There’s nothing unusual about Kate Upton’s rapid rise to fame. Before she even had her first acting role (The Other Woman comes out today) she’d already taken her place in sexual fantasies and online forums across the globe, thanks to the memorable Cat Daddy video where she danced in a bikini to the direction of “fashion’s favorite pervert” Terry Richardson. Upton isn’t necessarily doing anything wildly different from what many women in Hollywood have done to get their names in the headlines and their boobs on the big screen.

She’s complying.

In a recent Salon article titled “Kate Upton, “Cool Girl”: how the supermodel conquered Hollywood,” Daniel D’Addario claims that Upton has replaced Jennifer Lawrence as Hollywood’s new “cool girl” primarily because of her “amiable willingness to do whatever it takes.”

He writes, “where Lawrence’s “cool” is an attitude of general disregard for the fripperies of showbiz, Upton’s is an eager willingness to go along with whatever’s demanded of her. Want her to strip near-naked in Antarctica, for some reason? Sure! Want her to boogie in a bikini on camera? Sounds fun! Want her to appear in a movie that casts her as a vapid young lady who inspires ire in two older and more accomplished actresses? Why not? She isn’t necessarily rebelling against Hollywood’s standards; she’s fully, happily owning them.”

There’s so much wrong with this line of thinking that it’s difficult to even know for sure if D’Addario is being sarcastic or if he could really, honestly be saying to us: A cool woman is an obedient woman.

First of all, this whole notion of the “cool girl” label/template is troublesome. As fellow Luna Luna writer Cee Martinez pointed out to me, “Women’s personalities are so varied that the label, no matter whom it is bestowed on, basically tells any woman who isn’t of that template that she’s inadequate.”

Agreed. In a place like Hollywood, “cool” changes by the day, maybe even by the minute. What was apparently seen as “cool” in Jennifer Lawrence was her supposed “disregard” for Hollywood’s demands, but I’m not sure I 100% agree with that.

After this year’s Oscars, I wrote a piece for Luna Luna about Lawrence’s expected red carpet fall. I wondered if she was merely playing into the label of a clumsy, funny, pitied girl because her fans adored it and Hollywood rewarded the act.

But I do agree with D’Addario’s claim that unlike Upton, Lawrence “has somehow mostly avoided being sexualized — her hit “Hunger Games” franchise is about how able and strong she is, and her performances for David O. Russell have arguably been more about baring over-the-top emotion than her body.”

And that’s enough to keep Lawrence “cool” or maybe even “admirable” or “honorable” in my book for far longer than Hollywood would deem appropriate.

Actors—female and male—will continue making questionable choices to get their names in the headlines. Upton is merely following a trusted Hollywood formula, but, for me, it just feels like a giant step back.

Maybe it’s time to redefine what is and isn’t “cool” anymore.

Kate Upton is often labeled as a modern-day Marilyn Monroe, thanks to her enviable curves, bouncy blonde locks and classically beautiful features. 

And now, the 23-year-old actress is once again channeling her inner Marilyn as she stars in a stunning calendar-style shoot for the first ever issue of former Vogue Editor Carine Roitfeld's newest project, CR Men's Book. 

'Kate has always been everything I love,' Carine, 60, explained on the CR Fashion Book website. 

Pin-up: Kate Upton stars in this calendar-style shoot for the first ever issue of CR Men's Book

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The combination of Kate Upton and Carine Roitfeld is a match made in fashion heaven!

The editor of CR Men's Book has hailed the model as the Marilyn Monroe of today, and she's definitely got that blonde bombshell thing going on here. We love her layered look of a lace-trimmed camisole and two shirts. One just wasn't enough!

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'She is the opposite of me - a Marilyn of today. For my new CR Men's Book, she represents different types of beauty and the sexual fantasies of all men.'

An article posted on the CR Men's Book website about Kate's shoot further explains why the actress and model was chosen to star in the debut publication, describing the blonde bombshell as a 'strong woman' whose looks and personality, Carine believes, will resonate with all of the magazine's readers.  

'For more than one reason, it's only fitting for supermodel Kate Upton to be cast for the first issue of our CR Men's Book,' the article reads. 

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Natural beauty: According to editor Carine Roitfeld, the 23-year-old model and actress was chosen to appear in the spread because she is 'beloved by most modern men in her own right'

History in the making: Kate starred in the first issue of the newly-relaunched CR Fashion Book in 2012

'For nostalgia's sake alone, she was the first-ever cover star of CR Fashion Book's rebirth issue in 2012. Perhaps the more obvious reason is the way men and women alike have responded to her since.

