mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
One of the distinct displeasures of full-time employment–and of not having TiVo–is the inability to watch daytime television. Remember the thrill of The Price is Right during a sick day home from school, or for that matter, Tic Tac Dough? There was a feeling of law-breaking, of daring, in watching those shows. You felt as if you were getting away with something, even if the 102-degree fever wasn’t lightbulb-enhanced. Well, in the working world, or at least my working world, there are no sick days, and therefore the daytime TV lineup to me is terrain as pure as a baby’s crabapple bottom. But while discussing this phenomenon with graduate student friends this weekend, I was clued in to something that may not come as a shock to many of you: Tyra Banks is f-in’ bananas. Not bananas like this, but not within the farthest grasps of okay either. Which, I suppose, is strange to me, since I remember her mostly as the person who helped color in a great many teenage exploratory sessions. Anyway, behold Exhibit A of Tyra’s quick descent into Krazy from her self-titled daytime talk show:
(A sympathetic friend said that she was just trying to poke fun at Oprah in the clip. My friend is also Krazy. He enjoys Cocoa Pebbles.)
Here’s a little more off-the-cuff Tyra Krazy:
And here’s a slightly humorous compilation video of her not altogether sane behavior (beware: the “Imma Cut You” line is vaguely racist):
Anyway, all this televised insanity got me thinking beyond The Tyra Banks Show. She can’t be the only one in front of the red light who hasn’t the slightest hold on sanity, and surely she’s not. Enjoy this other batch of televised mixed nuts:
I’ll end with a viewer comment to the Marino clip. It’s non-grammatical, but it’s insightful, and, in a better world, might even apply to our Vaseline-bedazzled Ms. Banks: “Thats a caged beast right there, that what happens when you take a warrior and put them at a desk.”
Think about it…
Comments (6)
Comment
Tyra crazy? Well you’d be crazy too if you had to slap your own ass on tv everytime someone called you fat. lol!!!
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 2-13-2007 at 1:58 pm
Tyra might be a little off the deep end, but I have to wonder if you would ever have paid any attention to her if she hadn’t had the courage to stand up to the tabloids that have been calling her “fat.”
I hope that you aren’t intending this post as a smackdown of one of the few celebrities who have recently stood up for women with normal bodies, that the current Tyra-hatin’ has had no impact on this post… because I’m getting pretty sick of being told that “not only is she fat, she’s also crazy.”
posted by Madeline Klink on 2-13-2007 at 3:47 pm
Where I come from we call that Nuckin’ Futz!
posted by Jane on 2-13-2007 at 5:15 pm
Hi Madeline,
This post had absolutely nothing to do with the “fat” controversy. It didn’t even cross my mind, since, truth be told, I haven’t followed it very closely at all. I didn’t even know it existed until I started looking for Tyra clips last night. For what it’s worth, I think she looks great. Perhaps I would’ve benefitted from mentioning the controversy and its lack of bearing on my post more explicitly. I hope this does the trick.
Best,
GV
posted by Greg on 2-13-2007 at 6:11 pm
Tyra stands up for real womens bodies? Oh really? Hmm.. ever watched a Top Model where she told a girl she would be the next top plus size model? Or worse, when she told them they were fat? These look like real women to me! Not only are they not fat, they are FIT.
On a related note: Tyra needs to cut down on the crack.
posted by BioBri on 2-13-2007 at 7:09 pm
You mean you just now woke up? Hey, anyone who continues to pitch money (granted, not HARD-EARNED money, like yours and mine), into careers at wich she isn’t particular adept or skilled at all, cannot possibly have even a basic grip on reality . . . . or dignity. She’s sampled as many careers as dress sizes. Did you happen to catch her singing debut?
posted by Connie on 2-15-2007 at 8:51 am