Tyra Banks, the iconic supermodel and television personality, recently confronted the backlash surrounding her long-running reality competition series, America’s Next Top Model.
As the show, which premiered in May 2003 and spanned 24 seasons, continues to ignite discussions about its controversial moments, Banks took the opportunity to address these concerns during her acceptance speech at ESSENCE’s Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
During the ceremony, where Banks received the inaugural Luminary Spotlight Award, she reflected on her journey as a host and creator of America’s Next Top Model. The series once held the title of the highest-rated program on The CW, but it has also faced significant scrutiny over certain moments that have resurfaced online. In a candid moment, Banks acknowledged her mistakes, stating, “Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb s**t.”
By engaging with the backlash head-on, Banks emphasized that while there were missteps, the essence of the show was about breaking barriers and opening doors for future generations in the modeling industry.
Banks expressed her determination not to let her legacy be defined solely by the controversial aspects of the show. “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,” she declared, signaling her commitment to the positive impacts the show had on its contestants and audience alike.
She further elaborated on her personal growth, stating, “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.'” This powerful declaration signifies Banks’ embrace of body positivity and the evolution of beauty standards.
As the conversation around beauty, diversity, and representation continues to evolve, Tyra Banks stood her ground that she fought hard to ensure diversity when there was none in the fashion industry. “Over 20 years ago I created a show called America’s Next Top Model,” Banks said.
“And you guys have no idea how hard we 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 continued: “A time when people in the fashion industry were telling me, “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 chillin’ in the park in the hood can’t?” And we fought and we struggled and we made it happen.”
America’s Next Top Model was one of the biggest shows at the time. It was first aired in May 2003, and the final season continued in 2016, with the series finale ending in 2018.
