Castle fashion show’s breaking convention with casting traditions means sod all

Before we pour praise on this year’s casting changes, we should pay mind to the success of last year – as well as what a fashion show actually entails.

Last year’s fashion show at Castle was truly brilliant, and not just because I was in it. The casting was relaxed, welcoming, and there was no pressure or intimidating atmosphere. The girls running it were fantastic, and no one who turned up was actually rejected from taking part. One might have said it was about personality and enthusiasm – not about looks.

Throughout the rehearsal process, the making of the teaser video, all the way up to the show itself – the welcoming and inclusive vibe never once left. It was a much more casual affair than previous years, as evidenced by the decision not to just hire the JCR’s current cohort of BNOCs – as had been habit.

In fact, this rejection of BNOC-biased casting was, and is, a far greater victory than merely switching to pen-and-paper methods. BNOC-bias can change year-on-year, and truly depends about the individuals who end up running events and their vision of said event. What’s important is that college life should not just be a preserve of those who’ve made a name for themselves, or the friends of the events directors – though that’s not to say those who are should be excluded either.

What is the criticism of regular casting procedures actually championing? Cheeks for the cheekbone-less? Abs for the ab-less? Why are we meant to take it as given that this is what face-to-face casting fosters discrimination on? The models at college fashion shows are rarely clustered around some clear-cut construct of beauty, so I fail to see how a written format will be any great improvement on the variety already provided (at least when the directors themselves don’t demand ridiculous standards).

One needs a certain amount of confidence to do modelling in the first place. If you’re too afraid of standing up in front of a few fashion show directors, chances are that walking up and down a catwalk in front of hundreds of people isn’t for you.

It is a far greater injustice to encourage people to live in the bubble of indirect communication (something which social media already lends itself towards too much) by using written applications, than it is to reward those with the drive to get off their computer and see and speak to people directly – even if this method can preferentially select those endowed with great cheekbones.

If the casting is welcoming, emphasises inclusivity, and all are encouraged to apply, are written applications really a symbol of some perfect, unbiased utopia? Won’t written applications themselves have their own down-sides: is having confidence in one’s writing abilities not just as much of a talent as confidence in one’s ability to communicate verbally? Might such a method not also be susceptible to a BNOC-bias?

Ultimately, written applications are fine – but unwritten, face-to-face auditions are probably far better. So let’s stop pretending that any great moral victory has been had here by opting for the former method.