Michelle Obama is the 44 year-old wife of the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. She has degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law School and is a working mom who has raised two daughters. She grew up on the South side of Chicago, where her mom was a secretary and her dad worked for the water company. She’s worked as an associate dean at the University of Chicago and as VP for community affairs for The University of Chicago Hospitals. Michelle says that her children are a priority and that she’s trying to raise them with as much normalcy as possible given her family’s schedule as Barack runs for president. She’s been married to Barack Obama, her first husband, for 16 years.
Tyra Banks is a 34 year-old model, talk show host and reality show producer who grew up in LA, has never been married, has no children, and focused on her modeling career instead of going to college. Banks enjoys talking about herself all the time, humiliating guests on her talk show under false pretenses, and staging publicity stunts disguised as female empowerment rituals. She once pretended to be a homeless person for a day and then claimed to understand what it was like for people in that situation.
Michelle Obama dresses well, favoring preppy clothing, and is fit and attractive. She’s received a lot of attention for her smart appearance and straightforward manner, and while some have criticized her for her matter of fact demeanor she’s gracious and well spoken.
Someone at Harpers Bazaar thought it was a good idea to dress Tyra Banks as Michelle Obama and feature her on the cover of the magazine, maybe in a misguided attempt to show how influential Michelle’s style and persona are. If I were Michelle Obama, I would find this almost as insulting as that stupid New Yorker cover depicting her and her husband in Muslim garb.
TYRA Banks – the mastermind of gimmicks – is at it again. Banks – who once had her breasts examined on TV to show everybody they were “real” – is now dressing up as Michelle Obama for the September cover of Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s a full makeover,” said one spy. “You know how Tyra likes to do that stuff. And she’ll get a lot of press off it.” A rep for Banks didn’t return calls.
[From The NY Post]
I hope this isn’t true or they realize it’s a dumb idea to feature Tyra as Michelle on the cover. Why don’t they just call up Michelle Obama and get her to pose for photos and grant an interview? You would think she would sell more covers than Tyra pulling another stupid stunt in which she tries to assume depth by changing her appearance. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Michelle at first, but after I saw her onThe View and read a few interviews I like her and think she’ll make a great first lady. She doesn’t seem to deserve most of the ire that’s lobbed at her while Tyra could be brought down quite a few pegs instead of being groomed to imitate a woman with more grace and integrity than she could ever hope to have. Maybe that’s the point of the whole cover though, and we’ll have to see if Tyra is covertly mocked.
Michelle Obama is shown giving the keynote address at the ‘Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala’ in NY on 6/26/08. Credit: Anthony Dixon / WENN. Tyra Banks is shown at the Daytime Emmy Awards on 6/20/08. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame Pictures
Michelle has strange eyebrows to me. Anyway, if the mag wants to do it they should either go all out or not do it at all. That is, get a comedian and do it really funny and like an obvious imitation, or have Michelle herself. They shouldn’t half-ass it and have lame old publicity whore Tyra do it.
Also, that’s a really unflatering pic of MB, but I see there’s not one of her smiling so I guess see why you chose it.
Not the most flattering picture of Michelle Obama. Looks like a black Ron Howard from his Opie days.
Crazy black woman impersonating an angry black woman.
Michelle Obama is not “angry,” I have no comment about the Tyra Banks part.
Mr. T 😉
I agree. This is a horrible idea. And Tyra is an a$$hole.
CB, I have to admit, at this time last year I really disliked Michelle. I thought she wasn’t a very effective advocate for her husband, and that she was almost passively-agressively trying to ruin his chances at the nom.
A year later, and I finally got it. She’s a protective mom who has mixed feelings about uprooting her young daughters, she has real fears about what people could say or do to her husband, and she’s facing the steepest learning curve of her life. Also, it turned out that Bubba was the one who was passively-agressively ruining the nom for his spouse.
What a difference a year makes…
Why won’t Tyra just go away already. She is no longer “hot” and every time she opens her mouth she just makes it easier to hate her.
