“I’m fairly new to modeling but I’ve been a performer for many years
in musicals, concerts and the like.  I am a singer/songwriter first
but I feel it’s time for me to try my hand at modeling.” –
Steve Grand‘s post on a website while looking for modeling work a couple of years ago,
under the name Finn Diesel.  More on that later…

If ever Pantene revives their “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” campaign, might I suggest Steve Grand as the new spokesperson?  Poor Steve.  He’s just too pretty for his own good.  Now, there may be some people out there who don’t know who Grand is.  He’s an out-and-proud singer whose campaign to finish his All American Boy album became the fourth-most-funded music project in Kickstarter history.  But the body of work Grand is best known for is his body.  To be fair, Grand is a very good-looking guy with an amazing physique, which he has flaunted to acclaim with selfies, workout videos, and underwear shots.  And why not show it off – especially if it translates into attention and money.  But that comes with a price.  In a widely circulated interview, Steve made some of the following statements: “I’m such an easy person to target.  Young, good-looking, white, gay men – we love to hate those people;” “I take my music seriously.  I’m a good musician and I’m a good performer and I also like to work out my body and show it off sometimes.  It’s a fleeting thing; when I’m 50, I’m not gonna look like this;” “I never was a model.  I never got paid for any of it.  I’m just another guy who has photos online of me in my underwear and that’s really all it is…I just wanted to take pictures of myself with my clothes off.”

First, some fact-checking.  Despite assertions to the contrary, Steve Grand was most certainly a model – in 2010, he did one of his most revealing photoshoots under the name of Steve Chatham – and I assume DNA magazine pays their cover models.  There were other risqué shoots under the name Finn Diesel.  They probably slipped his mind.  What outraged fans was that this hot, young, white guy was lamenting his plight and describing himself as a “target”.  My favorite post said, “Don’t hate Steve Grand because he’s white; hate him because he’s clueless”.  That sums it up.  Grand tried to smooth things over on Twitter: “I say a lot of things.  Some of those things don’t always come out quite right.  I can do better, and I’m going to continue to try and do so.”  As long as he’s still showing skin, I’m OK with that.  Just don’t ask me to hum any of his songs.