We’re currently working on several other blog posts right now, but a controversial discussion fired up on Twitter last week and we felt it important enough to share with ALL of our ALLIES. The debate began when we posted the following question on Twitter:

“How do you feel about the fact that Tyra Banks came out as proud to be the size she was, but has since lost a lot of weight?”

We deliberately did not state our opinion at first in order to allow for an unfiltered response from our members. Our “tweet” (via @RevoltRealWomen) got the attention of people on all sides of the debate. Some seemed insulted that we would even ask such a question, stating that her weight was her business. Others seemed conflicted over liking the positive messages Tyra represents but confused by her lack of consistency. Some ALLIES even privately messaged us confessing that they believed, as a body image activist, Tyra Banks should own some of the responsibility for the mixed messages she’s sending her audiences and fans.

Many of you are probably wondering why are we spending any time discussing Tyra’s weight at all when REVOLUTION OF REAL WOMEN™ stands for every woman regardless of her size…

Here’s why… As we said in our initial question on Twitter, Tyra recently lost a considerable amount of weight – namely, 30 pounds and 4 dress sizes. We believe, as do many of our ALLIES, that a woman’s weight is her own business. We would not normally publish and focus on such personal figures, but this is not simply about Tyra’s weight loss, it is about the inconsistencies in her message. We hope to offer a broader perspective in order to give our ALLIES a birdseye view of the situation.

FIRST, watch this: Tyra Lashes Back at Tabloids –
http://www.youtube.com/wat..ch?v=6mOQh3evqsI

THEN, watch this: Tyra Banks talks about body image on Larry King Live (Sept. 22, ‘09) -
http://www.youtube.com/wat..ch?v=LxzsTSRXY9w

Throughout her career, Tyra has very deliberately thrown herself into the role of advocate and role model within the areas of healthy self-esteem and body image. She is also on the record saying that the weight she maintained during her modeling career was not her body’s healthy, normal weight, hence her weight gain after her “retirement” from modeling. Why then has she both returned to her model weight AND said the following in a recent interview with Larry King:

"When I told the world to kiss my fat ass, I remained that size for two years. I maintained it with my ice cream and my salad with ranch dressing and croutons and bacon bits."

This statement alone is enough to throw any Health At Every Size, Body Image or Eating Disorder Awareness advocate over the edge.

As one article put it: “[Tyra] is joining the ranks of Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and countless other female celebs who publicly claim to love their fuller figures only to then drop a bunch of weight.” (source: TheFrisky.com)

In 2005, Tyra “retired” from her modeling career with Victoria’s Secret, stating that she wanted to “go out on top”. Tyra may no longer appear in VS catalogs and shows, but she never retired from her position of influence within the entertainment and modeling industries. In fact, Tyra has more influence now than ever before. Not only is she still one of the biggest players in the entertainment industry as well as a business mogul, she has started a phenomenon with young girls all over the world with her TV show America’s Next Top Model.

Some of our ALLIES and members have suggested that Tyra’s not really a body-image advocate, but when you look at her career choices, that’s a tough position to defend…

By day, Tyra uses the platform of her own talk show to provide a strong voice for women and their self-esteem. She has been a bold advocate, teaching us to love and embrace who and what we are – to demand respect. Admirably, she’s often crossed controversial lines to help bring ‘tough-to-talk-about’ issues to the forefront. For this, we wholeheartedly thank her. Tyra is also one of the most successful and influential businesswomen in the country, making Forbes’ annual list of Prime-Time TV’s Top Earning Women. Her story is an amazing example of talent, determination and believing that we can accomplish anything. For all of this, we truly commend Tyra.

Women and girls look up to Tyra Banks. They admire that she has publicly declared pride in her body and natural hair. When paparazzi gave her grief over weight gain, she came out on her daytime talk show wearing the same swimsuit she’d had on in the infamous paparazzi shot. Tyra put the tabloids in their place by proclaiming, “Kiss my fat ass” and females around the world rejoiced (including me).

Then there’s the camp for teen girls that Tyra started years back called “TZONE”
focusing on these very same issues. The camp has since closed, and has since transitioned into “The Tyra Banks TZONE Foundation” which describes itself as follows:

“The Tyra Banks TZONE Foundation’s priority is to support community-based nonprofits that encourage supportive female relationships through programs that advance the development of girls’ positive body image, self-esteem, and relationships; life skills, goal setting, sound decision making and personal accountability; personal health wellness; and an understanding and appreciation for diversity.”

We’re certainly not here to say anything negative about the efforts of this foundation because from what we can see, TZONE has done a lot of good for girls all over the country. So… why bring it up? Because TZONE is yet another prime example of a way in which Tyra has deliberately inserted herself into media as a role model and an advocate.

On America’s Next Top Model (a.k.a. “ANTM”), girls are overtly judged by their size and weight. Here, models are encouraged to “work with what they’ve got” NOT by embracing their “flaws” with confidence, but by finding ways to hide imperfections (i.e. making sure one’s thighs never appear to touch). I will acknowledge that many of us probably do things like that, consciously or subconsciously, finding our good angles and pose in a way that helps us to look our “best” in pictures (whatever that means)… WHY do we do this? Who taught us what makes a good photo? Was it the media? Family? Friends? We learn and absorb these “lessons” from everywhere, ANTM just encourages this “never good enough” type of mentality among young girls.

Some might argue that ANTM is trying to be more inclusive by including a “plus size” girl in the cast. Unfortunately, regardless of her talent and abilities, there is an obvious stigma so deeply instilled in fashion industry minds that the so-called “curvier” girl usually has FAR more hoops to jump through just to receive approval from the judges. And remember that stampede outside of the most recent Top Model auditions (if not, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/wat..ch?v=ze3BMeofU9k)? For the current season, Tyra exclusively chose shorter girls to compete for the title (mind you, “short” to ANTM equates to 5’7” and under). From my perspective, after watching several episodes this season, the inclusion of “short” models has brought very little change to the show… same stuff, different height.

Let me be clear, we are not saying that Tyra Banks must surrender her right to maintain any specific weight –that’s her business – but it’s the message that must remain consistent. This is the part that the very successful Tyra Banks has not gotten right. Perhaps, if the change had not been so drastic and in contradiction to what she has said of her “healthy” weight in the past, she wouldn’t owe anyone an explanation. However, when Tyra’s weight drops as significantly as it has, as a body image activist, it does NOT suffice to tell her young, impressionable followers she stopped eating ice cream. She is pushing the same right vs. wrong, good vs. bad mentality of the eating disorder sufferers she has fought so strongly to denounce.

Bottom line? Not only are these mixed messages detrimental to Tyra Bank’s overall legitimacy, but it inevitably DOES change the overall message…

And it is the message that makes all the difference.