Nov 9 2006 11:19 PM ET

Spot Inspection: 'The Tyra Banks Show'

144023__tyra_lGet that filthy dishrag off the kitchen counter, Tyra — PopWatch is here for a spot inspection!

Welcome to Tyra Trattoria. Before I take your order, let me tell you a few things about today’s menu, which is focusing entirely on the homeless epidemic. We’ve got a special on name-dropping, which comes as either an appetizer or a main course. (Did you know Tyra got the idea for this episode after seeing a screening of her friend Will Smith’s new flick, The Pursuit of Happyness? Well, she did.)

Anyhow, I’m sorry to report, Tyra’s all out of subtlety. As you’ll see, within the first 22 minutes, Tyra reminds us on six separate occasions that homelessness "can happen to you." IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! Are you listening? I hope so, because it happened to Tyra. Well, only for a day, in an undercover kind of way. Tyra puts a tatty kerchief on her head, dons last season’s torn American Eagle flannel and a pair of thick boots ("where we’re going has a lot of needles," Tyra explains), and heads to…Skid Row. "No makeup, no lights, nothing but me… and the streets," she says. Oh, and also a camera crew. And a formerly homeless guide named Danielle, who shows Tyra how to beg for change (they score $3.50), shop for cheap snacks, and shower in a convenience-store bathroom.

And now, we get the truth. This issue is all about TYRA.(Naturally.) Because, you see, she’s the kind of person who passeshomeless people on the street without ever looking at them. So, thinktwice. It’s just another day for you and Tyra in paradise.

What’s that? You’d like to order some guilt, too? Indeed, it’spiping hot and delicious! But it’s not as delicious as spending thelast 15 minutes of the episode doling out help to a homeless mom and acouple of homeless kids. No room for that guilt anymore? It’s OK, wecan wrap it up for you in a to-go bag. You can give it to a homelessperson on your way home. Thanks, and please come again. And fortakeout, call 1-800-HOT-MESS.

Comments (1-20) of 20 Add your comment

  • Will Holston

    Geesh….When did Jesus return as a washed up runway model with a talk show meant as nothing more then a companion to her runway model

  • Lora

    I’m developing a theory that Tyra sold her soul to the devil and must, in return, be completely narcisstic and make people, especially young women, feel really bad about themselves. I really think I’m on to something.

  • James

    “The Pursuit of Happyness?” Really?
    I’m glad she didn’t think up this idea because of “Where the Day takes You.”

  • daisyj

    I like to imagine the day when Tyra goes on one of her undercover missions and doesn’t end up confirming what everybody already knew:
    “Today, I spent three hours as a homeless person, and now I’m here to tell you what it’s like. Actually, it’s pretty awesome. You get to hang out on the street all day and people just give you money, even though you didn’t do anything. Plus, free soup! I don’t know what all these hobos are complaining about.”

  • Dork

    How do I take a shower in a 7-11 bathroom? For my long-planned trip to go slumming around the world, this information is much needed.

  • EM

    This seems to be a trend. My cable was out earlier (horror of horrors). When it came back on, ET was on and Vanessa was doing a story in a fat/ugly get-up. She was in tears. It seemed like: “Oh, it’s so awful being fat and ugly!! I don’t know how the rest of you little people manage to get out of bed each day!”

  • EP Sato

    This feels like bad tv deja vu. The newsguy from CBS news in Chicago was “homeless” for a few days in the late 1980’s, and I seem to recall Popwatch doing a story about how Pras was doing some homeless publicity stint.
    I guess it’s good to draw attention to the homeless problem, but how come no one (present company included, touché) seems to offer a workable solution?

  • Jakeem

    So when was the Panty Party?

  • Tish

    I think this is completely out of line. Tyra Banks is completely right to be raising awareness about the homeless situation in this country. I spent a few weeks in large city on the east coast working at a homeless shelter, and saw things that most U.S. citizens would not realize existed. Maybe one should look into the reasons that Tyra decided to showcase this problem. Maybe she thought it important for people to care a little more about others, rather than simply themselves.

  • marykate

    I’m surprised that Tyra can get “undercover” anything.
    She’s for sure not as svelte as she once was. I miss her rad body on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was only then that she had any reason to bust on Anchal for her body issues. Current Tyra looks like a snausage.

  • fredric

    I can only imagine the movies that are going to spawn new Tyra ideas… maybe we can force her to watch Castaway so she disappears for a year.

