An Open Letter to Tyra Banks
Dear Tyra,
I've never watched your show before, but the other day I happened to flip on the tube and guess what? Your show was on and somehow it actually caught my attention. You were interviewing a man for your segment titled, "My Breasts are a Burden." After losing 200 pounds, this man had some excess skin on his chest which caused him to have large breasts.
It was clearly difficult for him to talk about this embarrassing issue on national television. His breasts were a cause of pain and anguish that had deeply affected his life. And I am assuming that the only reason he was on the show at all was because your producers probably offered to pay for all or part of a gynecomastia (male breast reduction) surgery that he desperately wanted and probably couldn't afford otherwise.
Initially, I was happy that you decided to include a man in your segment on breasts because I would imagine there are many men out there who also struggle with this issue and would feel comforted to know they aren't alone.
But here's where I lost all respect for your show. It wasn't enough that the guy came on the segment and told his embarrassing story in front of a live studio audience and millions of television viewers. It wasn't enough that he had to be questioned about his man boobs by a world-famous Supermodel sitting three feet away from him looking all perfect and top modellyish. It wasn't enough that you got him to admit that when his two-year-old daughter saw him with his shirt off, she called him "Mommy". (Ouch.)
No, you had to ask this poor man to remove his shirt and allow a plastic surgeon to examine his breasts on national television in front of a full length mirror! You had to watch while this same completely cheesy-ass plastic surgeon cupped his man breast in one hand, jiggled it around, and declared that he was about a C-cup while the audience looked on like it was a freak show. You had to do this knowing that he was so embarrassed about his problem that he wouldn't even take off his shirt to go swimming in public!
I mean, really, WTF, Tyra? There was clearly no reason for this man to have been examined on the show. I'm sure we could have all imagined fairly well what his man boobs looked like without putting him through the shame and humiliation of undressing. But that wouldn't have been as good for ratings I'm sure, and you really wanted him to earn that money for the surgery, huh?
I give every show a chance before I decide whether or not to give it the kiss off. And this was your chance, Tyra. In my opinion, you blew it.
I've never watched your show before, but the other day I happened to flip on the tube and guess what? Your show was on and somehow it actually caught my attention. You were interviewing a man for your segment titled, "My Breasts are a Burden." After losing 200 pounds, this man had some excess skin on his chest which caused him to have large breasts.It was clearly difficult for him to talk about this embarrassing issue on national television. His breasts were a cause of pain and anguish that had deeply affected his life. And I am assuming that the only reason he was on the show at all was because your producers probably offered to pay for all or part of a gynecomastia (male breast reduction) surgery that he desperately wanted and probably couldn't afford otherwise.
Initially, I was happy that you decided to include a man in your segment on breasts because I would imagine there are many men out there who also struggle with this issue and would feel comforted to know they aren't alone.
But here's where I lost all respect for your show. It wasn't enough that the guy came on the segment and told his embarrassing story in front of a live studio audience and millions of television viewers. It wasn't enough that he had to be questioned about his man boobs by a world-famous Supermodel sitting three feet away from him looking all perfect and top modellyish. It wasn't enough that you got him to admit that when his two-year-old daughter saw him with his shirt off, she called him "Mommy". (Ouch.)
No, you had to ask this poor man to remove his shirt and allow a plastic surgeon to examine his breasts on national television in front of a full length mirror! You had to watch while this same completely cheesy-ass plastic surgeon cupped his man breast in one hand, jiggled it around, and declared that he was about a C-cup while the audience looked on like it was a freak show. You had to do this knowing that he was so embarrassed about his problem that he wouldn't even take off his shirt to go swimming in public!
I mean, really, WTF, Tyra? There was clearly no reason for this man to have been examined on the show. I'm sure we could have all imagined fairly well what his man boobs looked like without putting him through the shame and humiliation of undressing. But that wouldn't have been as good for ratings I'm sure, and you really wanted him to earn that money for the surgery, huh?
I give every show a chance before I decide whether or not to give it the kiss off. And this was your chance, Tyra. In my opinion, you blew it.
posted by Cristina @12:00 AM
50 Comments:
AHHHHHHHHHHHH, you are kidding me! I am shocked that the guy didnt run off the stage!
I agree, she blew it!
