I believe that the idea of Tyra's "so what" campaign is to encourage all to embrace themselves as individuals with more to us than what meets the eye. Its ok to be 40 pounds over weight,but its also ok to lose 20 of it. Tyra is not discouraging self improvement on your terms.Catch the last line:ON YOUR TERMS, not everyone elses. Feel good about who you are. If you want to change it, go for it. Either way..."SO WHAT!"
Tyra feels the need to lose weight for TYRA, not for her critics.
The idea here is to except yourself, as is, and make changes based on what you feel,not someone else.

Hello Tyra,

My name is Ana M Soriano, and I created a blog titled Completely Womans (www.myspace.com/completelywomans). It is created for all women of all ages from all cultures that desired to be that complete package not only for themselves, but for their partners. Fat or thin we are all a work in process within and no one woman can ever be the most complete. A complete woman is a sprinkle of everywoman all shapes and colors.
Sometimes the beautiful thing a woman can ever do for herself is learn to live within her center, learn to accept and live as herself in the world that was created for her to live in, and bless the world with her individual presence. No one on earth was created like her, so she should be proud to be her. SO WHAT if I, YOU, or We Don’t look the same, we were not meant to be the same!! Get to know and love your individual essence!!

Hello Tyra,

My name is Ana M Soriano, and I created a blog titled Completely Womans (www.myspace.com/completelywomans). It is created for all women of all ages from all cultures that desired to be that complete package not only for themselves, but for their partners. Fat or thin we are all a work in process within and no one woman can ever be the most complete. A complete woman is a sprinkle of everywoman all shapes and colors.
Sometimes the beautiful thing a woman can ever do for herself is learn to live within her center, learn to accept and live as herself in the world that was created for her to live in, and bless the world with her individual presence. No one on earth was created like her, so she should be proud to be her. SO WHAT if I, YOU, or We Don’t look the same, we were not meant to be the same!! Get to know and love your individual essence!!

-Ana M Soriano (Completely Womans)

Dear Tyra,
I just watched your So what? show for the 3rd time.
I'm 18 years old. And i just moved to New Zealand from singapore.
I've been here for 6mths now.
I am short, acne, i never spend too much on clothes(never had the "cool" clothes. I never look good in pictures. I havent made a single friend here in NZ.
I was never allowed out late during my teens.
Never clubbed, smoked or got drunk.
Right now, i only go to school and back.
Sometimes i stay at home for a week without leaving the house.
I moved to a small town with a population of 30,000.
There arent many people to hang out with either.
I'm supposed to be at the prime of my life.
I'm sure you understand at 18 yrs of age, i'm supposed to have friends.
I havent spoken on the phone to my other friends back home for months. I'm afriad to leave my house, when my family goes to malls, I cry when i see other teens hanging out with their friends.
I hope to enter VET school and be vet someday. because my ex bf told me i was too dumb to be a vet. I'll show him!
I only hope and pray that when i go to university i can mix with the kiwis.

I DONT have the confidence OR strenght like all the other girls to say, SO WHAT?
ICannot say, so what?
And i admire you and all the oter people who DO have the strenght to say SO WHAT!.
Tyra, i hope you can give me some advice on how to make friends. people tend to ignore me. i dont know why.
please help me get the courage to tell those who laughed at me, So i'm short. SO WHAT.

hi Tyra.........m a 16yr old indian gal n i hv recently migrated 2NZ 4m Fj.....while waitin 4a reply 4m ma skool hia in NZ....i stayed home n i watched ya programmes......"The So What?!" programme REALLY touched me.......u r so beautiful...how cn sum1 even dare 2cal u fat.....n ur mumma seems vry nyc n sensible.....i wud lyk 2than ha 4raisin such a brave daughter lyk u.....

i am 151cm tall n weigh 60kg.....i am smart, mostly straight A+'s...n m funny, n i hv achieved a lot in al areas of life....i hv even been a charity queen 4ma old skool in Fj....but i m alwayz worried abt ma height n weight...n wat ppl wud say abt meh.....sumtymz m so depressed dt m nt as skinny as ma frnz...dt i cry 2maself....
n m abt 2start skool hia in NZ...i was lyk freakin out...coz most of d galz i saw hia r skinny n dey dnt have as many pimples as i do.....i thought i wud b bullied 4ma weight n wat wud odas think of me.....
BUH AFTA WATCHIN UR SHOW.......I JUST DNT CARE WAT PPL WIL THINK N SAY ABT MEH.....