Imitation is still the best form of flattery. Love Michelle Obama’s Grace and intelligence
Still desperately wracking my brain to try and figure out exactly WHAT the point of this would be???
Harper’s Bizarre, more like.
I am sooo sick and tired of people who see strong, independent,successful black women as “ANGRY” or “CRAZY”. Just perpetrating a stereotype which makes you look closed minded and stupid.
OK, ok everyone. But what about Michelle’s eyebrows? They’re weird, right?
You are correct. The eyebrows are weird. Sometimes they need to be penciled in more, on the outer half.
But I give her a pass since I’m not perfect either. Especially my eyebrows!
I’m in the “what’s the point of this?” camp. It isn’t like Tyra Banks is famous for impersonations. And she doesn’t look like Michelle Obama. It’s sort of as the magazine is acting as if any African American woman can be substituted for any other African American woman.
Tyra is CRAZY. CA-RAZY! She is the most hideous looking thing w/out makeup.
tyra as michelle makes no sense whatsoever. unless it is a nasty attempt to dis michelle because she looks like a normal woman and not a vain supermodel. or perhaps it has to do with the same mentality that tried to lump obama with paris and britney. ick.
Usually when magazines do this, it is as a style tribute to some icon who is no longer living or so old they are no longer “in the business”. Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe and Bridget Bardot, the shots Kevyn Aucoin used to do for InStyle, etc. But Tyra as Michelle – I have to agree with the poster who said “why don’t they just get Michelle”. It seems weird to try to “pay tribute” to someone who is still young, vibrant and active. I don’t understand the point of this at all and hope it’s not true. If I were a woman in politics like Mrs. Obama with the background, life experience and working experience she has, I would be pissed off as hell if someone hired a “supermodel” to “pose” as me. That just sends the message that all of Michelle’s accomplishments aren’t enough – she must be trained in modeling as well to be considered a “success”.
Journey – I think Mrs O is actually more attractive that Kyra.
Old KC – Agree with all that, like you, still can’t see what could possibly be gained here.
Unless it’s some desperate marketing ploy for the magazine. HB has been increasingly lame recently – eg. doing a really rubbishy stomach-churning ‘loved-up with Clooney’ 4-page spread on Sarah Larson when she had already been dumped by him. That edition actually hit the newsstands after the split was official – mortifying for all concerned and a huge loss in credibility for HB.
Maybe they’re reduced to using sensationalist and provocative tactics to up their sales? It’s all I can think of.
Do. Not. Want.
I wonder who approached whom for this little publicity stunt.
Tyra please learn how to be comfortable with yourself!!Get your own personality!!! Stop hating on these successful black women! You were jealous of Oprah so you straight morphed into her and jacked everything about the woman..her show and personality everything!!..Now its Michelle..you are mad you don’t have a Barrack..so now your morphing into his wife..GET A LIFE YOU FREAK!!!!
yes geronimo, michelle obama is more attractive in every way. unfortunately, some people think that the more closely a person looks like a model, hollywood starlet or any given anorexic, the more attractive they are. and these people are usually pretty vocal about their dislike of anyone who doesn’t meet their “high” standards. i’ve actually received an e-mail saying everyone should vote for mccain because his wife is a trophy blonde with big boobs. 🙄
Tyra Banks needs to let go of the whole “I’m empowering” schtick.
You’re a supermodel. You’re to be seen and not heard, and actually, if anything, your previous career is contradictory of this newly radical women’s empowerment stand that you’ve suddenly assumed.
You’ve made a living out of being a sex icon, a mannequin, to perpetuate the stereotype of what women are “supposed to be like”.
Just because you hosted a vain TV show and further shored up womens’ self-esteem does not mean that Eleanor Roosevelt died and left you Woman of the Year.
So why don’t you shut up, shove your finger down your throat, and put on a bikini.
Journey.. please print that email so that we may mock it!
From what I’ve seen, Michelle Obama is a very attractive mature lady (in every sense of the word) with plenty of character to her face, a keen intelligence and her own mind.
No wonder half the meejia and the idiots who write those anti-Obama emails that are submitted to Snopes are terrified of her.