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Puhleeze...Tyra Banks is NOT FAT!

This is fat? THIS is FAT?!?!?!

Are you KIDDING ME?

Look at Tyra...doesn't she look fabulous?

I should look so "fat." Really. Truly.

I'm not a fan of Tyra, or rather, I should say, I haven't been up to this point. Before all of her TV stuff (which I should admit I don't really watch; I've merely tuned in once or twice in order to be able to have an opinion) she was just a face, and after that, she was sort of, well, a Stuck Up Girl, or so it seemed. She reminded me of the girl I gave wide berth to in high school...because you just never knew if her sweetie voice was going to actually be nice, or bitchy and mocking.

However, after reading the People magazine article, I might like one or two aspects of this chick.

Let's run some stats and compare me and my new friend here:

Tyra: 5'10", 161 lbs, gorgeous, healthy, mega rich and successful retired supermodel, major TV personality

Julie: 5'10", weight moving down, good hairut, getting healthy, coupon clipper, mom, mainly anonymous

I'm sure you can imagine---after I've worked so hard to lose weight, get healthy and look and feel great---how maddening it is to see the media crucify Banks for being a healthy weight for her height instead of too skinny. After all, she weighs right at my goal (my goal weight is 155-160). That's my good, healthy, don't-have-to-bend-over-backwards to maintain it weight.

Of course, on me it looks nothing like it does on her, but I say (with all sincerity) that's fine by me.

Her weight is in the healthy range.

And Tyra is happy with it, "I still feel hot."

She should. She looks hot. She is hot. In fact, I dare say she looks hotter now than ten years ago.

I think mature female bodies are lovely. I think women who look healthy and are comfortable in their own natural and healthy size (which, for the record, evolves with time for most of us) are gorgeous.

We can't all have the Ally McBeal and Audrey Hepburn thing going on. So that (meaning: waifishly thin) can't and shouldn't be the only measure of "pretty."

She is concerned, as am I, with how this obsession and vicious judgment ("America's Next Top Waddle" and "fat" and "disgusting" and "ugly" to quote a few comments.) will affect young women and women's body images:

"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 says. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?"


I can tell you: it makes me feel mad, seriously annoyed.

Like Tyra, I prefer eating pancakes at IHOP to dieting into small designer sizes. I'm not a big fan of exercising, but will do it (under duress) for health. I want to be healthy, not skinny. I want to feel good.

And for people who think 162 at almost six feet is fat, ugly and disgusting, go SOD OFF. Really.

You know what I think? I don't think anyone really thinks Tyra is fat. Or really, not that many, and probably not even many of the members of the media coming up with such charming monikers as "America's Next Top Waddle."

I think they're just being vicious. Making news. Pointing and laughing to feel better about themselves.

Tyra Banks is NOT FAT.

Although I lost another pound, I'm still not quite through my goal barrier. Next week. As God is mah wihtness, I shall lose at least two pounds next week!




copyright 2007 Julie Pippert

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Comments

thailandchani said…
Agree completely. Tyra Banks is beginning to see the hypocrisy in the very industry she once admired. I didn't read the article and I don't see her show but she's very right to stand up to the Weight Nazis and all the ridiculous, unreachable standards they impose on regular, everyday women.

It reminds me of the old Trisha Yearwood song, "Real Live Woman". That may be the first indication I recall that women were beginning to fight back.


Peace,

~Chani
I am right there with you! At 5'10 myself, I am just going to be "bigger" than my 5'4 and under friends. Unfortunately, celebrity is a cruel business and achieving your initial fame asa model makes it even harsher! I agree with you! She is certainly NOT fat! Hopefully, after reaching my MILF goal....I, too, will look THAT fat! Great post!
Sandy. said…
I want to be as "FAT" as Tyra Banks. I can dream, can't I?

I read somewhere that the average U.S. woman weighs 162. Clearly, most celebrities are "below average" when it comes to weight, yet that is what is portrayed as normal and beautiful and sexy by the media. It's a tough show to follow. Standards that few women can live up to. Standards that make many women feel discouraged and dejected.

