Not only are they hot, cute and sexy but their photogenic nature also makes them draw a stereotypical picture of ‘women’. We love models and modelling but hardly know what it is like to be one.
Scanning The Voice Newspaper’s Page 3, their model search page, my eyes zeroed in on an uber-hot young lady who prompted a search and friendship request on Facebook.
Nebula Godiraone Mokwena’s Facebook was coloured by her outbursts at men who she feels view women as mere sex objects. She says she is fed up with the many friend requests from borderline annoying males since her appearance on Page 3.
Looks can deceive, but Mokwena’s ‘fierce look’ pose matched her firm stand against the Facebook weirdos. She lashes out at these disturbing males to “back off and get a life, as I am not for sale”.
The general notion is that Page 3 girls are attention-seeking dames, crazy about male feedback. Mokwena’s parallel attitude aroused my curiosity and got me wondering if she was playing hard to get.
My first cyberspace encounter with Mokwena produced a very long conversation thread. I posted on her wall and the comments that followed implied that she is cheap. However she forgave me and using my wit and charm, I got her to open up on many issues.
Society perceives models as just pretty faces. On the contrary, Mokwena appears different, her confidence and bravery setting her apart. She is not one to easily back down from a challenge and is not shy to pick up a fight, especially with those that challenge her beliefs and passion. This led me to develop admiration for her and eventually we became real Facebook friends who would talk about different issues.
This mentality and fierceness impressed me and led me to ask for a sit-down interview with her. I wanted to explore the real life behind this beauty, who seemed to be getting a lot more than she bargained for.
Mokwena made it to the interview rocking a hot little black and green number with sexy blue heels which she described as an item of confidence. She said when she is in heels she is not easily intimidated as heels come with an attitude.
Unlike the feisty character she usually portrays on Facebook, Mokwena was ‘sweet.’ She said she is always defensive on Facebook to “try to keep men away.” Most importantly she spoke like a star.
“I do not like to be treated like some kind of sex object, and I become uneasy on Facebook on purpose as most people look at models and go like, ‘I am going to tap that and pass’. They should see us as women and nothing else,” she said.
Although being on Page 3 gave her the needed exposure, Mokwena had to now battle with male sexual advances and hate comments from some ladies who see her as “immoral and a shame to women.”
As if that was not enough, her mother who has been supportive of her modelling all along, was also disappointed with her for appearing ‘half naked’ in a local newspaper. Mokwena shrugged off the negativity and kept a brave face. She said she believes modelling is not for the fainthearted.
Mokwena does not shy away from sniping at the modelling industry top players, and says they are not doing enough. She says the industry is still premature and is not taken seriously. She blames lack of funding and says no one seems to care to sponsor modelling in this country.
Mokwena says people in Botswana take modelling as a hobby and just for taking pictures. “Modelling is more than that; it is about conveying a message to people,” she says.
Mokwena insists the government is likewise doing little to develop the modelling industry. She also states that the government kills the country’s show business industry by restraining and over-censoring the media from reporting to the public.
Models are also notorious for their extravagant spending and glamorous lifestyles. How does Mokwena keep up in this demanding yet poor industry?
“Yes the money in modelling is not enough. But I make sure that I live within a budget and I use money wisely,” she says.
Unlike most models, Mokwena says she does not depend on serving side-dishes to meet her luxurious demands. In most professional setups, she shuns sexually exploitive men who sometimes tend to expect rewards that are not part of the contract.
The 20-year-old old lass from Serule studies Bachelor of Arts and Chinese. She is signed with Wizardwalk modelling agency who discovered her two years ago. Her first catwalk foray was with Vibes models.