– Wesley, I watched it, “Reality Check,” with my very millennial daughter. And to see it through her eyes, she was so riveted and, and dare I say, triggered. How did people let this happen to these young girls? And she saw herself in that because she was very familiar with fashion. She’s been backstage. She’s done all the things. This isn’t a new world to her. I mean, she’s met Tyra. She knew this, but she was so triggered from eating disorder, kind of, triggering to the sexual assault — and the Black girl pain was what really got her. And she thought Tyra took no accountability. – It’s interesting because I think there are people who are looking for Tyra to be responsible for, like, you know, 35 moments. Like, is she going to answer for this? Is she going to answer for this? But, like, the thing that was the, I think, the apotheosis of a mode of Tyra Banks in the world of the show that I think people seem especially interested in, and the show itself focuses on, in terms of her behavior, is a moment that happens with a contestant named Tiffany. –Tiffany Richardson. “Tiffany, I’m extremely disappointed in you. This is a joke to you. – Tiffany is in a, is in a neglecte. “You come in here and look at that and say, I can’t read that?” – Tiffany turns away and looks like, whoof. “I’ve been through stuff. So I’m angry.” “Be quiet, Tiffany. Be quiet! I’ve never in my life said to a girl like this. When my mother yells like this it’s because she loves me. I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you.” — What was profound for me that I heard while watching “Reality Check,” that I didn’t clock the first time I saw this, she says, Wesley, “When my mama yells at me like this it’s because she loves me.” What?! Tyra Banks, why are you talking about your mama yelling at you? – Yep. – That’s when, that’s, when I say that Black girl pain, like, both of their internal stuff came out in that moment and I was just like, Wait, we don’t do this in front of these people. – Nope! – It just leaves the hurt out there, shaking.
