Shout out to Tyra Banks!

Let's hear it for Tyra Banks!

Today on her talk show (which I missed, but caught a clip of online) the former supermodel took on the tabloids who have been in a feeding frenzy recently over unflattering photos taken of her walking down a beach in a bathing suit. The headlines over the photos blazed mean, hateful things like 'Tyra Porkchop' and 'America's Next Top Waddle' (a reference to her reality TV show, 'America's Next Top Model.') Tyra had the courage to appear on her show today in that same bathing suit to set the record straight about her size. Props to you, girl!

Also, this week's People magazine has Tyra on the cover in a red, one-piece bathing suit that calls to mind the curvy pin-up girls of the '40s and '50s, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe--without all the blondeness--next to a headline that asks, 'You Call This Fat?' Tyra's current weight of 161 lbs is also listed above a quote from her that reads "I still feel hot."

You are, Tyra! In fact, even moreso than in your modeling heyday when you were 30 pounds thinner. (By the way, Tyra stands 5'10", so 160 on her is more like 125-130 on a woman of average height.)

I don't know about all of you faithchicks, but I am SO tired of seeing anorexic-looking model and Hollywood types who have to wear a size zero or 1 to be considered beautiful. What kind of message is that sending to young girls? Enough is enough! And that's one of the reasons Tyra took a public stand against the hurtful media reports. She says that she gets so much mail from young fans who say they look up to her because she's not as skinny as everyone else.

You go, Tyra! And you too, America Ferrera from Ugly Betty. (Love her!) And 'my' Jennifer Hudson (my favorite former American Idol contestant who's winning much-deserved awards left and right for her full-bodied, full-voiced, knock-it-out-of-the-park powerhouse performance in Dreamgirls. If you haven't seen it yet, run don't walk, to the nearest movie theater to see a star being born. I guarantee you'll get goosebumps when she sings "And I am Telling You...")  But I digress :)

It's about time that real women with real curves are being portrayed on the small and large screens. Are you listening, Hollywood? That's what we want to see. Most American women are not size 0's. They're not even size 2's or 4's. Your average American woman is a size 12 or 14 (or more :)

That's why I wrote "Miss Invisible" my chick lit novel releasing next month--about a 'plus-size' (altho she hates that term :) single woman who feels invisible due to her size. I wanted to write something for those women who have struggled with body image--to hopefully show them that no one is invisible to God. He loves us no matter what we weigh.

Let's make sure we share that message with our daughters and nieces and all the young girls in our lives. And thank you, again, Tyra, America and Jennifer for being such welcome body-image role models to our young women today. You women rock!

Laura Jensen Walker is the non-size-zero author of the upcoming Miss Invisible (WestBow, March 2007). Her other novels include Reconstructing Natalie (Women of Faith Novel of the Year) Dreaming in Black & White, and Dreaming in Technicolor. Please visit her website at www.laurajensenwalker.com

Comments

[marilynn]

Amen, Laura! Tyra looks like the maturing, beautiful businesswoman that she is. Those folks are crazy. We love Ugly Betty too! As for MISS INVISIBLE, I hope everyone is on their way to order it. It's not to be missed.

[Suzanne]

I agree! As a half Italian woman (my bottom half...lol) I see life through my size 12 self and it is very hard. I admire Tyra for what she is doing and I hope more skinny people decide to eat like the rest of us...

[Suzanne]

Oooops! I meant to add this at the end, can I just tell you how much I love your fiction? I laughed and cried, very good books!

[Rachel Hauck]

Preach it, sister! Amen. And isn't it ironic that men are being accepted as overweight and considered cuddly and cute.

Women are so accepting and forgiving of such things - for the most part.

Yet, we have to be more beautiful, more in shape, less wrinkled than men, AND we have to be in the work place, nurture the kids, and keep the house clean.

Somebody say rip-off. ;)

Rachel