Buy Walking VideosWhat It’s Like For The Fat People
Tyra Banks is donning a fat suit for her television show, The Tyra Banks Show. She describes the experience as one of the most heartbreaking days of her life.
She was shocked at the people that pointed and laughed at her. She was surprised by the people who stared at her.
Obesity seems like the last form of open discrimination that’s okay. I had no idea it was that blatant.
I wonder what Tyra’s life is like. What is it like to be shockingly beautiful? What is it like to never have experienced the taunts of people laughing at her “fat ass”? If one day in a fat suit is one of the most heart-breaking days of her life, I wonder what it’s like to be a supermodel. What does it feel like to go an entire lifetime without having someone call me a “fat broad”?
Whenever I feel like I don’t want to exercise, maybe I can remember the shock that Tyra felt on that day. Maybe I can imagine what it would be like to be gorgeous and unattainable instead of mocked and degraded. The hope of living a life without degradation is enough to get me out of bed and on the treadmill.
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November 7th, 2005 at 7:52 am
Pointing and laughing? At my heaviest, I never experienced that. Are people becoming that much more boorish?
November 8th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
I’m tempted to say that since this was for a television show, there might be a tad of drama added in. However, I have seen junior high boys give people grief for various things, whether the target was in earshot or not.
I don’t know if it is much different whether the target is an overweight man or woman. As an overweight man working at a college, I was struck by how invisible I was to the students just walking across campus. I’ve also noticed that I appear to be less invisible as I’ve lost weight. Is it possible that most of us (even those of us with the same problem to a greater or lesser degree) tend to ignore overweight people? That’s the question that’s been on my mind as I’ve noticed more nods or smiles and “hellos”. Have I been doing that to others?
November 14th, 2005 at 11:04 am
I thought Tyra was pretty out of touch with reality on this segment. I think we can imagine, but not truly know how life is for her or other gorgeous famous people.
I don’t think I have been discriminated or laughed at by people. I am always known as “the big guy” because I am pretty tall and muscular. But since I have lost 30 pounds, I definitely have been getting more “looks” and feel so much better about myself. Only 25 more pounds to go, and I know I will feel wonderful. I don’t define myself only by my body, but it is major.
Keep up your efforts, and good luck. You’re Quotations page means so much to me; I wish you the best.
January 14th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
as a fat woman, i take offense at the fact that, when they fat-ified tyra, they also made her less attractive…and i don’t mean, the weight made her less attractive, i mean, they went out of their way to 1. dress her in ill-fitting clothing, 2. make her hairstyle less flattering to her face, 3. use glasses to obscure part of her face, and 4. use less (or bad) makeup that does nothing positive for her skin. not all fat people are unnatractive, just like not all thin peolpe are attractive, and yes, sure it’s all in the eye of the beholder, but i think something like a supportive bra, for example, would make any woman look better. also, if they needed to know what a day in the life of a fat person was like…couldn’t they just get an actual fat person to follow around? but i guess that would be less interesting, because, you know fat people…no one likes fat people, not real ones anyway, and would want to see what their lives are like
February 6th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Dude, They laughed because they made her UGLY. it wasnt because she was fat.
February 20th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I take great offense that she made a segment about “fat” people. It basically made it sound like “fat” ppl are of a different life form. I have been large my whole life, and I have dealt with a lot, but ya know, its who I am. I would never charge it for the world. They made Tyra look like how ppl like her would view a fat person. Unstylish, blah hair, ugly make up and skin and the whole 9 yards. Ppl probably looked at her like that just like they would look at any other “average” sized person that didnt take pride in there looks. This whole segment just pissed me off! Im fat, and Im hot, and I got it going on
October 13th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
trya for me being one of your bigest fans from the americas next top modle to the banks show i have never seen anything like this, this episode changed my lfe i am a bigger girl i weigh 159 lbs and people laughed and played jokes on me all of my life i always thought that it was just me that they only laughed at me till i seen one of the most prettyest girls in the world be laughed at because she was bigger. thank you for making me relize and changing me one step at a time i am 17 years old and i have lost over 27 lbs since your show i wanted to thank you with all my heart
December 5th, 2007 at 8:37 am
they was laughing because they made her ugly.. not because she was fat.. i mean there are some fat women and men who are out there and they look waaayyy better than tyra did when she wore that fat suit.. they didnt dress her nice, do her hair or anything.. that is why they were laughing. im not fat, and when i see a fat person i dont laugh its nothing funny people who do that are immature or just have nothing better to do…