Tyra Banks Announces Plus-Sized Teen Model Search
January 26, 2010 in Hot Models, Tyra Banks by Versus
That’s right – Tyra’s new show: “Fiercely Real Teen Model Search”
From NBC:
Tyra rightly points out that the average woman’s size in America is 12-14 — not exactly the 0-2 you often see on the runway, so she’s kicking off the Fiercely Real Teen Model Search to select six finalists that will appear on the The Tyra Show (which is in its final season). There’ll be Top Model-esque challenges involved, and the winner will receive Top Model-esque prizes like a contract with Wilhelmina, a spread in a magazine, a photo shoot, and even a whole day with Tyra herself.
On the one hand, this seems like a brilliant way to take advantage of a cultural moment (i.e. plus-size models suddenly getting the fashion spotlight), but on the other hand, it seems like a way to take advantage while avoiding making plus-size models, oh, the center of an actual TV show, as opposed to a segment on a TV show currently in its last season. Why not devote an entire season of Top Model to plus-size ladies? There’ve already been winning plus-size gals on the show, and we’d certainly tune in.
What does Tara have to say about her initiative? Here it is:
“Plus-sized tends to have a negative connotation and I want young girls to realize that what’s considered plus-sized is the average American woman.”
“That woman is healthy, fit and beautiful. Adolescence is such an impressionable time in a young woman’s life, and I hope this contest helps teen girls discover their own beauty from the inside out.”
P.S.: Like many of you, I don’t like the use of “real” as synonym for “plus-size”. All sizes are real sizes.
technology these days jk
Like Versus said all sizes are real sizes. And also a size 12-14 may be what the average american size is, but that doesn’t mean that all those women are healthy. I’m a 14-16 and I’m not healthy at all (trying to be, but it’s hard).
I know this is trying to make young women feel better about themselves, but are we just promoting being overweight? If you’re big but you still eat properly and exercise okay, but not all those american women who are a 12-14 are healthy. Obesity is on the rise so I think we need to start being careful with what we consider “normal” cause normal isn’t always good.
Agreed. I find it weird that she even brought up that statistic. It’s not something to strive towards or be proud of, that most of our women are 5′4 and a size 12-14…
I was thinking the exact same thing! It’s like saying it’s “okay” to be that size… I will not be watching the new season, it’s not something I would necessarily be interested in watching nor giving ratings to.
we need to stop using health as an excuse to judge people by their looks. you can’t judge health by weight. they have even done studies of heart attacks victems and showed that those who were overweight fared just as well in recovery as those who were a so called healthy weight.
we come in all sizes and we may not get to any of those sizes by healthy means, and so what? we all have vices! fat girls have the right to be accepted loved and applauded for their strengths and not made to feel less worthy because of their size, exactly like the rest of us.
models are picked for, or supposed to be picked, because they are the ideal shape for wearing a wide variety of clothes. as a short and curvy women i have no issue with that being the catwalk norm ( even if i think some take it to extremes). i likewise would love to see advertisers and magazines which apparantly ARE marketed on the premise that they speak to the average woman, put their money where their mouth is and show a wide range of sizes.
as for tyra- this is just publicity. sorry. hate NTM, hate people using ‘lets love our bodies’ just to get their faces and mouths out there. at the end of the day karl lagerfeld might be mysogynistic prejudiced and incredibly elitist, but at least he is being honest. i have no issue with that!
Why are there never sizes 6-10(US)?
It’s always size 0-2 or 10-12… never a happy medium.
Size 8 women are real women too, you know!
And I’m not saying the 0s and 10s shouldn’t be there, just a little bit of everything.
I’m tired of these extremes.
Why are there never sizes 6-8(US)?
It’s always size 0-2 or 10-12… never a happy medium.
Size 8 women are real women too, you know!
And I’m not saying the 0s and 10s shouldn’t be there, just a little bit of everything.
I’m tired of these extremes.
I absolutely agree with you. And I think, in the seventies and eighties, that was the reality. But today it is either normal or “plus” sized. I wish we could get truly healthy (and not just overweight) models as well as the extremes.
I don’t know about the 70s, but they were showing a fashion show from the 80s on TV today and they were as skinny as the ones today.
What are sizes 6-8 in Europe? Just 36-38? Because if that’s the case I think over here the average size is a 38, maybe 40….so then I , according to Tyra, the US average is like 4 sizes more…. and yet when I go over there I don’t really notice this…I mean people always say that Americans are fat, but I never notice it…I see some very obesse people, but then the rest just seems normal…and I see all these girls running and stuff…I don’t know, they seem active, they look like a 38….
I’m just taking back this whole second paragraph cause I was kind of tires and I don’t think it makes much sense.
Whoop!
Rep the mediums! Lol
I don’t understand your question? They simply said the average model size is 0-2, and average american female is 10-12. That’s not placing a judgement on sizes 6-8. It’s simply statistics…
I also wonder why they are only on the Tyra Show and there’s no America’s Next Top Model: Plus Size.