  • Teena

    I find these “let’s dess up as a homeless/obese/etc. person” so patronizing. It’s just an excuse for these celebs to pretend they really care. Meanwhile they’re doing their own version of a nightclub act on TV. Do we really believe Tyra can feel what it’s like to be homeless? What about Vanessa M. as a “fat” person? Save me her crocodile tears.

  • t3hdow

    Tyra might have good intentions with her undercover missions, but the main problem is that going undercover for a day isn’t going to make you truly understand an overweight woman’s/homeless person’s daily struggles. She only did it for a day and at the end of said day, she can go back to her thin, curvy body/cozy home and not have to worry about those issues. It’s far different when you wake up everyday having to deal with it. This is why it’s so difficult to take her seriously with these undercover missions.
    That, and the questions/comments she raises on the issues are so banal, there’s no reason to do it. It’s just like when she ‘uncovered’ the harsh truth on how good looks benefit some people in our society. Yes, thin, beautiful women get more attention than fat, uglier ones overall. Yes it’s wrong, but that’s the way society is and it’s not going to change anytime soon. I don’t need Tyra to tell me this.
    She may have good intentions, but the effort to help prevent it is half-hearted at best, exploitive at worst.

  • troubledmind

    I chocked on my brown rice and tuna salad mix (hey, I’m bulkin’ up). I just called 1-800-HOT-MESS and lo & behold, Tyra answered. She told me that next week she is going to go undercover as a pitbull. Surprisingly, biting off the arms of helpless mailmen is A LOT harder than it looks.
    Seriously, we all need to send her a big, fat, sloppy, smokin’ cup of SHUT THE HAMHOCK UP!

  • troubledmind

    I just chocked on my brown rice and tuna salad mix (hey, I’m bulkin’ up). I just called 1-800-HOT-MESS and lo & behold, Tyra answered. She told me that next week she is going to go undercover as a pitbull. Surprisingly, biting off the arms of helpless mailmen is A LOT harder than it looks.
    Seriously, we all need to send her a big, fat, sloppy, smokin’ cup of SHUT THE HAMHOCK UP!

  • Bernard

    Whats up Trya my name is Bernard
    I just would like to say that I watched your show last week when Mary J.Blidge and Jadda. I like the ending of the show about the negative people around Mary and Jadda was 100% right. But as far as you I respect you as a person. When are you going to have Americas Next Top Male Modle??? Im dying LOL.

  • Lisa Exum

    Tyra that was truly a eye opening for me I was home that day and I was eating having lunch just to think that people are really going without food that really makes me apperciate my life and what God has done for me Thank you for that show alot of us do take life for granted just be thankful and know that God will supply all of our needs and yes i have been one of those people that will think negative thoughts but after your show i will do the best i can to help
    May God truly bless you
    and your show.
    Lisa Bell- Exum

  • Jodi

    I have watched the Tyra Banks Show a few times. I felt almost embarassed for her…some of the questions and comments she makes are ridiculous! I was curious to see other people’s opinion of the show. Although some topics have content and it does generally appeal to a young crowd….I have a hard time relating to her. When she talks with her guests I feel that she is not genuine and has NO compassion for the individual. She is more concerned with how she looks while she’s talking. And the camera crew tends to get a lot of close ups of TYRA. Someone could be talking about how they were abused as a child and go into detail about their feelings. And she would turn around and say…”how does that make you feel?” The person JUST TOLD YOU! I don’t think you can fake being a genuine person. It’s eaither in you or it isn’t. She comes across to me as a shallow person.

  • Kate McNeill

    Does anyone know how to order a copy of the Tyra Banks show?

  • ROBRIESHA PROX

    WELL HELLO HELLO..
    MY NAME IS ROBRIESHA..
    I LIVE IN KAUFMAN.
    I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST JELOUS OF TYRA.HAVE YOU BEEN OUT IN THE STREETS AS A HOBO?AND AS A FAT PERSON?
    I THINK NOT..SO JUST KEEP YOUR COMMENT TO YOURSELF.IF YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY HIT ME UP ON MY CELL.
    WELL WORK SOMETHIN OUT..
    [469-735-7587]
    OR TEXT ME..IM TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYIN THINGS ABOUT TYRA..THATS MY [SISTA FROM ANOTHA MISTA] SO DONT HATE APPRECIATE..DEUCE..

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