2003 was Hilary Duff’s year. Having securely cemented her status as an innocent teen icon on Lizzie McGuire, a Sandra-Dee-type with a bit more verve, she released her seminal album Metamorphosis, which contained such hits as “So Yesterday” and “Come Clean.” 2003 also saw Duff’s transition to the big screen with the lead role in The Lizzie McGuire Movie and plucky performances in Agent Cody Banks and Cheaper by the Dozen. By all accounts, huge, successful moves in a banner year - and yet, none of these compare to the infamous 2003 work of hers that continues to frustrate and complicate her oeuvre: the Orange Photoshoot.
Some may say that the Orange Photoshoot was simply a footnote in the illustrious career of the Disney star, yet for those aware of its existence, it continues to torment due to its lack of clarity and motive. Twitter user Shereen (@shreeny) plucked the photoshoot out of obscurity and aired her grievances in a tweet that both delights and vexes those who see it. “Does anyone else remember this Hilary Duff photoshoot from 2003? Where did the oranges come from? Why did she pose with them. Many questions,” she tweets. In the two photos, Duff looks like her perky self, clad in ripped blue jeans, a burgundy tissue tee, and a beige collared jacket, the bottom buttons buttoned, the cuffs cuffed to reveal pinstripe lining. She sports her classic bang-and-chunky-highlighted blonde hair and fresh makeup; a look that suggests putting effort into her appearance without being overdone. Situated on the sidewalk of a tree-lined suburb (perhaps on the set of her hit Disney sitcom), Duff would look perfectly in place if not for a fatally confusing detail: errant orange slices.
The first photo has Duff next to the slices as if she has tripped transitioning from tree lawn to sidewalk. Left arm outstretched for balance, she leans on her left hip. Right arm up as if in a defensive position, Duff stares through the camera and into the soul of the viewer baring her trademark teeth, feigning terror at the sight of the orange slices with an air of insouciance. The second photo shows a more relaxed Duff at peace with aforementioned orange slices. She leans back with both arms behind her and tilts toward the oranges as if posing with a friend.
Subsequent research has turned up neither concept nor context of the shoot, which leaves all who encounter it perplexed. Though the two photos indicate enough spiritual growth for a series of shots, only two have surfaced. What is Duff trying to say with the Orange Photoshoot? A departure from her straightforward, charming performances she’s known for, why would she release work this opaque at the zenith of her career? Most importantly, why are the damn oranges on the ground?
From an art-historical lens, Duff could be poking fun at her own saccharine image. Citrus fruits began appearing in 15th century European paintings to represent wealth as they had to be imported. Symbolically, oranges could indicate social or moral status, even descent from the Dutch ruling dynasty. By 2003, Duff was a bonafide Disney royal and a burgeoning pop princess. Within the holy trinity of the early 2000s starlets that was Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes, and Duff, she was the innocent ingenue, tame compared to the fiery Lohan and less comedically daring than Bynes. She was the family-friendly one, plain and simple. Duff’s surprise at the sight of the oranges may in fact be her mocking the moral and social status ascribed to her as this teen dream lite, while the second image shows that she is more at peace with being labeled the good girl. That the oranges are sliced - not intact - may have been foreshadowing of a loss of this innocence soon to come as she took on roles with more romantic, mature connotations such as A Cinderella Story, Raise Your Voice, and Material Girls.
In a shocking twist, Duff has acknowledged the Orange Photoshoot, though she remains mum on its intent. She reposted Shereen’s original tweet to her Instagram story with the comment:
“Ahhh, Oranges… No way!’ -Hilary Duff.”
A non-comment comment, decidedly vague. At this point, we may give up hope as to having a clear idea of why in the world this photoshoot ever came to be, but its legacy will be long.
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