It’s true that the average size in the US is 12-14, but if she’s doing a Top Model type of sequence these women are typically going to be 5′9″ and up. That’s NOT the average height. The average US woman’s height is 5′4″. So, the truly average woman in the US is less likely to be healthy at those sizes if she’s at least 5 inches shorter.
It’s Tyra’s gig. She can put whoever the hell she wants on it and the rest of you can just pout.
Hopefully it doesn’t get all ghetto like the last model search.
Ha ha..ghetto is right. The last few seasons have been awful!
The average American IS a size 12-14, but they’re also short, unlike models. It is not a healthy size for most individuals, so to even bring that up seems lame to me.
I’m willing to bet this show will be about super tall, perfectly proportioned size 12’s and 14’s, which is a gimmick that’s been done many times before. Boring.
I like my size 2 models, but, why not do an America’s Next Top Model season with regular sized models…like, size 4-8’s, if you care about variety? I just saw Doutzen on another post, why not have more Doutzens modeling?
I agree- some “normal” sized ladies would be refreshing. Less bones, more curves to love
true
does anyone understand the difference between advocating and representing? i realise most girls on here are probably looking at VS models as inspirational, but all i want to see is girls with similar body types to myself wearing fashion in a way that suits me. I want to be REPRESENTED! but i don’t go to dior and gucci and chanel catwalk shows, think, my invitation must have got lost in the post. I do read magazines and would love to see them, especially the ones that bang on and on about this topic, show different sizes and shapes. something most fail to do except on the odd occasion for the sake of publicicty.
If there’s a difference, then using skinny models isn’t advocating thinness and no one should feel bad about their body. Representation in the media is usually advocation, sadly.
The rest of what I’m going to say doesn’t have much to do with your post, amazon. I just got reminded of something, and I don’t want you think this is directed at you.
I want variety too though, but sometimes I wonder, to what extent? Let’s say we win the fight to get all body sizes represented…then what? Height? Let’s say we get all heights represented, then what? Skin? Hair style? Lip size? Fingernail shape?
Sometimes I think people have too much of a sense of entitlement for their own good. They feel entitled to see their size represented, both big and small, no matter what the sales for the company are like. And they won’t stop at just seeing their size modeling, because once that happens, they’ll focus on something else of their’s that’s lacking representation. People can’t seem to be satisfied. Sometimes I feel like the only way that people will feel adaquately represented is if they’re the ones modeling.
I want variety and I want people to feel good about their body and see the best of what they can achieve, but I don’t know if this fight for variety is…beatable.
Easy for you to say, since you are on the side that is represented. If you are not in someone’s shoes, don’t talk. Don’t. You have no right to tell people what they want and what they don’t. How would you feel if our beauty standards today were those in rafaelian ages? I’m sure you wouldn’t be so proud and skinny and constantly defending the beauty standards, now would you?
Wow, chill. I’m not defending the beauty standards, nor am I saying that we shouldn’t have variety. I am expressing my worries regarding striving for variety, because I have them.
If beauty standards were like in previous times, I would feel insecure about my body, and would wish that people my size were found attractive.
But here we are, in a society that values skinny people, and I’m a skinny person. Why then, do I still feel insecure about my apperance? Because instead of worrying about my size, I worry about my face structure, skin, hair…etc instead.
My post was more of a question, not an answer or opinon: when will we be satisfied?
People will never be satisfied; no matter what beauty standards are there will always be people left out. And they will complain, whether you like it or not. And don’t get me wrong, from your comments you seem a very intelligent and educated person so it somehow biases me how you constantly have to defend your body. It is not necessary to say in every single post that you are skinny. That’s all. It harms you and your image more than anything else and it brings flaws to your otherwise well built arguments.
Actually, I didn’t bring up my size, you did. Your Rafaelian comment…I assumed you said that because I’m thin.
As for defending my size and talking about how skinny I am…I rarely do that! In fact, I try not to, because I don’t want people to read what I say and dismiss it as just some bs that skinny people say.
I think you’ve been on this site for a while so you’ve seen the some instances where I have mentioned it…
The privileged do not want to give up their position. Sad fact of life.
Casey once again (of course) I completely understand where you are coming from and your concerns! In the back of my mind I sort of wondered about this too, because even I will say that I want “more variety”, but I quite honestly don’t really know what ‘variety’ specifically I would want. I mean, I think I usually mean something as simple as clothing size 4-6 models or something… so that it seems there are more size variety at least.
But I understand your point of view; will people be happy once there are finally some medium size models? I agree with you completely, I don’t think we all CAN be satisfied. Or at least finally when a few people see something they like, a whole slew of other people are going to be upset! I don’t think it’s a battle that can be won sadly…
wow casey i never looked at it that way. i don’t people will ever get satisfied when it comes to body image in the media. even if they did have normal models working on runways, people will still complain or find a reason to complain about something. “there aren’t enough short models, there aren’t enough black models or other races that models, etc, etc.” you can’t please everyone and i wish i could see women that are from sizes 4-9 because those sizes exist as well and i’m a size 7 as well. i would like to see women my size and my height but i guess no matter how many times you complain about it, there are some who will have a problem with it.
