Tyrese: Should He Have Just Stuck to Music?

Source: Tyrese Doesn't Want Comparisons to Steve Harvey; Talks Black Rose, Film, and Manology

There are times when famous people say rude, stupid, and/or insensitive things just to make themselves seem too important or relevant. 

Is this following situation the case?

I’ll let you decide.

I am a couple of days behind, but there has been a bit of buzz about Tyrese.  Apparently, he has come out with a new documentary called “A Black Rose That Grew Through Concrete.”  (link is below)

http://vimeo.com/62859866

However, it wasn't the promotion of his documentary or his not wanting to be compared to Steve Harvey in the relationship advice game which got people’s attention.  It was the response he gave when asked during his interview with All Hip Hop.com to the following question:

AHH: What kind of responsibility do you feel as an entertainer, you have to inspire people to live healthier lifestyles?

Tyrese: No two situations are the same. If you are fat and nasty and you don’t like the way you look, do something about it. It’s simple.

When you take a shower and you put your fat, nasty body in the shower and by the time you get out, the mirrors are all steamed up so you don’t look at what you did to yourself. That may sound offensive or insensitive but ultimately, you are big as hell because you have earned that sh*t. You worked your a** off to eat everything in sight to get big as hell.

If you got a problem with the way you look, then you need to do something about it. Excuses sound best to the people that’s making them up.

Now, Tyrese has successfully turned into what should have been strictly publicity for his documentary to a pulpit for attacking “fat, nasty people.”

My take—Tyrese says “No two situations are the same”, yet when he goes in on people, he makes all types of generalizations.  The generalizations are what I have a problem with.

First generalization:  All fat people are nasty. 

Second generalization: Fat people like steamy showers to cover up their fat.

Third generalization: People who are fat have eaten everything in sight to get that big.

Fourth generalization: It’s simple to do something about your weight if you are fat.

The first generalization is the craziest mess I have ever heard.  So there is a correlation between fat and nastiness?  I have been around all types of body shapes and body sizes.  In my experiences (and I have to focus it’s my experience—everyone else is different), but the ones who are carrying around more mass actually take a bit more care with cleanliness to ensure they are fresh.  Why?  Because they know the stereotype exists. 

Tyrese doesn't seem to correlate "skinny with nasty", so he must generalize that all skinny people are clean.  Sorry to burst his bubble, but it’s some of the skinny ones you have to worry about.  

Like I said, your body mass has nothing to do with how clean a person it is.  That boils down to the right cleaning products mixed with the right amount of water as well as how often you keep the body fresh and clean.

The second generalization.  I always thought that steam helped to open up the pores, relax the body, and stimulate calm.  I didn't know it doubly served as a huge mist blanket to cover up “fat, nasty bodies” to hide the excess weight or to be in denial.  

News flash—people who are carrying extra weight already know they are carrying extra weight.  They don’t need to cling on to steam.

The third generalization is based on so much misconception and misinformation.  I’m not saying there aren't people who stuff their faces.  

However, I've also seen people who eat a lot of food but rarely gain weight.  I've also seen people who eat just a small plate of items and gain a couple of pounds from that.  It’s not just from the food; it’s from the type of food.  It’s not just about the amount of food; it’s about portioning and how often one is eating.  It has a lot to do with a person’s metabolism and not everyone’s metabolism is the same.

For example, I have this friend who is a very hearty eater, yet she has very good metabolism.  The person I’m with, coined “The Sweetie”, is also an enthusiastic eater, but his metabolism is also relatively good.  I don’t eat as much as them, yet my body doesn't burn off fat as quickly as theirs does.   

Plus, I know some “skinny people” who can throw down.  Like getting five plates of food at the buffet type throw down.  So amount of food doesn't necessarily equate fat, like Tyrese believes.

The fourth generalization is a bit insulting because Tyrese thinks it’s simple to do something about the weight.  Yes, the simple solution that is usually quoted is to exercise, but exercising is only part of the puzzle.  Plus, it doesn't help to exercise if one goes back to eating the very things that contribute to weight gain.  A person has to change how he eats as well, and that is a lifestyle change.  That does take time as well as discipline.  

Even then, that may not prove to be enough.  Then, surgery may be presented as an option.  

Yet, even after surgery, a person can’t go back to eating what he wants to eat; if he does, then the surgery will be all for nothing.  

One rarely hears about the percentage of people who have gotten the lap band, gastric bypass, or the like who don’t follow the protocol and reverse the effects of the surgery.  Yet, it does happen.

There also can be medical conditions which can affect whether a person can effectively take the weight off and keep it off.  Yet it's not that simple.

I know Tyrese probably views himself as an author and motivational speaker, but now that he’s talking, I wish he would just be quiet.  If he’s going to speak on overweight people, he should at least know what he’s talking about.

No two situations are the same.  Just like no two people are the same.

Heck, there are some of us who can’t agree on who’s “fat” versus who’s “thick” because each person (especially men) have a different opinion.

He just should have stuck to promoting his documentary.  Instead, he's getting fall out like this:

Dominque Blasts "Porky" Tyrese For Calling Out Overweight People

Peace.