N I WANT 2SAY DT :

I AM FAT N I HAVE LOADZ OF PIMPLES....N M NOT DAT FAIR
....BUH....

"SO WAT?!!!!!!!"....

Thank u Tyra 4helpin meh realise a lot of things....u were lyk a angel sent by god coz u answerd ma worried thoughts...n dt 2jst on tym...m startin @MRGS on mondae...

THANK YOU TYRA.....
i wud LUV 2meet u 1dae....cozz u r such a role model 4manny galzz...includin meh......

Luv u angel!!!
God bless.....

hye tyra,

i have always felt insecure about my looks. i'm now 23 and have absolutely changed since my high school days. i used to weigh 126 ibs, but now i weigh around 117 ibs. it is such a tremendous change. but i still dont feel good about it. i kept wanting thinner figure. i love your SO WHAT campaign because it made me realise that everyone should accept themselves as who they are. we are never going to be satisfied with what we have. we should eat healthier but definitely not starve and deny ourselves from the finer things in life. the most beautiful thing is being able to be around ppl who loves you for your inner values and who would be there for you regardless of whether you are fat or skinny.

Dear Tyra,

My name is Kandace, I'm 16 and soon I'm going to be a junior in high school. I weigh about 180 pounds, and my past has been no walk in the park, because of the situations I've been in. The first time I started loosing self esteem was in 1st grade when people started teasing me about my weight and how fat and ugly i was. This repeated all the way through elementary school. Everyday when I got home I would cry for hours because I just wanted too be different, my parents would ask whats wrong and tell me that everything was going to be fine, just like everyother parent tells their child. I finally moved houses/schools in fourth grade. When i got to this new school, I thought everything was going to be so much better, but I soon noticed that It just got worse. I was teased about my weight & looks and by the time the year was over I just wanted to runaway. In jr. high I felt like everything would turn out too be okay and It did, until someone called me a tubb of lard, fat a**, and crater face. By the end of my eighth grade year I wanted to commit suicide, but a new friend pursuaded me not to because of my family and the little amount of friends i did have. I used to scratch my wrists until I bled severyley, and then I would just sit and cry for hours alone, I became depressed and got into the phase where black was my favorite color because it sheltered me from the world...My freshmen year didnt really phase me, i just kept myself isolated from everything and everyone...my sophmore year i decided that i was gonna try and put it all to a stop..i suffered from bulimia, but nobody knew and still dosent know. I thought that it was something i could control, when i actually just lost control..everytime i look in the mirror i see fat, fat, and more fat and i dont know what to do anymore. I dont want to go to rehab because then i feel like my family is looking down on me and will dis-own me, but i just want too fit in. i dont know what to do anymore..

please help me...

sincerley, kandace.

