"Famous" Photographer Refuses To Hire Male Assistants Because It's Bad For His YouTube Ratings

So I was just scrolling Facebook, and I came across a post from a rather well known photographer advertising that he was looking for a "travel assistant" to travel around the world with him and occasionally model.

A guy was interested and he responded that he only hires females as assistants because it would hurt his YouTube ratings due to 90% of his audience being male. It's his right to hire whoever he wants, but why not hire assistants to assist and models to model? Knowing how big this photographer is he's bound to be traveling with more than just one person.

This post isn't to call anyone out or shame them. Just wondering if I'm the only one who thinks this is an odd request to post publicly on Facebook?

It's unusual frank and honest. In many countries it is not legal to announce such preference (gender, age, ethnicity) openly. However, it is done anyway. Ever walked in a restaurant (e.g. in the US) and the customer facing staff are only attractive young women with long hair or all asian (but then all Mexican in the kitchen....). It's about fulfilling your customers (perceived) preferences....

Or maybe he just wants and excuse to travel with a beautiful young woman.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18581605
I understand this completely. . A huge amount of what I choose to watch, where I choose to eat, shop, etc, has to do with where the greatest likelihood is of seeing and/or interacting with, hot looking young women.

If YouTube photography videos have a hot looking young woman in them, then I am quite likely to watch them, even if the content isn't very helpful or interesting. . Doesn't matter to me if she is modeling, assisting, or co-hosting, as long as there is a very pretty face to look at, count me in!

The same goes for what movies I tend to watch on Netflix, what restaurants I choose to eat at, what gas station I go to, etc, etc, etc.

Heck, I even used to go to Home Depot instead of the Ace Hardware, because the Home Depot had two or three cashiers that were very good looking young women who liked to chat and act a bit flirty. . A few years ago, these cashiers moved on and were replaced by people who weren't very pretty ..... and so I hardly ever shop at Home Depot anymore

As a hard core NFL football fan, I even tend to watch football shows that have pretty women in them, such as Good Morning Football (Kay Adams), Undisputed (Joy Taylor), and The Herd With Colin Cowherd (with Christine Leahy). . I tend to shy away from shows with all men (or with men and not-so-attractive looking women), such as First things First and First Take.

Eye candy really is extremely important, and drives many of the decisions that I make in life. . Hence, I completely understand this photographer that you are talking about - if I were he, and got to choose who I would work with, I would definitely try to get a hot looking woman to assist me rather than someone from any other demographic.


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I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. Of course, based on our preference we would want to be looking at / surrounded by those we find attractive or desirable, but you chose your hardware store based on how the cashiers looked?! I know how to sell anything to you Tom haha!

Scatterbrained wrote in post #18581587
Or maybe he just wants and excuse to travel with a beautiful young woman.

Very possible. Although I haven't read or seen anything that would suggest he has alternative motives. But you never know.

drmaxx wrote in post #18581579
It's unusual frank and honest. In many countries it is not legal to announce such preference (gender, age, ethnicity) openly. However, it is done anyway. Ever walked in a restaurant (e.g. in the US) and the customer facing staff are only attractive young women with long hair or all asian (but then all Mexican in the kitchen....). It's about fulfilling your customers (perceived) preferences....

In the US it's not legal in corporations, but this is most likely a contracted type position. I see it all the time in this industry though. Many times I see photographers asking for second shooters who must be a certain gender. I find that very odd as well. Myself personally, skill with a camera is all I care about when hiring a second.

Jarvis Creative Studios wrote in post #18581957
Of course, based on our preference we would want to be looking at / surrounded by those we find attractive or desirable, but you chose your hardware store based on how the cashiers looked?! I know how to sell anything to you Tom haha!

Judging from your avatar, I'll venture that you'd need a lot of makeup. A wig, too.

OhLook wrote in post #18582008
Judging from your avatar, I'll venture that you'd need a lot of makeup. A wig, too.

Haha I might just hire an attractive assistant / model to do the job. *Men need not apply*.

