"I guess that's what I was: a set of abs. And they lit the abs and shot the abs and sent the abs on their way. The photographer didn't look at my face once. I was humiliated"

In this quote, the speaker, Michael Bergin, assesses his experience as a male model. He describes himself as nothing more than a physical things, particularly a set of abs, that was utilized for the purpose of being photographed and then disposed of. The emphasis on his abs highlights the superficial nature of the modeling industry and how it reduces individuals to their physical look. The reality that the photographer did not even bother to take a look at his face even more highlights this objectification. The speaker's sensations of humiliation recommend that he felt dehumanized and reduced to a mere body, instead of being viewed as a whole person.