'The first issue of CR Men’s Book is centered around Carine’s archetypes of masculinity - men who have both embodied and challenged the norm by blurring the boundaries of gender, sexuality, and style in their respective times. 

'But just as important as these men were the strong women in their lives - the subjects of their intimacies, confidences, fantasies and friendships. Inspired by the idea of traditional [pin-up] calendars, she cast Kate Upton (beloved by most modern men in her own right) to play the lovers, friends and partners of these leading men - evoking a medley of iconic styles that pays homage to a group of talented women ranging from Patti Smith and Winona Ryder to Courtney Love.'

Blonde bombshell: The model is often labeled as a modern-day Marilyn Monroe because of her enviable curves and voluminous blonde locks

Red carpet queen: Kate, pictured in April 2014, has been praised by fashion critics the world over for her glamorous sense of style

It is not the first time that Kate has taken on the Marilyn persona for a shoot; in 2013, she appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's 100th issue 

On the cover, the then-21-year-old supermodel, who was named 2013's Model of the Year, donned siren red lipstick, cascading blonde curls and a gold bodysuit, holding a cake lit with a candle in one hand.

Shot by famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, the stunning image marked just how far Kate had come since appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2011, a campaign which many have claimed signaled the launch of her successful career. 

That's what she said on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' while making the rounds in New York with boyfriend Justin Verlander

(Photo: Garry Jones/AP)

Should Justin Verlander be jealous?

The Detroit Tigers pitcher's supermodel girlfriend, Kate Upton, said there's another athlete she'd like "to make out with" this weekend.

It's Triple Crown winner ... American Pharoah.

That's what Upton said Thursday, on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

An accomplished horsewoman — she won several American Paint Horse Association Reserve World Championships for western riding as a teenager growing up in Florida — Upton might get her shot at American Pharoah on Saturday.

He's running in the Breeders' Cup Classic in Lexington, Ky., and she's presenting the trophy to the winner.

"I'm so excited to meet American Pharoah," Upton told Fallon. "I just want to make out with American Pharoah."

Hey, maybe they can double-date with fellow supermodel Hannah Davis and her horse (the one with the New Zealand accent in the DirecTV commercials).

Until then, Upton was making the rounds in New York with Verlander on Thursday — including courtside seats by Ben Stiller at the New York Knicks' home opener against the Atlanta Hawks — and both posted the photographic evidence on Instagram.

Diva behavior, a flailing film career and burned bridges in the modeling industry: Why Kate Upton may be all washed up. Above: Upton's attempt at acting in "The Other Woman" came up short. Top right: Celebrating her 2012 Sports Illustrated cover. Bottom right: Upton at a promotional event for her much-maligned "Game of War" app. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox; Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

 

It’s hard to imagine a greater recent modeling success than Kate Upton. After a video of her dancing at a basketball game went viral in 2011, she catapulted to the cover of Sports Illustrated and into boys’ fantasies across the globe, followed by an unfeasible leap into the pages of Vogue, despite her couture-busting curves.

She even lit up Hollywood, starring opposite Cameron Diaz in a sexy summer flick.

But, more recently, industry insiders are saying her meteoric rise has started its downward trajectory — and part of the reason for that is her own attitude.


As Upton’s career ballooned, says more than one fashion insider who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity, so did her ego. She went from “innocent” to exhibiting diva-like behavior, insiders say.

“She became really unappreciative of her success,” says a fashion publicist who asked not to be named for professional reasons, commenting on her general behavior. “It totally went to her head. She didn’t understand that people had taken a chance on her.”

Another modeling-world veteran says Upton’s demands became ridiculous, including asking for photographer approval on shoots and refusing to be photographed with other models. (She’s since posed with a male model for an Express campaign.)

“Even Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell embrace new models and shoot with them,” the second source says. “If you look at people with those long careers, they know how to give back.”

The secret sniping is the latest setback for Upton, 22, who’s also noticeably absent from the most recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. (The magazine did not return a request for comment.)

As for her acting career, she has just one new project slated for production in 2015: “The Layover,” a road-trip sex comedy co-starring Lea Michele and directed by William H. Macy.

Meanwhile, her highly anticipated Super Bowl commercial for the video game app “Game of War,” which depicted her in a medieval breastplate trotting toward a battlefield, was widely panned.


