feeding the adolescent dream of a glamorous modeling career and serving up the industry's uglier lessons (in a nutshell: even with a pretty face, figure, and a knack for the runway, you'd better be 5 foot 8 inches or taller, or you'll be lucky to end up, say, promoting feminine products in a regional product placement). The step-by-step guidance, specifically geared toward young women, includes such practical advice as how to find an agent, how to treat your hair (hint: better than the most expensive article of clothing you will ever own), how to move in front of the camera and on the runway, and how to achieve “the classic look” with makeup. As I watched Sara and Aja progress through the modeling course and presumably deliver on the cover's promise to turn two teenage girls “from drab to fab” before our very eyes, I couldn't quite lose the feeling that both might be better off trying something else, as neither seemed to possess a great desire to become a model, and Aja—specifically targeted because she fits “the minority look”—is a self-confessed enthusiastic college student with a wide array of future options. Overall, however, this is a solid choice for larger collections. Aud: H, C, P. (A. Cantú)