Tyra Banks is one fierce competitor. After seeing several cycles of America's Next Top Model, fans know that Tyra is not someone you would like to mess with. She often has stories to tell about how she humbly started out in the modeling industry and how she came to be one of the world's most well-known (and highly paid) supermodels. Other than Top Model, Tyra Banks has also ventured into hosting a talk show in 2005 when she launched The Tyra Banks Show. The show often brands itself as empowering women and disputing discrimination.
In this light, CBS President and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves admits that she didn't expect Banks to have such creative ability and drive, in reference, of course, to the stereotypes afforded to models in general. She only realized how she was perhaps underestimating Tyra when her daughter told her that Top Model was her favorite show.
Over several episodes of America's Next Top Model, Tyra had repeatedly voiced her disgust over these stereotypes, and how she shunned them, and therefore want any aspiring model to do the same. She hates it when models are portrayed as beautiful but dumb mannequins whose only talent is smiling.
"I love when they think, Oh, she's just a model, she's going to sit there and do nothing I say: 'You think I'm just a model? Well, then, let me show you.'" Indeed, Banks loves competition and she always says bring it on. It is also this fighting spirit and competitive edge that she likes to shower on aspiring models on Top Model and is, ultimately, the goal of her talk show, too. And in the end she just ends up shocking people who underestimated her with her ability to rise to the occasion and prove them wrong.