I don't agree with that type of thing either....however, the sad thing is that unfortunately, there is probably an audience out there for it and that is why that sort of thing and other shows like Jerry Springer (a totally worthless, waste of time show)continue because there is some market out there for it. Sad, but true. Let's at least hope this guy did get some money for the show so he was able to get the surgery he needed to resume a maybe normal life.
That's just... just...
I'm speechless.
How awful.
I don't like Tyra Banks anyway, but that little stunt was just low. That poor man.
Ouch, that's horrible! I haven't seen this show, but I can't believe that they would do that. It's so Jerry Springer.
Why is it that we have to make fun of other people's "misfortunes" to try and get ratings?
Oh Tyra, you have sunk so low.
She should have stuck to exploiting super-skinny, young models.
I have never watched this show, sort of suspecting it was of this low class type of content. Thanks for confirming it for me. That is horrible and so distateful, but exactly what I would have suspected.
I wish I could give that man a great big bear hug!
From what I have inferred about Tyra's show it's a lot like her image - it's flashy, it's heavy on making people over to be "better" and "more beautiful" people and it lacks any kind of substance.
Not only is it sad that people invest millions to put on a show like this, but it's also very sad that there is an audience for it. I guess there are a whole lot of people out there who enjoy exploiting and witnessing the pain and humiliation of others.
I have seen a few clips of her show (mostly on Talk Soup) and she seems like she is on something, or very lacking in manners. I would never purposely watch her show because I just feel like she would do anything to get people to notice her.
I'm so tired of her "investigative reporting" like dressing up like a 300-lb woman and crying over how difficult it was to be overweight for ONE DAY. Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it, woman!
The only daytime television I see these days is from Nogin! So I have never seen the show either, however that sounds so mean! What a shock for ratings terrible move! Boo!
Sick. Poor guy.
That poor man!
Bad Tyra! Ew.
The thing is all of these shows are exploiting folks to a certain point. The guy wants (needs) plastic surgery and she wants the "entertainment" factor. It is meant to be over the top I guess, otherwise people wouldn't watch it. There must be a market for it. I stopped watching those shows years ago because I many times would feel they embarassed people to get some ratings. I feel bad for this man. He must have been desperate to go on national tv for help. If I remember correctly, she took her bra off on national tv recently to "prove" her boobs weren't fake. I mean really, who cares?
Yuck. Ewww. that poor poor man, I hope they gave him a GOOD surgeon with lots of experience and threw in a tummy tuck.
I use to watch her every once in a blue moon, but I can't stand her either. My EWWWW moment, instead of ahhhaaa like Oprah, was when she had Naomi Campbell on there and went over all the ways that Naomi had done her wrong. It was soooooo stupid and just dumb. Does Tyra really think we care about her and Naomi's little cat fights? Please. The only thing it did was reconfirm how shallow Tyra is and I have never watched her show since. Doesn't sound like I am missing much! :)
I guess her producers believe in the old saying -- anything for ratings!
HORRIBLE!
Sunshine and linus1219: you're right about there being an audience for this kind of programming. It must be a pretty large audience considering all the trashy talk shows that are already out there! You'd think we wouldn't need one more.
s@m: yes, totally Jerry Springerish. Ugh.
Mona: totally.
Pattie: she took her bra off to show her boobs weren't fake?? OMG. That gives new meaning to the "anything for ratings thing"!
Jodi: Yeah, who really cares about her and Naomi's problems? What were they fighting over? Who is more beautiful? I was hoping she WOULD be more like Oprah, which is why I gave her a chance, but it seems like she's going the Jerry Springer route instead. Too bad.
Did you ever see the youtube clip from her show in which she gave her audience Sworovski encrusted jars of vaseline and they proceeded to go bezerk? Girls Gone Child posted it a while back. Truly bizarre.
Stop.Watching.Now. For your own sanity.
There's a word for what she did to that guy and what so many of those dumb ass talk shows do...it's called exploitation. Sure it's voluntary and nobody is making anyone be on those shows but sometimes they go too far in what they expect in return for their "help." Her show is about one step away from Ricki Lake.
And is it just me or does Tyra dress really badly on her show? I hate every single thing I've ever seen her in. You'd think some fashion sense would have rubbed off on her after modeling for so long.
And just to clarify...I do NOT watch her show regularly. But back when P was still nursing like crazy, I'd plunk down in the recliner and flip around and usually settle on Tyra because it was either her or the quilting show on HGTV. Now we have a different cable service and better channels so no more Tyra, thank God.
tyra makes me puke
That is so sad. That she would go that far for ratings. But I'm not really surprised!
