Tyra Banks goes undercover... as an obese woman

muchlove · November 2nd, 2005, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Wed Nov 2, 4:16 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - Tyra Banks has gone undercover as a 350-pound woman. Banks wore the fat suit to experience what it's like to be obese.

"It seemed like the last form of open discrimination that's OK, and I decided to put on a 350-pound suit myself and live that life for a day and see what happens," the 31-year-old former supermodel told AP Radio in a recent interview. "And it was one of the most heartbreaking days of my life."

Banks said she was shocked at the reaction.

"I started walking down the street and within 10 seconds, a trio of people looked at me, snickered, looked me right in my eye and started pointing and laughing in my face," the talk-show host said. "And I had no idea it was that blatant."

The segment will air Monday on "The Tyra Banks Show."

Banks, who had a sonogram on her show in September to prove that her breasts are real, is also planning a Nov. 18 segment on pursuing "a beautiful booty."

She will reveal her own "dimpled butt" and receive endermologie treatment on the set.

Yahoo! News

esmereldagrubb · November 2nd, 2005, 11:12 PM

Gwyeneth Paltrow already did this experiment during her filming of 'shallow hal' and i also recall a couple women's magazines doing the same type of experiment. You dont need a fat suit to know that this nation is ANTI-fat and pro-anorexic.

britlitgal · November 2nd, 2005, 11:21 PM

oops! sorry for the double thread.

chuckpony · November 2nd, 2005, 11:44 PM

Tyra Banks needs to go undercover and go away!!!!

haggard · November 3rd, 2005, 02:48 AM

Did she ever think that they pointed and laughed in her face because they recognised that she was tyra banks and she looked ridiculous in a fat suit??

I'm fat, and I've NEVER had anyone laugh at me to my face. Not saying it doesnt happen, but I'm so fucking tired of these skinnies putting on a fat suit for a few hours and then pretending like they know what its like to be a fat person. News flash, its a lot worse with the knowledge that you cant go home and take off your fat suit and be the "perfect" beauty.

ourmaninBusan · November 3rd, 2005, 04:07 AM

Reporters do this every five or ten years -- they dress up
like they're old and see how people treat them on the subway.
Or they dress like they're pregnant and see if anyone will
offer up their seat on a bus...and when they don't, it's a
crime against humanity.

/yawn

Rambie · November 3rd, 2005, 07:32 AM

I have no idea why but I like Tyra Banks and her show. I don't blame any of you if you call me crazy but her show is my guilty pleasure when I come home from the office and plop down on the couch. I never admit to anyone I like it but I really do. It is very cheesy!!!

AmandaBlue · November 3rd, 2005, 01:52 PM

Tyra Banks As A 350 Pound Woman

In her unending quest to legitimize her having a talk show, model turned TV host Tyra Banks has opted to go "undercover" as a fat woman. This act is far from being original or even interesting as half of the American population experience the same humiliation that she did as a fatso on a daily basis for some reason or another.

Bank's "shocking journey" was just another patronizing attempt by a "pretty" person to validate their empathy for "unpretty" people. However with karma being a mother fuc*er Tyra looks to be
well on her way to not requiring so much prosthetic should she attempts this same fete in a few years. Then all the "pretty" people can empathise with her.

Tyra said:"It seemed like the last form of open discrimination that's OK, and I decided to put on a 350-pound suit myself and live that life for a day and see what happens and it was one of the
most heartbreaking days of my life... I started walking down the street and within 10 seconds, a trio of people looked at me, snickered, looked me right in my eye and started pointing and laughing in my face," the talk-show host said. "And I had no idea it was that blatant."

larger image

MrsDark · November 3rd, 2005, 02:03 PM

I also remember when Julia Roberts got *fatted up* by a mere 60 extra lbs to play the wallflower sister in that movie *America's Sweethearts* with CZJ and John Cusack. Didn't she say something like if she'd really had to wake up one day and be that overweight for real she'd want to kill herself? I also remember reading gossip tidbits supposedly from people who worked on that film about how in reality she was the huge snotty, demanding bitch on the set and CZJ was cool and friendly with everybody.

miss_perfect · November 3rd, 2005, 02:19 PM

The whole thing seems incredibly condescending.

MrsDark · November 3rd, 2005, 02:32 PM

I think so too. Wear that fat suit for about a year if you want a really good idea. Or better yet, gain the weight! Then you can experience the struggles of trying to lose! Now that's empathy.