Did anyone else catch Tyra Banks verbal faux pas during her Emmy acceptance speech for her talk show? I swear… I guess the writers’ strike continues.
As she was saying her thanks, and recognizing everyone who helped her along the way, she thanked her mother. She said, and I quote, “I wanna thank my mama for her perspiration, and doing everything she could to instill power inside of me.”
Did I hear that right? Perspiration? Since when did perspiration instill power?
Or do you think she meant to say persistence? Or perseverance?
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Have you actually watched her show, Don? I don’t normally (’cause she’s a bit too over the top for me), but I was flicking channels the other day, and saw that Janet Jackson was on (I love her… I think she’s so adorable), so I stopped to watch for a bit.
First, she played a round of “Pictionary” with Janet and some audience members. Some of the clues Tyra was drawing were not only completely inappropriate (borderline vulgar), but she was embarrassing the heck out of poor Janet!
Then, in the next segment, she had a Q&A session with Janet…not like any other I’d ever seen before in my LIFE! One of the questions asked was, “What’s the longest time you’ve ever gone in between showers?”. Poor Janet seemed a bit flustered after that one, but quickly regained her composure and answered, “A day.” Tyra had the NERVE to challenge her on that one! Janet finally admitted that even if she doesn’t have the time to take a full-fledged shower, she does make sure she takes what she called a “bird bath” before bedtime (I call them “monkey baths”!
. Tyra actually said, “Oh, you mean a whore bath?” (at this point, I think you practically could pick Janet up off the floor!), “That’s what my mama would call them… whore baths. She’d tell me, ‘Tyra, go take a whore bath… you stank!’”…!!!!!
At this point, Janet was completely exasperated. She asked, “Your mother actually called them ‘whore baths’ when you were little?”, and Tyra, not batting even one of her fake eyelashes, said, “Oh, no… she didn’t call them that until I was older, when she could explain to me that they were called whore baths because whores got washed quickly in between their tricks!: (I’d begun to feel as if I were watching a train wreck… too horrid to really digest, but somehow still too fascinating to turn away from.)
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Tyra STILL challenged Janet on her daily hygiene routines and asked to SMELL HER UNDERARM! I kid you not!!! She actually got up out of her seat, went over to Janet and actually SNIFFED HER!!! I just about fell out, I was laughing so hard! My mom was upstairs with us, and she had this look of shock on her face that was almost indescribable!
Long story short… I discovered then that she probably DID mean to say perspiration. Seems like she and her mom talked about it quite often growing up!
Uh-huh…. ; )
All of you are too smart for your britches
This is a delicate subject and if it hadn’t been the basis of my own testimony about mangling I would not want to bring it up. BUT.. I did witness another tv mangling somewhere else this week.
Bravely out promoting the products of her political activism Elizabeth Smart was sitting interviews. As she was being interviewed, her one word affirmative answer was “yeauh”, not “yes”. Over and over and over again she brought forth “yeauh”.
I found myself thinking “It’s yes, Elizabeth.”
And I immediately felt bad about it.
I don’t know what that “yeauh” was. Is that Utah language? Something leftover from immigrants? Swedish people, Danish people..whoever said “yeauh”?
Where I come from ladies say “yes”. The teaching starts as toddlers.
As I said, I felt badly about it. In my moment of empathy I criticized myself for expecting a “yes” out of her.
Is it wrong to expect a “yes”? Is it wrong to have “yes” as a standard?
I don’t know.
Another case of mangled English. I wouldn’t sweat on it!
I’ve always suspected that Tyra Banks isn’t the brightest bulb in the bunch, but now I know it. That’s funny, Don.
You know, it’s almost as good as Miss Teen USA 2007
I agree that she meant to say perspiration. Prior to that she mentioned her mom had 2 jobs. Clearly, they were probably jobs that required long, laborious hours, hence, the sweat! The joyous look on her mom’s face was what really matters.
Mama, you could be right.
Also, I was thinking the same thing as “anon”, talk show host should be able to communicate. Of course the occasional slip up is one thing, but to call your mama out about her sweating problem on national TV… there’s a problem there.
As for why I was watching the Daytime Emmys, let’s just say it was a convenient accident. I had no intention on watching, but I’m glad I caught that!
I have only watched her show a couple of times….am I right to assume that as a talk show host she’s generally competent to communicate? She seemd that way to me but admittedly I have not seen much of her.
Giving her the benefit of the doubt I wouuld think she used perspiration as a symbol for hard work, the hard work her mother put into her.
Calm down!
I am so glad I am not the only one that thought she said that!! She did indeed say perspiration – I think she meant to say perseverance…I thought it was odd when she said it too…..although I could have done without the end of her speech and her kiss my……I thought that was a little tacky!!!
By the way Don, what were you doing watching the emmy awards? You have a favorite soap???
My guess is that she was supposed to say “inspiration”. I’ve heard her say that about her mom on “America’s Next Top Model” on several occasions. Or, maybe her Mama is the stereotypical southern mother, who rules her roost with an iron fist. That would make any girl perspire!!
xox,
Mama C. (who found out today she’s got bronchitis! ::Cough choke wheeze!::)