Dear Tyra,
I love your shows. I am writing because of a wonderful young lady Sakina Samuda who tried out for ANTM.SAKINA INSPIRES ME TO DO BETTER. I know her and I read a blog that was written about her on your website. I was really appauld. Sakina is a great person who is always giving and very caring to others, shes not a taker or a bad person and would never hurt a fly. I havent seen her for a very long time except on tv, and I wasnt surprise, I know shes a star in the making. but people who have negative things to say about her are haters. shes not a thief and that letter written to you already confess that its a liar and hater wrote it with the comment (im not a player hater) please tell so called DEJA to focus on her own situation instead of viciously and maliciously attacking good people who are trying to make something of themselves. I remember the things Sakina did for me in school and I will never forget, she changed my life and she doesnt even know it. She was a peer councelor at one point and I cried on her shoulders. the girl is my age, and can you believe how mature she was back then? I looked at her for guidance. She was never like us in my eyes, until one day I ask my biology teacher for a pass in the restroom and when I went I found Sakina hysterically crying, my heart broke because I never thought such a happy caring person like her should be hurt or crying and she never told me why she was crying, I still wondered why to this day because ive never seeN her like that. It was right there I realized shes like me,she hurt too,except unlike me she told noone her troubles. SO WHAT IF SHE IS MAKING SOMETHING OF HER SELF TELL THOSE FOOLS TO BE POSITIVE AND NOT PULL DOWN PEOPLE WHO ARE HEADING UP BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES ARE DOWN AND HAVE NO LIFE. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN....AND TRYA, TELL THE HATER THAT I HOPE MY CHILD NEVER GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL WITH HER CHILDREN...SO WHAT SAKINA IS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE OUT AND I LOVE HER AND WILL TRY TO FOLLOW UP WITH HER CAREER....SHE INSPIRES ME....STOP HATING DEJA, BY THE WAY WHO IS DEJA?Please give Sakina my information to contact me. I would really love her to meet my daughter. Tell her Kristian loves her and is proud and Ill always be her #1 fan cheering for her in the wings. To Sakina: if you read this, its me, the girl with blonde hair and pink streaks...the girl who wiped your tears in the bathroom. I dont want to post my info so please get it from Tyra show. Thank for everything...keep growing and stay strong till we meet again. love ya Krissy.

Haij Tyra :)
First I want to say that i'm very proud that you made the - So what- Compaign :)
It's so fabulous to know that someone who's an ex-topmodel says that you don't have to be perfect :)

Go on with it :)
'Cause it's FIERCE :)

x martin hoogerwerf
Netherlands :)

Hi Tyra,

I've seen your SO WHAT Campaign and I love it!
I always wanted to be skinny but when I've seen your show and read your article I know that I have to be happy with my body and weight and all that stuff! Ok, I don't have a small size, I'm not skinny...SO WHAT! I am who I am.

Tyra, thank you so much!
Love greetings from the Netherlands!

Dear Tyra

I am a portuguese woman who usually sees your show through the cable from Portugal.
I just wanted to say that you are really beautiful, sensitive and your programmes show a lot of joy and also alerts us to the problems that everyone would like to avoid.

I wish you all the best and I am sure that you are an idol in US.

Kind Regards
Lucia

hey im 13 and need some advice. im so concence of my weight i am 5'5 and weight 111.4. i dont get called fat but when the girls at school trade pants i feel left out because i were one of biggerst pant size betwwen us girls and they are the same height but weight like 95 pounds when they get on the subject of weight i hesitate to tell them but they understand. can you give me some advice on how to cope with my incecurity with my weight !please!

hi tyra i am a 18 year old male and i am looking to be a model but i just neen help geting started so can you help me

SORRY I MADE A MISTAKE I MENT TO SAY IM A LATIN AMERICAN DANCER X X X X SORRY

SORRY I MADE A MISTAKE IM A LATIN AMERICAN DANCER X X X X SORRY

hay tyra its BIANCA again i just want to say "SO WHAT 2" im 14 and 8 stone and from IRELAND i am a latain american dancing like DANCING WITH THE STARS and i was and like i said i'm 8 stone and i was told the only way i would get a dance partner was if i lost 1 STONE in weight , well i didn't do what he said i didn't lose the weight . NEARLEY 2 YEAR LATER AFTER HE TOLD ME TAHT I HAD TO LOSE WEIGHT I STILL DON'T HAVE A PARTNER ... BUT I SAY SO WHAT IF IM 8 STONE AND ALL BECAUSE OF YOU YOU MADE ME REALISE THAT I'M FINE THE WAY I AM LOVE U TYRA X X X X

Hey Tyra,
My name is Njeri i come from Kenya. I'll admit that i used to be a bit skeptical about your show thought i was too old (28) however I now enjoy the shows and i particularly applaud your SO WHAT campaign.