As soon as she uttered, “Do you want to come and play?” it made people wonder whether she should have stuck to modeling.

“This campaign does the impossible: making Kate Upton seem totally wooden,” tweeted Adweek.

In October, Upton ditched her modeling agents at IMG Models in favor of talent agents at William Morris Endeavor to strike it big in Hollywood (WME owns IMG), according to a Page Six report.
The change in management came on the heels of working with Diaz in 2014’s “The Other Woman.”

But her range, as The Hollywood Reporter noted, was limited.

“Upton does what she’s called upon to do, look great in a bikini, and rarely has more than one line to speak at a time,” wrote THR’s Todd McCarthy.

It’s been a harsh reception for a 5-foot-10 blonde famous for her bubbly approachability and all-American style.

The great-granddaughter of Frederick Upton, one of the founders of the Whirlpool Corporation, and niece of Congressman Fred Upton, she was born in Michigan and raised in Melbourne, Fla. There she became a champion equestrian and, at 15, signed with Elite Model Management.

She moved to New York to pursue modeling, and on her 18th birthday signed with IMG Models — the agency that nurtured the careers of Gisele Bündchen, Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum.

Four years ago, the clip of a carefree Upton dancing to Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How To Dougie” at a Los Angeles Clippers game lit up the Internet. By the time she was 20, she made the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue twice (in 2012 and 2013), as well as GQ, CR Fashion Book, Cosmopolitan and Italian Vogue.

She became the darling of top photographers like Terry Richardson, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino and Bruce Weber. And in June of 2013, she landed the biggest coup — the cover of American Vogue.

Away from the lens, the sexy Floridian continued to titillate by dating athletes like former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Justin Verlander, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, whom she’s still dating.

“She really shook up the industry in terms of how quickly you could achieve the usual markers of success,” says Betty Sze, managing editor of industry site models.com. “What takes high-fashion models sometimes years or decades to get, like the Vogue cover, the name recognition, the cosmetics contract . . . Kate was able to get all those in the space of two or so years.”

But Upton was convinced she made it to the top alone.

“It’s weird that in the press they’ll be like, ‘Your biggest fight was with the industry and the designers,’ and I’m like, ‘No, my biggest fight was with my agents, trying to get them to sign me into the castings,’” she told British Vogue last June.

Upton wasn’t always an easy sell, though.

“When Kate first came in, everyone at the agency thought I was crazy. She wasn’t ‘fashion’ enough,” Ivan Bart, the SVP and managing director of IMG, told the New York Times.

She became really unappreciative of her success. It totally went to her head. She didn’t understand that people had taken a chance on her.

 - A fashion publicist on Kate Upton’s career

The legend-maker said he had to convince clients to meet with her. But once he got her in front of them, they were smitten.

“Kate was embraced for her ease in front of the camera and in her interactions with people,” says Sze.

And yet, Upton, who has 1.9 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter, just last week criticized the very medium that made her a star.

“I feel like social media at this point is kind of bulls–t,” she told the Edit, Net-a-Porter’s online magazine.

It was yet another comment that made industry insiders fume.

“That’s how she got famous!” quips the fashion publicist.

Despite these recent bumps, her new agents are convinced she has legs as an actress.

“Kate achieved enormous success as a model by the age of 22 and is now embarking on the next phase of her career,” Upton’s reps at William Morris said in a statement. “She is taking acting very seriously, receiving great reviews for her work in ‘The Other Woman,’ and is now about to start shooting her next starring role in ‘The Layover.’”

Her move to movies is one Nigel Barker, author of “Models of Influence,” says suits her career trajectory.

“Whenever you see someone with a meteoric rise, you see them skip to the next thing very quickly,” he says. “And she has a very good on-camera presence that is extremely charming.”

But one Hollywood agent who asked to remain anonymous says Upton’s turn on the silver screen didn’t make a splash.

“Kate is not even on our radar,” the agent says. “If she thinks she can make it as a movie star, she’s clearly believing her own hype. I don’t even remember her in ‘The Other Woman,’ but pretty, buxom actresses are not exactly in short supply. Without any discernible talent, she will struggle to get taken seriously.”

As for modeling, Upton is still the face of Bobbi Brown cosmetics and Express, though a source says her contract with the clothing line has expired. (A rep for the company declined to comment.)

Regardless, Barker says someone as versatile as Upton will always be in demand.

