Tyra Banks’ Ridiculous Excuse for Ruthless ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Judging
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From 2003 to 2018, “America’s Next Top Model,” was one of TV’s best guilty pleasures. The show — hosted and judged in part by Tyra Banks — followed a group of young women as they competed in various challenges, with the prize being a modeling contract and a lucrative deal with a cosmetics company.
Banks and other judges became known for their brutally honest, harsh criticism of the wannabe models, with many memorable moments becoming memes. In recent years, former contestants have spoken out about the toxic nature of the show, as well as how they felt physically and emotionally manipulated by producers, including Banks.
Well, it seems like the former supermodel’s manipulation didn’t stop at embarrassing challenges and exploitative personal moments.
Banks now says the criticisms — which were downright mean at times — were actually part of a “character” she played on the show.
“I had a persona on TV that was totally different than who I am in real life,” she told PEOPLE. “In real life, I have a lot of difficulty with giving feedback, like at work. I used to have to have a coach train me on how to say, ‘Well, you could have done this better.’”
Considering how intense and emotional some of the judging panels got, that excuse doesn’t hold water. On “Game of Thrones,” Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister was just a “character.” No one thought she was actually going to try and blow up anyone. Banks used her status within the fashion world to sell these young women a dream. She also used her name and credibility to establish her expertise.
That means contestants and viewers took her words seriously.
At this point, it’s no secret that reality TV isn’t actually real — no one on these shows are being their genuine selves. However, we have to wonder if the young women in their teens and 20s knew Tyra was just portraying a “persona?” Or did they think their dreams were dying because someone as powerful as Banks thought they weren’t pretty enough to be model or couldn’t cut it in the business?
Banks recently celebrated her 50th birthday, so it’s completely possible that she’s just reflecting on her past mistakes by revealing this aspect of the show. But with former contestants speaking out about “Top Model’s” controversial past, it feels disingenuous for Tyra to say all the hurtful things she said were part of a character she played.
