I fucking hate Tyra. She's such an idiot and a big hypocrite.

This is... well, I've always been curious about this and how the people themselves feel about it.

I mean, gay culture is basically presented as a kind of hedonistic, entertainment-based, youth culture, lesbian culture is generally pictured as something unpleasant (when it's not a staged act), homosexuals are basically kicked out of spirituality, they're kicked out of contributing to society by raising children, and people freak out about having impressionable people in their presence. The message is, in short: Your lifestyle is sick, and the part of it we hate the most is the only part you can ever have.

And someone claims to have a cure.. Well, even if it doesn't REALLY work, simply acting out being "normal" is probably enough for a lot of people.

I'm strangely curious as to how this will turn out.

While Tyra is not my favorite person, having someone on your show does not automatically equate to support for their cause. In fact, I suspect it'll be more about trying to understand the desire with some criticism about denying your true self. The unfortunate thing is I'm not sure she'll be able to articulate that criticism well enough but it's possible she'll have guests on the other side (perhaps some ex-ex-gay people).

I agree with Lisa. And I also think it is important to hear from ALL sides. Including "ex-gays". Now, will Tyra be able to do it without it seeming ... silly? Probably not. But at least she tries.

There's no doubt in my mind that the purpose of this show is more to expose the false notion of changing who you are, rather than claiming that the program works.

BUT it is completely exploitive and I'm sure will be handled in a glib & uneducated fashion, for which Tyra is so famous. She is just like any other trashy daytime TV "talk show" host, with the exception that she's somehow deluded herself into thinking she's doing something positive. I can't tell if she's a user & opportunist or if she really just isn't smart enough to know any better.

I know some ex-ex-gays. They say the whole thing is like throwing a fish across the room and pretending it's a bird until it hits the wall.

Now, will Tyra be able to do it without it seeming ... silly? Probably not. But at least she tries.
Posted by marilove

Even I might tune in to see Tyra banks trying not to seem silly.

aleks, Tyra is ... a special, special woman. She cracks me up, I must admit.

Here is the thing. Tyra is nuts. But she means well, but she is TERRIBLE at it.

I would say that she always thinks she is helping but has been a famous model so long she doesn't even realize when she is just being self-absorbed.

Like when she does a show about weight and then the larger women guests have to make her feel better about how she was treated wearing a fat suit.

Or the time she did a show about eating disorders and this girl guest said shows like America's Next Top Model contributed to her need to be skinny, and then she had to make Tyra feel better about the show.

She is probably curious, thinks she will help these people, and will end up yelling at them abut how she has gay friends and they should want to be as fabulous as her friends.

Shes ridiculous, but I doubt she is endorsing these kinds of movements.

She is probably curious, thinks she will help these people, and will end up yelling at them abut how she has gay friends and they should want to be as fabulous as her friends.

Hehe.

She's well-meaning, but, yes, this is pretty much what I'd expect on the show.

I'm hardly Tyra's biggest fan, but I doubt she's a supporter of the ex-gay movement. She's done shows on transwomen that apparently were supportive. She was also going to do a show on asexual people, but canceled it because she couldn't find enough asexual married couples. But she seems fairly supportive of sexual differences, even if she talks about them in a silly way sometimes.

I'm just hoping that the show will concentrate on the social pressures that gays and lesbians face from their families and from societies, rather than glorifying the "ex-gay" cause. But that ad doesn't make it sound like it (or maybe it's just a way to draw in wannabe "ex-gays," which seems manipulative).

Tyra is all for gay rights, so I don't think she'll be talking about how great the ex-gay movement.

She's awful when it comes to women's sexuality though. Jezebel puts clips up every time she does a show about it. She's big with the slut-shaming.

is she going to try and "teach" gay people how to be straight?

i always knew i liked Oprah better...

i frequently refer to tyra as fauxprah.

she does mean well and she probably thinks she can help these people. she so desperately wants to have the credibility and gravitas that oprah has (say whatever you want about oprah, but she isn't stupid), but just can't manage it because she's sort of silly and self-absorbed and not very smart.

It seems I'm in the minority as someone who's actually really looking forward to this. Tyra often is very silly, and usually very self-centered, but she *does* love the gays! I was actually really impressed the other day when she had a show on barsexuals (you know, those straight women who get drunk and make out with other straight women to turn on men and/or get free drinks), and they spent some time discussing how it is actually extremely hurtful to lesbians. There were 2 lesbians on the show who pointed out that it makes men take their REAL relationships less seriously: like hooting, asking the women if they can join, offering to buy them drinks, etc. I thought it made a valuable point that these women are thoughtlessly invalidating the real feelings and experiences of gay women, and turning real emotions and sexuality into mere porno for the enjoyment of men. Go Tyra!

I was actually really impressed the other day when she had a show on barsexuals (you know, those straight women who get drunk and make out with other straight women to turn on men and/or get free drinks), and they spent some time discussing how it is actually extremely hurtful to lesbians. There were 2 lesbians on the show who pointed out that it makes men take their REAL relationships less seriously: like hooting, asking the women if they can join, offering to buy them drinks, etc. I thought it made a valuable point that these women are thoughtlessly invalidating the real feelings and experiences of gay women, and turning real emotions and sexuality into mere porno for the enjoyment of men.