“People still want to hear from her. Once you get to the point in her career that Upton has, you don’t just fizzle. It has to be a conscious decision to step aside.”

The rise and fall of Kate Upton

From a fresh-faced Florida kid to modeling’s hottest babe to panned actress — all by age 22.

2008

At 15, Upton is signed to Elite Model Management.

2011

A video (above) of Upton dancing at a Clippers game goes viral.

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Upton makes a swimwear splash, walking the runway in Miami.

2012

Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

The model celebrates scoring a Sports Illustrated cover.

2014

Photo: Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox

Her comedy “The Other Woman” (above, with Leslie Mann, left) flops.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

But her love life is looking up — she’s dating baseballer Justin Verlander.

2015

Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

Upton’s Super Bowl commerical is deemed one of the night’s worst ads.

Kate Upton is the face of the fall 2014 denim collection for Express, but is that enough to turn the fashion retailer's disappointing financial results around?

Monday marked the launch of the fall 2014 denim collection for Express (NYSE:EXPR). The denim campaign features supermodel Kate Upton and is the fashion retailer's first time featuring a celebrity in an ad campaign in over a decade. The launch is happening in the midst of shareholder skepticism about the long-term profitability of Express. Will Kate Upton be an integral part of the company's turnaround strategy?

Not-so-super performance
 
The specialty apparel and accessories Express sells are aimed mainly at young men and women in their 20s and 30s. But since going public in May 2010, the fashion retailer has put in an underwhelming performance.

Express operates in a challenging retail environment. It shares its target demographic with competitors such as Gap (NYSE:GPS) and women's fashion retailer ANN (NYSE:ANN). While Gap and ANN's net profits have grown , Express hasn't proved that it's up to meet the challenge.

Decreased traffic and heightened promotional activity stunted first-quarter 2014 earnings growth for Express. In the first quarter of 2014, the company's e-commerce sales decreased 2% compared with the first quarter a year ago. Lower e-commerce sales resulted from decreased traffic to the express.com website.

Decreased online traffic was consistent with decreased traffic at Express retail locations, too. Comparable sales, excluding e-commerce sales, decreased 12% from one year ago, and both net income and earnings per share decreased 84% compared with the first quarter of 2013. For the fiscal quarter ended May 3, Express reported a profit of $5.1 million, compared with $32.4 million a year earlier.

To compete in the increasingly promotional retail environment, Express invested in its marketing strategies this past quarter. The company had a $10.2 million increase in sales, general, and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2014, driven primarily by a $7.4 million increase in its marketing expense.

What has the fashion retailer spent this money on? Express recently purchased a new LED sign in Times Square and also increased its digital media spending. The more interesting marketing decision, however, was hiring Kate Upton as the new brand spokeswoman. This follows a trend companies often implement as a means of combating a financial slump.

Capitalizing on Kate
 
Express announced March 12 that Upton would be the new face of the fashion brand. The company says she was chosen for three reasons: She's fresh, she's sexy, and she's iconic. In the press release announcing the partnership between Express and the young supermodel, Chairman and CEO Michael Weiss said that the "new partnership highlights the mutual admiration between Express and Kate and is the culmination of two iconic American establishments coming together."

The fall 2014 denim collection is inspired by Upton's favorite jeans, and the ad campaign hinges on her claim that she grew up wearing Express jeans. Express is hoping to capitalize on what it considers to be Upton's "true American girl" identity, which is reflective of the target Express brand consumer.

Looks aren't everything

Express will have to do more than just hire Upton in order to sustain earnings growth in the future. Its biggest problem right now is the decrease in traffic to both its website and retail locations. A major initiative for the company this year is to expand the e-commerce platform and improve the customer's overall shopping experience in order to increase sales. Express intends to optimize the mobile web shopping experience by improving the shopping cart and checkout systems so that customers can more easily find and purchase the fashion items they desire.

Upon reviewing its store base, Express also plans to reduce costs by closing 50 stores over the next three years. By slashing under performing stores, ideally when their leases expire, Express hopes to add $5 million to $8 million to its operating income.

Foolish takeaway
 
Upton is a supermodel, but that doesn't mean she has super powers. Hiring Upton as the face of the company is a marketing strategy that might increase sales and help build the Express brand in the short term, but she doesn't promise long-term profitability for the company. The quality of the products offered in the new denim collection is what will entice consumers and keep them coming back to Express for more.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
 
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI
Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!

Italia Marr and The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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