A bit of real-world perspective, if you please. I am a Registered Nurse (RN), working Med/Surg (general hospital) on the night shift. There is currently a shortage of qualified RNs in the workforce. This is partly due to a lot of folks staying in the workforce after the recent financial 'crisis'. Now scads of them are retiring faster than the educational system can replace them.

I have applied for roughly 100 RN positions in the last six months, primarily MD offices/clinics/specia​lists; day jobs. Mostly, I hear nothing back, while seeing the same jobs posted over and over again. It has occurred to me that something smells funny here. I started doing some digging. A local hospital group (offices/clinics/speci​alists) employs over 100 RNs. Not one of them is male. Underhandedly, I got my resume into the hands of an office manager in the system. Her office employs about a dozen RNs. Her response to my resume was, "We don't hire males. The doctors don't want male nurses because the patients don't want male nurses."

Laws and reality are only loosely related. I am sure the same type of thing applies to every other minority group. You can't legislate human nature.

Bassat wrote in post #18582337
A bit of real-world perspective, if you please. I am a Registered Nurse (RN), working Med/Surg (general hospital) on the night shift. There is currently a shortage of qualified RNs in the workforce. This is partly due to a lot of folks staying in the workforce after the recent financial 'crisis'. Now scads of them are retiring faster than the educational system can replace them.

I have applied for roughly 100 RN positions in the last six months, primarily MD offices/clinics/specia​lists; day jobs. Mostly, I hear nothing back, while seeing the same jobs posted over and over again. It has occurred to me that something smells funny here. I started doing some digging. A local hospital group (offices/clinics/speci​alists) employs over 100 RNs. Not one of them is male. Underhandedly, I got my resume into the hands of an office manager in the system. Her office employs about a dozen RNs. Her response to my resume was, "We don't hire males. The doctors don't want male nurses because the patients don't want male nurses."

Laws and reality are only loosely related. I am sure the same type of thing applies to every other minority group. You can't legislate human nature.

You would think that they would be scrambling for a few male nurses just to meet their numbers. That stinks. Hope you can get off the night shift soon. I'm sure that's brutal.

Jarvis Creative Studios wrote in post #18582395
You would think that they would be scrambling for a few male nurses just to meet their numbers. That stinks. Hope you can get off the night shift soon. I'm sure that's brutal.

Thanks. I'll find something eventually. I've worked nights for 28 years, so it isn't anything new. I like the teamwork and comaraderie where I am. Right now, I am the only male in a crew of about 20 RNs in our department. I'm not sure if it is the caring, nurturing nature of females in general, or nurses in particular, but I feel really well supported and taken care of where I am. Best job I've ever had.

Bassat wrote in post #18582403
Thanks. I'll find something eventually. I've worked nights for 28 years, so it isn't anything new. I like the teamwork and comaraderie where I am. Right now, I am the only male in a crew of about 20 RNs in our department. I'm not sure if it is the caring, nurturing nature of females in general, or nurses in particular, but I feel really well supported and taken care of where I am. Best job I've ever had.

I worked a mix of nights and days for awhile. It was no fun switching back and forth. Also no fun when you're a newly wed and your wife is a full time student like was the case with me. Glad photography has taken off enough that I no longer have to work those crazy hours.

Jarvis Creative Studios wrote in post #18581558
A guy was interested and he responded that he only hires females as assistants because it would hurt his YouTube ratings due to 90% of his audience being male.

A reflection of what I see on television. Here in LA most of the tv weather and traffic reporters are young attractive women.
So are many sports reporters. Some times I think there are more female sport reporters than male.

Nothing wrong with any of this. It is what it is.

It's kinda weird that he even told you that. Telling you he only hires females bc of basically sex appeal for youtube viewers opening a can of warms IMO. Just say sorry you arnt what Im looking for.

DThriller wrote in post #18609068
It's kinda weird that he even told you that. Telling you he only hires females bc of basically sex appeal for youtube viewers opening a can of warms IMO. Just say sorry you arnt what Im looking for.

He did not tell me that directly, but it was posted by him in a public comment on the listing in response to a male who was interested. I agree that it's not strange or even unexpected to have this as a policy behind the scenes, but posting it publicly was what I found odd.