Tyra Banks is a former supermodel turned cultural icon. One of the only Black models to ever achieve mainstream success, she has used her star power to parlay her runway success into business gold. Having created the wildly successful “Top Model” franchise from the ground up, Banks chose day time television as her next conquest, creating the “Tyra Banks” show to complete her media takeover. Some have dubbed her the “next Oprah” while others just like her show for its array of topics.
Often covering subjects that force viewers to have an introspective look on life, one episode in particular rose many eyebrows, with a guest panel exposing the harsh realities of perception. On that episode, a Black male on the panel nonchalantly attempted to deconstruct a fellow member of the Black community, claiming that his dark skin reminded him of a cockroach among other outlandish statements. Letters of anger and shock flooded the show, with some calling for it to end, but all not knowing that the entire ordeal was utterly FAKE!
The man that “played” the part of the Black man who hated dark-skinned people took to the internet to defend himself, releasing a video explaining the true nature of the show and his motive for saying the harsh and uncalled for things that he said.
“I know I am hated all over right now,” said that self-professed actor via Youtube. “We were told how to act and what characters to portray…We were put on the show to bring in great ratings and that’s what we did despite us looking like total assholes…My best friend is dark skin and I call him my brother…You should know the show is scripted.”
The anonymous man later stated that all of the people that appeared on the show were in fact, actors and actresses, and were recruited from acting websites. He also acknowledged that the hurtful things said by members of the panel were negative, but were said in a desperate attempt to “get our start and faces seen.”
