Tyra Banks knows both she and ANTM were problematic at times, but argues that shouldn’t overshadow what they fought for and achieved when it comes to representation.
For 15 years, Tyra Banks was a towering and influential presence looming over reality television world, as well as the modeling industry. America’s Next Top Model became one of the top shows on television, but it didn’t happen without some controversy along the way … and since.
Banks herself has come under fire from more than a few contestants for some of her comments and behavior on the show.
But as she accepted the Luminary Spotlight at Essence’s 18th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards at Los Angeles’ Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel this past Thursday, the show’s creator and host wasn’t going to just let that be the story.
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In her speech, Banks talked about how hard she and her team fought “to bring the diversity to that television show at a time when it didn’t exist, to show different beauties at a time when the world was like, ‘What? You casting that?'”
She said she was told by those in the fashion industry, “You putting the girls from the hood on your show?”
“I was like, ‘Why can the girl from the trailer park become a supermodel but the girl that’s chilin’ in the park in the hood can’t?'” Banks said she countered. “And we fought and we struggled and we made it happen.”
At the same time, after enduring years of negative headlines, Banks admitted, “Did we get it right? Hell no! I said some dumb s–t”
She continued, though, to emphasize, “But I refuse to have my legacy be about some stuff linked together on the internet when there were 24 cycles of changing the world. And I am so excited that I, and so many of us, have opened that door for others to follow.”
After airing across multiple networks from 2003 to 2018, and helping to make stars out of the likes of Adrianne Curry, Winnie Harlow, Eva Marcille, and Yaya DaCosta, old clips from the show started resurfacing in 2020, leading to renewed criticism of some of Banks’ harsh comments and how contestants were treated on the show.
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There was the way in which some contestants’ sexuality was addressed, or intentionally not addressed, one comment where she told an aspiring model she should “fix” a gap in her teeth, and a problematic “race-swapping” challenge that had some in “black face,” as detailed by People.
“Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you,” Banks wrote at the time in a since-deleted tweet, as noted by Deadline. “Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs.”
On Thursday, Banks made it clear that despite the criticism levied at her past, she’s not done yet.
“And now my 51-year-old, dimpled, cellulite-covered bigger tummy and 10 million times bigger titties is walking through that door that I opened with all of us behind us on that runway saying, ‘Baby, it’s just the beginning,'” she declared.
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