In a recent article in the Guardian regarding the pictures of the 14-year-old girl who was pictured topless in FHM, FHM said it received around 1,200 photos of women either topless or wearing lingerie for publication each week.
That's 1,200 women voluntarily stripping off each week to try to get themselves into a lads mag. For no pay. And that's only FHM - there's also Loaded, Nuts, Zoo and all the rest to take into account.
Who are these women, and why are they doing this?
Seeing as I'm not the one whipping off my top and sending the snaps off to magazines, I can make educated guesses, and after reading through the opinions of some wannabe glamour models, it seems that...
1. They think they'll be discovered, become the next Jordan, and make a fortune.
2. They think they'll be discovered, become the next Jordan, and be famous.
3. They think it's somehow empowering.
4. They have low self esteem and it's a way to boost their self worth.
5. They think it'll make more men like then.
6. They love the idea of other men looking at them.
7. They think it's 'a laugh'.
8. They've got 'the body' and 'the assets', so why not flaunt it.
Add this to the results of a recent survey that revealed 63% of girls aspired to be a glamour model, and it's all a bit depressing.