Me included.

Sandy.
Christina said…
She looks beautiful. And I only wish I could look like her.
S.T. said…
Man, I weighed in today at 161 and I'm 5'8" and I don't feel fat, so I agree, Tyra Banks is NOT FAT! Sheesh!
Unknown said…
I read an interview with Mandy Moore in which she discusses her weight. She spends some time saying how she realizes she is never going to be small, yada yada yada and then closes with a statement that it gets frustrating that all the sample clothes (which celebs get access to I suppose) are size 0 or 2 and why can't they make them in a normal size like 6 or 8. 6 or 8? 6 or 8?? 6 or 8??? That is ridiculous! (Not Ms. Moore but that that is the expectation celebrities are living with. Whoa missy, watch out. If you are a 6 or 8 then you are out of control. You better do something about your size. Arghh!!!)
Girlplustwo said…
people are vicious. it's amazing how judgmental we can be.

you, however, have never looked more beautiful. you are doing it!
Julie Pippert said…
You lovely people. Seriously. With a world full of wonderful and real people such as you, I believe we can make the point that healthy is what is beautiful. And you can be too thin.

Queen and Stephanie, extra huge kudos to you guys for honest stats. I waffled on putting my real weight in the post. Wrote, erased, repeat. I imagine anyone who can add can figure it out LOL.

Sandy, AMEN!!!!! I've quit looking at celebrities. After all, I don't really know any, and clearly they are NOT the average person so what's the point? I look at my friends.

Mary-Lue, I read something about someone being size 10-12 and the comment was something about geesh isn't that plus sized and I about died.

The average US woman wears 11-14. THAT is average, so Mary, you are SO RIGHT.

(Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

I'm sick of this arbitrary scale for women's sizes. I like men's sizes.

In fact, I like to buy men's trousers sometimes. They seem to accept more variance in build for men than women. I can find clothes long enough for my legs and the right circumference for my waist and hips. I wish women's clothes did this...men's stuff isn't usually cut right for a female figure.

Chani, Christina and Jen, you guys are so right.

Thanks all!
MamaMaven said…
I am with the others, I want to be as "fat" as Tyra. I am 5'10" as well, we are a tall group of MILFs to be aren't we?

Congrats on the great weight loss, a pound a week is good, coming off slowly is healthy (I know easier said than lived!).
Mad said…
When I was growing up women's clothing didn't come smaller than size 6. I still get creeped out that size 0 and size 2 exists.

When I was breastfeeding I watched a lot of TV (putting the boob back in boob tube, I liked to quip at the time). I watched some of America's next top model and it did not do a good job of selling healthy body image. I hope that Tyra has come round.

Me, I'm hoping to one day be a size 11-12 again. If it doesn't happen, I won't cry a river of tears. Keep up the good work.
Rachel Briggs said…
great post - I hate this obsession with being skinny - thank goodness I am lucky enough to have a husband who makes me feel ike a "real" woman even though I'm not a size 0!! (or even close!)
I'm 5' 9" and when I weight 161 I feel pretty good.
sillychick said…
I dunno, I am who I am, regardless of weight or size or whatever.

I'm glad she came out about this, but would she have if she hadn't been photographed with her gut out? Again, I'm glad but she still grates on me sometimes :-)

I think our MILF group is where it's at...real women!
Mom O Matic said…
I too was not a fan till she got "real". Congrats on the weight loss. And I just read your incredibly well written and lovely comment on Kristen Chase's blog. Thank you, thank you. It irritates me to be used as an example, altered to fit whatever perspective of MILF they decide to take.
Catherine said…
Thanks for the post, Julie, and the links! I didn't even know anyone had suggested that she was fat...what ridiculousness. How are we supposed to raise daughters in a world like this?

I heard an interview with an addiction counselor on NPR who works with adolescent girls to re-train them to recognize healthy women's bodies. Before the training, they identify ONLY pre-pubecent bodies as healthy; after the training, more average bodies. I'm in the middle of writting a Part 2 post on that, actually....

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