Tyra Banks: Walking the Runway of Hypocrisy

I recently read an article about how fantastic Tyra Banks is and how she is doing so much good for women through her actions and words of “wisdom.” The author of the article emphasized how Tyra has helped benefit the self-esteem of women all over America and has finally made them realize that they do not need to be perfect to feel good about themselves. She mentioned how Tyra’s “So What” campaign is so wonderful because it teaches women that as long as you are taking care of yourself and living a healthy lifestyle, then you should be proud of yourself and not worry so much about your physical appearance and what others think of you.

While this makes sense and I truly agree with the positive message of this campaign, I have a very large issue with this message coming from Tyra Banks. So Tyra claims to be an advocate of accepting yourself for who you are right? She says, “So what if I am overweight as long as I am happy! So what if I have pimples! So what if I have cellulite! So what if don’t wear makeup or the latest fashion trends!” Tyra supports this 100% right? Wrong, very wrong!

Let’s take a look at a statement taken directly from the Tyra Banks Show website. “So, if you’re ready to say, “SO WHAT”, grab your video camera and tape yourself shouting from the rooftops, ” MY THIGHS RUB TOGETHER, SO WHAT”. If you’ve been avoiding wearing a bathing suit, grab your bikini out of the back of the closet, put it on and say, “I MAY NOT HAVE THE PERFECT BIKINI BODY BUT, SO WHAT!” Have you ever not left your house because your terrible acne embarrasses you? If so, grab a video camera, take yourself to a public place and say, “I MAY HAVE BAD ACNE BUT, SO WHAT! I’M A GREAT PERSON!” Has Tyra helped you find the courage to do something that you haven’t done in years? Are you finally ready to stand up to someone who’s been teasing you about your weight? If so, tell us about your “SO WHAT” moment and get your “SO WHAT” on videotape.”

Now let’s look at some advice from Jessica Weiner, a body expert, that Tyra has featured on her website. The segment is titled, “You’re More Than What’s On the Outside.” In this article, Weiner offers advice for people who suffer from negative body images. She states, “Give some thought to who you are on the inside. We live in a world today that is bent on making us carbon copies of each other. And we have the massive influence of advertising and media that tells us our life will begin when we have something, weigh something, and wear something. A lot of people tell me they are waiting for a major change in their life before they live it.

Now that you have an idea of what Tyra claims to be all about, let’s take a look at some of the past themes of her show:

Say ‘Bye-Bye’ to Booty Cellulite
Look Ten Years Younger
Beauty Secrets from the World’s Biggest Supermodels!
Hide Those Bags…and I’m NOT Talking About Louis Vuitton or Prada
Frumpy to Foxy Makeovers
Fashion Rules to Live By
How to Achieve the Perfect Brow
The Hottest Cut for All Women – and How to Work It!
Tyra’s Makeup Secrets
Great Skin At Any Age
All About Breasts (Tyra introduced the latest bust-enhancing lingerie in this episode)
Fabulous Photo Friday! (Tyra shared tips on getting a perfect picture taken every time and taught guests how to take their bathing suit dream photo – how to stand properly in a bathing suit so it will look like your thighs do not rub together and you will trick people into thinking that you do not have a little extra flub in that area)

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that Jessica Weiner’s statement “…the massive influence of advertising and media that tells us our life will begin when we have something, weigh something, and wear something,” is a massive reference to the Tyra Banks Show.

Here’s my question: If Tyra claims to be such a strong advocate of accepting yourself for who you are, then why is she wasting so much time, money, and energy on episodes that teach women how to hide and deceive people of their flaws and imperfections? I am pretty sure the answer is Tyra Banks is a hypocrite. She may talk the talk, but the only walk she walks is down the runway of superficiality.

Some may argue that Tyra is only trying to send the message that looking good makes you feel better about yourself, which ultimately raises positive attitudes and self-esteem, but this is not the issue at hand. It is not so much the themes of her show that bother me, but rather the fact that the messages sent across are coming out of her mouth, since she claims to be “Miss Be Yourself” and “Miss So What!” If she wants to discuss these topics and be an advocate of these beliefs, then she needs to change her public stance on such topics, because right now, all that she’s advocating is superficiality, and is making quite the fool out of herself.

It’s no wonder why people are so messed up these days and are so worried about their images. It’s because they have someone like Tyra Banks that they have been brainwashed into liking and looking up to who makes them think she is telling them good things and supporting their “Girl Power” and “So What” beliefs, yet when they start obsessing over their hair, weight, and looks, they cannot figure out why…

Source:
http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/