It's so important for young girls especially in their teens to learn to embrace themselves as they are and not try to fit into the stereotype of whats in/cool.
In order to have a future generation of women of substance there is a great need to lay a proper foundation for the young girls to learn to hold their heads high and realise each one of us is unique and here on earth for a purpose, so kudos.

I believe parents have a part to play as well practice more encouragement and less criticism.

I hope that one day you will come visit Kenya- Beautiful country you will fall in love with it (ask your fellow super model Naomi Campbell)

Hi Tyra!!! i just wan to let you know that you are the biggest role model to me...and to many other women in america. you are so inspiring. in art class we had to do a project where we had to put like where we would want to travel, and who we would want to meet and i said that i would want to meet you!!! keep doing what you are doing!! i love you so much!!!! and that SO WHAT movement that you did was so inspiring it made me cry!!!!! i love you!!!

Hi Tyra!!! i just wan to let you know that you are the biggest role model to me...and to many other women in america. you are so inspiring. in art class we had to do a project where we had to put like where we would want to travel, and who we would want to meet and i said that i would want to meet you!!! keep doing what you are doing!! i love you so much!!!! and that SO WHAT movement that you did was so inspiring it made me cry!!!!! i love you!!!

"SO WHAT"
If you could ever have found a girl that could fit a typical insecure teenager it was me. I have always been short and I have always been curvy.
I would like to step forward and not say "SO WHAT" but "HELL YEA" I'm 21 years old and my measurements are 44" 30" 44" and those are exact and I am a little over 5'3. Every book wil tell you I'm fat. I work out at least 3 times a week and eat extreamely healthy. So that tells me that obviously my curves are here to stay. Instead of trying to figure out why curvy was better then thin one day i realized both are awesome. Curvy women have been painted butt naked since a man could pick up a paint brush and thin girls are perfect for modelling art on their bodies.
Its time to realize women come in so many different shapes and sizes because there are so many ways to be sexy, beutiful and just generally attractive. If your big chested or small chested and admiring the girl of the opposite make next to you please consider this, large luptious breasts or eternally perky breasts. The idea is everythign has its ups and downs.

Hey Tyra!
My name is cearra and i am 19 years old, you are such a role model and i really admire you. You are a beautiful woman who loves to help people feel better about themselves and it takes a great person to do that. I am a black woman as well and i had low esteem about myself to the point i didnt wanna look in the mirror and watching your show made me smile and know that you can be healthy "thick chick" and still love yourself.My thighs rub together and i have stretch marks but....... "SO WHAT!!!" God bless you girl and keep up the good work!

I love this campaign. even though i am only 13 i used to wish every day to be skinny. But now i have found the parts i love and it makes me soooooo confident. i watch your show every day and you inspire me every day
I LOVE YOU TYRA!!!!!!

"YO TYRA"
U say so what and let your and let your imperfections show!but your not practicing what u you preach! take that DAWM WEAVE OFF.

Mirror,mirror on the wall, I'm five feet six inches tall, there's not much on me you can call small, but i couldn't be more happy, because i love me1 See i spent too many years trying to fight heredity, trying to deny that i was genetically pre-determined to have super-sized thighs and hips real wide, but now Iwalk with pride, confidence in my stride, becuase I love me. Now some would say i'm full of conceit, but i say they're full of jealously. Not of my beauty, but of the confidence I carry, and the fact that i don't need a mirror to tell me how wonderful I am because I LOVE ME1. Tyra, I love you, and this is my so what story.

hi tyra! i saw you're so what show and campaign and it really moved me. seeing that episode made me realize that being fat or whatever they want to call it should not stop me from doing the things i like. very empowering and to i've gor to say SO WHAT!!!!

fe (philippines)