Tyra Banks Undercover as 350-lb. Woman

Hi, All! When flipping through next week's TV Guide, there was an article about Tyra Banks and her talk show. I wasn't planning to read the article, but the word "obesity" caught my eye, so I read the section where she told that there'll be an episode next week (I found out that it's scheduled for Mon., 11/7) showing that she went "undercover as a 350-lb. woman to examine our society's discrimination against obesity. I used to think black people had it the worst, because of history and because we have dark skin, but I started to notice it's people who are overweight. It's the last PC thing to make fun of. If you heard somebody making negative comments about Latins or blacks or whites or Asians, you'd want to kick their ass. So I thought, "I have to do a show about this."" Of course the fact that the obese face discrimination isn't new to any of us, but it sounds like this will be an interesting episode to watch. Her show airs on WFSB (the Hartford CBS affiliate) from 9 - 10 a.m. Debby

Yeah, I read about that, too, Debby. And it made me so ANGRY! My first thought was "F you, Tyra!" SHE'S part of the problem of discrimination against the obese. By getting paid obscene amounts of money to be thin but vacuous, she's helping say to the world that THAT is the ideal of beauty and, sadly, our society buys into it. To me, it's like a Klansman saying, "Oh, I wanted to see what it's like to be black and, you know what? It sucks. Oh well. Back to the hated." It's disingenuous. Okay, my rant it now over. Bette

So write her and tell her you think that- and tell her she should do a panel of post op gastric bypass people- who are finding out how society treats them differently a hundred pounds lighter- like the skit Eddie Murphy did on SNL- in his "white disguise"- only in real life!!! Tyra has nothing I envy- I mean look at Kate Moss- was there anybody in this world who actually thought she WASN't doing coke to stay rail thin? I mean I could develop a coke habit and drop a huge chunk of weight- but the bypass is a little more acceptable!!! Not to mention a little less illegal.... The average American woman wears size 14...keep humming that tune as you flip thru the channels and it will be okay........

Nah, there's a difference: no one would say that using coke to lose weight is "the easy way out."

No **** I'm with you all the way! This certainly isn't the easy way out, but it's less acceptable than other means. Go figure. We need to be proud of who we are and embrace all that we have done. I love you guys! Tammy

Actually I came out to my work family yesterday and received a great deal of support and congratulations. They have noticed the 25 pounds I have lost on South Beach and the fact I only seem to have healthy things lately to eat....the Panera salads minus the big hunk of french bread that is, are great- I had the Fandango salad with steak on it yesterday- REALLY good. No more McD's for me.

Actually Tyra had on some post-ops. My friend Ramona (who also has a profile on this site) was on the show. She gave makeovers to people who had lost lots of weight. She was in several of Tyra's promotional commericals. Actually this is her walking with Tyra. http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/#showinfo She had surgery in June of 04. I personally would judge Tyra and think that she's vacuous because she's a model. I'm sure that she has a lot of things to say. I actually think she is one of the curvier models out there. Stick thin models aren't the problem, and it's not her fault that men (mostly) think she's beautiful. That's a thinking problem.........I think it's great that she's trying to understand something that foreign to her. It shows that she at least has some thoughts is not closed off in her little world.