No, no, no! Two women neck, a bunch of frat boys act like (surprise!) assholes -- and suddenly those women (whose motives, by the way, you're only speculating on) are to blame for homophobia? Huh?

That attitude that other women are somehow or other to blame for strangers' misfortunes -- just because they didn't live up to some paradigm or other -- is ridiculous, counterproductive and completely steeped in sexism.

Im a fan of the Tyra show. The sheer stupidity of the topics they choose to speak of keeps reeling me back. One day i was watching The Tyra Show and i heard this "ex-gay" thing. My sister and i were appalled. I just laughed. I can't believe people are still trying to pull this crap. However, it did remind me of one of my favorite movies; But Im A Cheerleader.

Gosh i love that movie.

Im a fan of the Tyra show. The sheer stupidity of the topics they choose to speak of keeps reeling me back. One day i was watching The Tyra Show and i heard this "ex-gay" thing. My sister and i were appalled. I just laughed. I can't believe people are still trying to pull this crap. However, it did remind me of one of my favorite movies; But Im A Cheerleader.

Gosh i love that movie.

I'm just getting sick of the term "lifestyle". Vegetarianism is a lifestyle. Swinging is a lifestyle. A lifestyle is chosen.

"i frequently refer to tyra as fauxprah."

Someone else thinks so?

"That attitude that other women are somehow or other to blame for strangers' misfortunes -- just because they didn't live up to some paradigm or other -- is ridiculous, counterproductive and completely steeped in sexism."

Don't forget it was the self identified lesbian who was the outraged one about barsexuals who did it for show, and sometimes drinks or money; for what she claimed it did for herself or the image of gays, e.g., that she would not be taken seriously as a lesbian.

What the men got criticized for is considering the women slutty.

Correction: the man said he thought he would be able to take BOTH women home and have sex with them, because they were willing to kiss in public, i.e., easy. Not very bright. Why would a male stranger be able to have a threesome with possible lesbians?

As others have already said, I don't think she is supporting the ex-gay movement. She's had a lot of people she disagrees with on her show. She had Shirley Phelps and her daughters on the show and it was pretty easy to tell she didn't like them at all because of the hate they instill in their children. She even had self-proclaimed racists on her show. I don't really watch her show though.

"barsexuals (you know, those straight women who get drunk and make out with other straight women to turn on men and/or get free drinks)"

My friend calls those liesexuals.

Why does she want this? she should not be doing this at this moment because people could be ashamed and who would want to tell their story if they changed back...hmmm

@aleks

"They say the whole thing is like throwing a fish across the room and pretending it's a bird until it hits the wall."

I just have to say that this is amazing and appropriate.

I think that this message was too intense. For Tyra Banks to put an article out there like that is hypocritical of her in my opinon. In mostly every show she does she always talks about "accepting yourself". If a person was to erase their sexual attraction to the sex same, how is that accepting one self??? By doing that or wishing it can be done then your just denying who you are or you are either wishing you were'nt gay. I think that if a person wishes they were'nt gay then they shouldn't have came out with it then. They had the option to stay in the closet so to speak but they came out??? Why come out if you are ashamed or wishing you were'nt gay. In my opinion a person who's ashamed of who they are have no place in identifying with who they are...

I think that this message was too intense. For Tyra Banks to put an article out there like that is hypocritical of her in my opinon. In mostly every show she does she always talks about "accepting yourself". If a person was to erase their sexual attraction to the sex same, how is that accepting one self??? By doing that or wishing it can be done then your just denying who you are or you are either wishing you were'nt gay. I think that if a person wishes they were'nt gay then they shouldn't have came out with it then. They had the option to stay in the closet so to speak but they came out??? Why come out if you are ashamed or wishing you were'nt gay. In my opinion a person who's ashamed of who they are have no place in identifying with who they are...

I think that this message was too intense. For Tyra Banks to put an article out there like that is hypocritical of her in my opinon. In mostly every show she does she always talks about "accepting yourself". If a person was to erase their sexual attraction to the sex same, how is that accepting one self??? By doing that or wishing it can be done then your just denying who you are or you are either wishing you were'nt gay. I think that if a person wishes they were'nt gay then they shouldn't have came out with it then. They had the option to stay in the closet so to speak but they came out??? Why come out if you are ashamed or wishing you were'nt gay. In my opinion a person who's ashamed of who they are have no place in identifying with who they are...

What will Miss J Alexander have to say about this?

@ everybodyever:

These women SAID they made out with each other in order to turn guys on and get free drinks; I was not speculating on their motives. Obviously they did not create homophobia, but they sure as hell are continuing the notion that lesbians are for men to ogle (or more) and I resent that. They are not, as you suggested, being frowned upon for bucking a paradigm, they are encouraging it: they do not kiss women because it feels good to them, they are kissing women because it arouses men, they like the attention, and they like the benefits they can gain from said attention.

Furthermore, I'm extremely offended by your attacking me as a child ("No, no, no!") and stating that my attitude of expecting more of straight women than stabbing their gay sisters in the back is "ridiculous, counterproductive and completely steeped in sexism." We clearly have differing opinions, but that does not make me less of a feminist than you.