You’re wasting your time. Being thin gives one advantages in this society they are not easily willing to admit or give up. Much being like being White or Rich, being thin gives one some options others do not have.
Most people won’t admit to obvious advantages because there is some measure of guilt involved for them if they do admit it. So you’ll see loads of women responding screaming “I don’t have privilege”. Well, they do. As a person who has been overweight and i now thin, I know full well the thin are treated better in society. People are little more than animals in truth. They are prone clawing, kicking, backbiting and killing anything or anyone for position. If you want representation, I would suggest getting on Model Mayhem and doing it yourself.
I’m sure that they want to first see if there’s interest, before devoting a whole season to a plus-sized show, for one thing.
I do not think there’s anything fit and healthy about being overweight. Even if you eat healthy food and exercise, if you’re significantly overweight, you’re unhealthy. That’s what the research shows (if you don’t believe me, see the recent New York Times article debunking the myth that it’s possible to be “fat and fit.”)
But, from a different perspective, most American people cannot seem to lose the weight no matter how hard they try, so maybe they’re tired of seeing people that they’ll never look like that only make them feel bad about themselves, and want to see beautiful people closer to their own size. I guess the ratings will tell.
Yeah Tyra I love Tyra and all, but for how long have Fashion Models, And Next Top Models been thin? Forever.
So why should they change it, plus size people have they’re own stuff, like baby phat and all that. Other labels like Elle, Vogue, and everything else stays thin.
Pffft, models are completely unlike average women, that’s why they’re models.
Models are suppose to have ridiculously beautiful, and proportional bone structures, with freakish long lengs, and freakish measurements and shapes. Oh, and freakishly beautiful, with great skin without any of the common AVERAGE imperfections. The whole point is to be that 0.3% of the population that looks that good.
A size 12 model isn’t *anything* like an average woman. She’s just bigger then a skinny model, but still has those, ya know, MODEL qualities that SET HER APART from the crowd.
Oh yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to reply to the post before me, I wanted a general reply, so Rose, not a response to yours
From what i’ve noticed, plus sized models have more beautiful facial features than regular sized models. Sometimes, they are really not beautiful, but they do have the body to make up for it. And the attitude of course.
Yeah but i think models and fashion and everything like that should stick to thin models. It just looks better,Tyra is just being her normal “looking for new looks” self. Think about it, when u think “Model” thin comes to your mind. So why are big people trying to do fashion now? It just does Not work. Sorry, but I’m speasking the truth here.
actually your ’speasking’ your opinion; no truth there, i am absolutely positive no scientist has ever proven that ‘fashion is for thin poeple’; until then, we’re discusing discusions.
WTH? How about size 4,6,8,10 models? Why is it always stick thin and plus size? How about making lean, toned models with a healthy weight (ie, not extreme in one direction) the norm – think Doutzen.
I just saw a report this morning about slim people who are medically obese given their body fat percentage, so i don’t like the idea of anyone saying or implying that a size 12-14 is healthy.
this is just another publicity stunt imo from tyra. im over her.
I am a plus size model myself and being a size 6-8 its a little uncomfortable to be called a “plus-size” when at 6 feet tall i look rail thin. I agree with the comments that it shouldn’t be simply a segment on the show, but why not an entire cycle? The modeling world has been so fired upon about the unhealthily thing models that are recycled every fashion week, why not show that theres another side that is just as if not more so fit, glamorous and gorgeous and show it in its entirety? Theres a huge market for reality TV and it doesn’t get more real than a couple of girls who eat right to stay at a good weight for them. I could not eat for a month and become Giselle but at what cost? I give Tyra props for taking this step however and I’ve always appreciated the many beautiful plus size women she gives us on her show
We’ve been asking Tyra to do an America’s Next Top Model show with only plus-size woman, but this is the next best thing!
Nooo, dont put big people on the Fashion Industury. Models stay skinny please
They work it a lot better
I don’t know anybody that size, honestly. Why do they just have plus size and stick thin? I’m a size 4 and I want to see size 4s, 6s, 8s, 10s on the runway. Not just 0s and 14s… can we get a nice medium here?
WTF!!!!! What about the petite chicks… like me, HELLO I am 5′2”… and wanted to model all my life… and won’t even get a legit chance because I am “too short”!!!!!!!
How about a model contest for all sizes and shapes, celebrating all body types, this would really send a message about self confidence and beauty. Why is there always this tunnel vision when it comes to these sort of things.
[...] A while back, Tyra Banks started searching for a “fiercely real” plus-size teen model – find out more about the initiative HERE! [...]