Model Tyra Banks hits back at "Porkchop" attacks - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-26-2007, 11:15 AM

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television personality and former supermodel Tyra Banks has hit back at critics who mocked her as fat and dubbed her "America's Next Top Waddle" after recent weight gains.

Banks, 33, who swapped the fashion runway in 2005 for a career as a TV chat show host and presenter of the reality show "America's Next Top Model," said she was hurt by the comments.

Banks, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, said she now weighs about 161 pounds (73 kg) -- about 30 pounds (13.6 kg) heavier than in 1997 when she first made it as a swimsuit model.

"I still feel hot but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say 'Damn!'," she told People magazine in an interview for its Friday edition.

Recent unflattering pictures of Banks in a swimsuit on a beach in Australia have circulated on the Internet with headlines such as "Tyra Porkchop" and "Tyra Banks is Fat."

"It was such a strange meanness and rejoicing that people had when thinking that was what my body looked like. It was really hurtful to me," Banks told People.

She said she was worried about the effect such reports would have on her fans.

"I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful'," she said. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting', what does that make those girls feel like?"

Banks said she was criticized in her 20s for her curves and hips when she was a runway model. Instead of strict dieting, she launched herself as a swimwear and lingerie model.

She has sought to highlight discrimination against overweight people, donning a padded "fat suit" and going undercover as a 350-pound (159-kg) woman in 2005 to show how obese people are treated by others.

Banks said she was dedicating part of her talk show next week to putting the record straight about her size.

friendsfan77 · 01-27-2007, 08:25 AM

I am so sick of people dissing Tyra. Not to mention, this is the kind of stuff that makes people want to start with eating disorders. This is just ridiculous. It really just seems like people are jealous of her and nothing more. She looks fine. I cant wait for the rest of the folks out there to realize that people being paper thin and skin and bones IS NOT ATTRACTIVE.

GoldenGirlsFan92 · 01-27-2007, 04:00 PM

I'm proud of Tyra. On this weeks showshe will be talking about all the tabloids about her. It will be on this Friday February 2nd. Sure she is a liitle big-boned, but she looks good. She looks alot better than those skin and bones models/people. Go Tyra!

felicitylen · 01-28-2007, 06:49 AM

She's on the cover of People magazine and I think she still looks great. I think she actually looks a lot better then her days as a model.

tdf4077 · 01-28-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felicitylen

She's on the cover of People magazine and I think she still looks great. I think she actually looks a lot better then her days as a model.

I agree! I mean, I love Tyra! I think she's a great inspiration! I just hope she doesn't cave to pressure and try to lose those 30 lbs...unless it's what she actually needs to do to be healthier. But I agree....and on Next Top Model, she does a good job about talking about weight honestly (about how what's acceptable in the modeling world is different than the real world). I wish people would just lay off.

01-26-2007, 11:15 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Model Tyra Banks hits back at "Porkchop" attacks LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television personality and former supermodel Tyra Banks has hit back at critics who mocked her as fat and dubbed her "America's Next Top Waddle" after recent weight gains. Banks, 33, who swapped the fashion runway in 2005 for a career as a TV chat show host and presenter of the reality show "America's Next Top Model," said she was hurt by the comments. Banks, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, said she now weighs about 161 pounds (73 kg) -- about 30 pounds (13.6 kg) heavier than in 1997 when she first made it as a swimsuit model. "I still feel hot but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say 'Damn!'," she told People magazine in an interview for its Friday edition. Recent unflattering pictures of Banks in a swimsuit on a beach in Australia have circulated on the Internet with headlines such as "Tyra Porkchop" and "Tyra Banks is Fat." "It was such a strange meanness and rejoicing that people had when thinking that was what my body looked like. It was really hurtful to me," Banks told People. She said she was worried about the effect such reports would have on her fans. "I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful'," she said. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting', what does that make those girls feel like?" Banks said she was criticized in her 20s for her curves and hips when she was a runway model. Instead of strict dieting, she launched herself as a swimwear and lingerie model. She has sought to highlight discrimination against overweight people, donning a padded "fat suit" and going undercover as a 350-pound (159-kg) woman in 2005 to show how obese people are treated by others. Banks said she was dedicating part of her talk show next week to putting the record straight about her size.
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01-27-2007, 04:00 PM	#3
GoldenGirlsFan92 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2005 Location: Louisana Posts: 2,243	I'm proud of Tyra. On this weeks showshe will be talking about all the tabloids about her. It will be on this Friday February 2nd. Sure she is a liitle big-boned, but she looks good. She looks alot better than those skin and bones models/people. Go Tyra!
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01-27-2007, 08:25 AM	#2
friendsfan77 - Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 02, 2004 Location: Duluth, GA Posts: 3,165	I am so sick of people dissing Tyra. Not to mention, this is the kind of stuff that makes people want to start with eating disorders. This is just ridiculous. It really just seems like people are jealous of her and nothing more. She looks fine. I cant wait for the rest of the folks out there to realize that people being paper thin and skin and bones IS NOT ATTRACTIVE.

01-28-2007, 06:49 AM	#4
felicitylen Keep Austin WEIRD Senior Member Join Date: Apr 17, 2003 Location: Hook 'em Horns Posts: 1,606	She's on the cover of People magazine and I think she still looks great. I think she actually looks a lot better then her days as a model.