Model Anonymous on deceased model Tom Nicon
RIP Tom Nicon. He was such a good guy, sweet, open and willing to give anyone a smile. The reasons for his decision belong to no one else but him and maybe, if he wants it that way; his family.
Too much speculation has been going on about models and their suicidal tendencies. It is true that the model life does not provide the necessary grounds for a stable life. It is not an occupation where you can easily maintain relationships with people or get comfortable with your surroundings. This is because as a model you have to travel and there is always the superstition that as a model people talk to you or want to know you because of your looks, or your ‘fame’. And yes, often do I hear the argument that people treat models as objects, or that it is stressful not to have a steady income, or to compete with your friends. However, I think it’s interesting that people talk so much about how many models kill themselves and not about how many accountants might. There are allot of models in this world, and there is not a disproportionate amount of suicides in the industry, although we could do with some better guidance and treatment from within the industry.
As a model, yes it is hard not to be able to live in one city, you have to travel, this is your job. As a model, yes it is hard to have people judge you on your looks, but where is this not the case these days? Is that not why the luxury fashion industry – an industry which focuses on creating an individual identity based on how we dress – has become a multi billion dollar business? Moreover, we get paid generously for our services, more than the people that dress us, while we put in less effort. And going to the gym, eating healthy; I do not consider an effort, this is normal and EVERYONE should be doing this.
– As a model we travel the world.
– We make money not because our talents, but because of our looks (on a side note, I think it is thus irritating that ‘the industry’ refers to models as talents, as if my looks are the only thing I excel in).
– We meet the most wonderful people, people such as Tom Nicon.
And to show our respect to him, we should not call him, one of the many model suicide cases, as many of the news stories do. We should show him dignity and we should realize that he was a human being in the first place, not a model, or a suicide case in a line of many. And that it’s because he was such an amazing person, that we should cherish our memories of him and honor his existence and mourn his death… And not, folks, because he was good at his job, or fit for his job… Not because he took a good picture. But because he was TOM NICON, one of our brothers as we are all brothers and sisters, and because he was an amazing person. Who cared about people, and who did that with commitment.
I have known Tom for about 5 years. I am not his best friends, not one of his better friends. I saw Tom at castings, and we talked about things. I did jobs with him and we talked about things. I saw him at night and I partied with him. I traveled the world and met with him in a variety of cities. And my general impression of Tom is a wonderful person, who could love and appreciate people for who they were.
“Love and light” buddy.
source: models.com