Oh, Tyra. May you choke on your microphone.
Yeah thats sad.. I am a fan of Americas next top model but her show is a bit tasteless
Poor man...he must have been mortified.
That poor man! Ugh.... I'm sick thinking about it. I won't be watching Tyra. You make me glad I miss most of what is on TV....
Yeah that was in poor taste. I hope karma kicks her in the ass and she gains about 60 pounds!
I never watch those shows...they are all alike...Tyra, Oafra, they only give when there is an audience or a camera. Oh and Dr Phil. hes another one...who died and left him in charge????
I'm guessing you missed the episode when the young girl lost her virginity LIVE on her show, huh?
She's no Oprah.
Ick. I have no patience for that woman. Whose bright idea was it to give her a microphone?
The degrading of this man, the need to "prove" that her boobs aren't fake (I never thought they were, but unless I was hoping to touch them, I don't see why I would ever care), and that last bit about a girl losing her virginity on camera have just made me despise this woman.
That is awful.
Carrie
I think she blew it a long time ago - like when she felt the need to prove her breasts are in fact real, or when she put on the fat suit so she could learn what being fat feels like. I'm not at all surprised by this move.
http://ntycnboricua.blogspot.com
I never really watched this show before, now I really don't think I ever will.
WHAT? Someone lost their virginity on her show? Seriously? That's insane!
UGH. I stopped watching daytime television at all years ago, when Sally Jesse Raphael, Jerry Springer, and Montel Williams were on every channel. I can't stomach watching people be exploited, even if they did put themselves in that position voluntarily. It panders to our most base human instinct...preying on the misfortune and misery of others.
As long as people are watching Tyra, and as long as people are willing to produce this kind of crap, (which they will be, since it translates into $$$) daytime programming will never evolve and my television will remain off.
I can't wait until this disgusting voyeur television trend ends.
Ew. Ew. Ew. So glad I missed that show!
I feel for him but he needs to embrace his moobularly-enhanced status. Join me brother! Burn that bra.
Okay, after all the reports of Miss Tyra losing her temper and beating people about the head with cell phones (that was her, right?) I still didn't really pay her much attention. However, humiliating someone like that most likely for ratings is the lowest of the low. I really relate to people with mammary insecurities, having had them myself before and after I had a breast reduction 6 years ago. This just goes to show that behind that beautiful exterior lies a black wicked heart with no capacity for compassion. She's pretty, but she's a shallow snob and a bully, and all she'll be left with at 80 years old is a memory of her outer perfection that masked an inner putrid soul.
Amen. Now we just have to get Joe Public to stop watching shows like that. We're such lemmings.
Get her. Get. Her.
Love this post.
Brava! Mommy off the Record, Brava.
and double shame on Tyra and her producers...it makes me sick.
Yikes. I've never seen this show. And after this description, I'm positive I never will. Thanks for the heads up.
UGH! I saw one episode of her show a long time ago, the fat suit one and that was enough for me. What a twit!
Andrea, Certainly not to defend Tyra, but I do think it was Naomi who beat people over the head with her cell phone (her assistants if I remember correctly).
Dude, I knew all along she is cray-zee. Joel McHale on The Soup makes fun of her constantly and I'm always surprised by how self-centered and shallow she is (don't know why that would surprise me).
you crazy jelous bitches are just mad that tyra is beatifull,and wants to help people,go get a fucking life stupid people who want to talk cuz,i dont really think she cares what you sluts say about her, so go get a fucking life..I LOVE YOU TYRA...IGNORE THESE SELFISH BITCHES
go tyra!!!ime proud of you from making it to the run way ..all the way to the jetway!xox
No one here is posting comments because they are "hating on" Tyra. What she did was messed up, inconsiderate, devoid of any sense of compassion, and a violation of that man.
That man is suffering, and opened his heart on national television and she saw the opportunity and shoved her foot in it.
She is no different from any opportunist whether is be a junk used car salesman, to the date rapist, F' her
thank you!! (or 'WOOOOO, thank you gurrrrl!' in tyra language.) i agree with you so badly it hurts, much like it does to watch the tyra banks show. she's gone from try hard oprah (or should i say TYRArd oprah ZING!) to try hard jerry springer. case in point: i saw on her website that on wednesday, the episode is transexual children. because making grown up freaks feel even more marginilised on tv isn't enough....classy tyra.
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