WWTD: WHAT WOULD TYRA DO?

I have two photos in my hand. whoseover name I do not call must immediately log out, shut their computers, and never log in again... what's up guys! welcome back to STYLD 101. had to give the girls a little role-play b/c do you have what it takes to be on top? if you guys haven't gotten the gist by now, today we are going to be discussing one of reality TV's top acclaimed hit shows, "America's Next Top Model." for the kids who have been sleeping under a rock & don't know what the hell I'm talking about, ANTM first hit the TV on May 20, 2003 on the popular TV network, "The CW," which has also been home to some of our fave throwback shows such as: "All of Us," "Girlfriends," "Sister, Sister", etc. supermodel, Tyra Banks, created a search for girls worldwide to see if not only if she could transform these women, but to transform them into the next top model. the competition would be held for eight weeks. each week the girls would have different challenges, a photoshoot, & at the end of each week one girl would be eliminated. each cycle of ANTM the winner would win prizes that would help advance their careers in the modeling industry. the prizes consisted of: the winner will get signed to one of the top modeling agencies, a makeup contract w/ revlon or maybelline, $100,000, and a fashion spread w/ some of the prominent fashion photographers for the magazine that would be chosen for them. along w/ being executive producer on the show, ms. Banks also acted as one of the judges where she would critique the models w/ the rest of the judges who were w/ her on the panel. ANTM was a trailblazer for not only girls who wanted to get into the modeling industry, but also for people to get insight into world of modeling and fashion. people see the glitz and glam, but it is easily one of the most cutthroat and cruel industries to be apart of.

now that you guys a little bit of back history, let's get into this blog post! due to twitter, ms. Tyra Banks has been receiving backlash to due to previous commentary on past cycles of ANTM. one incident that has been triggering people all over is a resurfaced clip from cycle 6 when Tyra decided to tell one of the models, Danielle "Dani" Evans, that she has needed to close her gap. Banks had stated, "So, Danielle, you went to the dentist but you refused to have your gap closed," Tyra says in the clip. "Do you really think you can have a CoverGirl contract with a gap in your mouth?" Danielle responded, "Yes, why not?" Tyra replies, "This is all people see. It's easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl," she then points to her teeth and says, "It's not marketable." as previously stated, Tyra has been receiving a lot of backlash from this incident which led people to talk about how she broke many self esteems along the journey. she later issued an apology via twitter and tweeted:

people may call me a bitch or insensitive for this, but honestly do I really care? if I was Tyra, I personally wouldn't have apologized for anything. back to the comment where I stated that people only see the glitz & glam in fashion, this is just another example where they actually get to see the cutthroat & mean side of it. the models signed up for a competition that would not only make them ANTM, but to also real life experiences of being a top model which is not always so sweet and can break your self esteem w/ all of the expectations that come w/ being a model. from the constant critiques, no sleep, fierce competitiveness, and more, that's just a taste of it. I think that Tyra didn't tell or do anything to the girls anything the fashion or modeling industry would've done/told them or that she wasn't told herself. now I'm not saying that she has all the answers to being a model, but Tyra has walked for Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Dior, and more + on the cover of almost every magazine. she has the range, CREDENTIALS, & she knows what these publications are looking for! I think majority of the contestants, and even watchers. signed up expecting to live & see this fun-filled model lifestyle and got the reality. another example, everybody knows cycle 3 was that GIRL. they gave us Eva, Toccara, Norelle, Yaya, Ann, etc. whether we felt differently or not, Toccara faced challenges w/ being the only plus sized model to ever come on the show and weekly the judges just were not sure if the fashion world was ready for a plus size supermodel, a black plus size supermodel at that. during that time period, being plus size in the fashion industry was a death sentence and sadly, it even still occurs in today's society w/ most fashion houses and companies. even though it may be more accepting now, it's still just as challenging as it was back then.

I'm not saying or denying that the comments that were made during the show's run may have affected some of the girls' self esteem or trying to justify that it's right, I'm saying that not only the fashion industry, but the modeling industry is full of critics & critiques. if they can't take it from Tyra, how are they going to take it out there? they must've not seen the cycles w/ Janice b/c THAT'S who read the girls! I personally feel like that we live in such a sensitive generation that we choose to make everything so personal when it doesn't have to be. Tyra may have been reading the girls from time to time, but she was just preparing them for the world that they were trying to become a part of. y'all so bored in y'all quarantine homes, live ms. Tyra alone! 😂 that about wraps up this post. let me know what you guys think about the situation b/c I know that they just did not just try and come for cousin Tyra! thank you guys for tuning in for yet another blog post. don't forget to follow me on all socials @DEWAYNEMOJI & I will see you all in my next post! stay blessed, stay safe, & most importantly

#STAYSTYLD