Tyra asserted that she wanted to disrupt the fashion industry that she knew so well (with ANTM, which has run for 24 seasons) and to tackle a range of issues that were important to her (with The Tyra Banks Show, which ran from 2005 to 2011). The common factor in these shows, beyond their problematic content, is the woman at the helm. At worst, they perpetuated toxicity, unhealthy body image, and befuddling understandings of race and sexuality.

Tyra’s surge in search interest was the result of people pointing out how, in hindsight, America’s Next Top Model and The Tyra Banks Show were silly, strange, and embarrassing, at best. Yet the iconic Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model, reality competition genre pioneer, and daytime talk show host had not been part of any “new” news. This week, “Tyra” became one of Twitter’s top trending topics. One, the story of an underdog supermodel-turned-fairy godmother, who helps young women follow their modeling dreams the other, the story of a tyrant disguised in the lingerie of a Victoria’s Secret Angel.Īnd only one of these narratives will go on to be the story of one of America’s all-time top models.Ī swirling combination of quarantine boredom, Amazon Prime’s streaming catalog, and the internet’s power to bring us closer together has turned the blazing division between which of these two storylines could be the truth behind Tyra Banks into a phenomenon for all of us - anyone online, not just fans of her TV shows - to witness.

Two beautiful Tyra Banks narratives stand before me, all over my Twitter timeline.

Watch americas next top model season 24