I have to say that at my high school, there isn't an issue with popularity. There are so many students in schools now that nobody cares who is popular or unpopular. At my school, there is no discrimination on that topic. I just think people play it out to be something so much bigger than it really is. I am not necessarily a "popular" student but no one really thinks of popular or unpopular we are all just happy and cotent with who we are. I'm not saying that this is how it is everywhere, but I know that at my school that is not an issue. I know that the people that I hang out with are all very welcoming and open to new people and that is how everyone is at my school. So I just don't understand how this is an issue and is so big in other places.

DEAR TYRA, IT MAKES ME SAD TO SEE OTHERS GET BULLIED CAUSE I HAVE BEEN BULLIED FOR SEVERAL REASONS. THE NUMBER ONE REASON I GE MADE FUN IS BECAUSE I AM AFRICAN. THEY ALWAYS CALL ME DIRTY AND I STINK. I'M NIGERIAN SO I'M POOR. I GET COMPARED WITH MY TWIN A LOT CAUSE SHE IS LIGHTER THAN ME AND HAS NO ACNE. SHE LIKE A PERFECT IDOL. IN SEVENTH GRADE WAS THE TOUGHEST WHEN I LITERALLY CRIED MY HEARTS OUT AND I WAS AFRAID TO GO TO SCHOOL. I'M TRYING TO IGNORE COMMENTS THEY MAKE AND HOPEFULLY THIS TEACH OTHERS HOW BULLYING AFFECT PEOPLE

Dear Tyra, my friend and i are both 15, and we were very pleased to see that you were taking on the subject of popular and unpopular. but, we were VERY DISAPPOINTED in how the show turned out. you made the unpopular girls apologize when they did nothing wrong, except get made fun of...which was wrong! The unpopular girls had nothing to apologize for except MAYBE calling the popular girls plastic. But that type of name calling does not even come close to comparing what the popular girls were calling the unpopular girls. You yourself said you were a mean girl in school, but laughed about it. A lot of girls were hurt by the mean POPULAR girls and it is definitely not something to laugh about. You were holding the popular girls hand when in reality the unpopular girls needed a hand to hold! My friend and I are actually popular, not mean, and we talked to a lot of people about your show at school (popular and unpopular)and they all agreed that the subject was not taken seriously and you were on the popular girls side! We are HUGE fans of your show, but this episode really pissed us off! I thought you were supposed to be a rolemodel, but you just basically told girls that popular poeple have ALL the power and everyone else is powerless! I am very very disappointed in this show Tyra!!!!

Dear Tyra, my friend and i are both 15, and we were very pleased to see that you were taking on the subject of popular and unpopular. but, we were VERY DISAPPOINTED in how the show turned out. you made the unpopular girls apologize when they did nothing wrong, except get made fun of...which was wrong! The unpopular girls had nothing to apologize for except MAYBE calling the popular girls plastic. But that type of name calling does not even come close to comparing what the popular girls were calling the unpopular girls. You yourself said you were a mean girl in school, but laughed about it. A lot of girls were hurt by the mean unpopular girls and it is definitely not something to laugh about. You were holding the popular girls hand when in reality the unpopular girls needed a hand to hold! My friend and I are actually popular, not mean, and we talked to a lot of people about your show at school (popular and unpopular)and they all agreed that the subject was not taken seriously and you were on the popular girls side! We are HUGE fans of your show, but this episode really pissed us off! I thought you were supposed to be a rolemodel, but you just basically told girls that popular poeple have ALL the power and everyone else is powerless! I am very very disappointed in this show Tyra!!!!

Hey Tyra! Im 18 years old and juss graduated this past year. I think this was a great topic to talk about because its so common amoung kids and schools everywhere. I was in-between the popular and unpopular kids in school. I was friends with the popular kids because of the way I presented myself to them. I dont change the way I act when I'm around people. I don't believe in it. I feel as if that is being fake. The unopoular kids, I'm friends with. Sure, we all judge people but I hate being judged so I don't see the reason to do it to others. I've had unpopular kids tell me that before they knew me, they thought I was "stuck up" and "was in my own world." That was until they knew me and actually talked to me. I'll be the first to admit that yes i have said hurtful and mean things to and about people. But after I did, i felt ashamed and immediately apologized because it felt as if I had something hanging over my shoulders. When I found out I was being judged, it hurt me, but I've taught myself to not let things like that get to me. We all care what people think,but I try to keep it to a minimum. I carry myslef with high confidence and tell myself everyday that no matter what, I leave the house as me and I come home as me, so why should i let someone change that? And I don't. I just wanted to say thank you for touching on this matter and hopefully one day I'll be able to sit in your studio and be able to put my input in to help others. Love You! ~Bri

Hi Tyra. I'm a 25 year old male. I'm very grateful to you for touching on this topic. I went to two private Christian schools and I've felt the sting of what it's like to be unpopular at both schools. I'm leaving a message because, even though I'm a guy, I have a girlfriend who has had to endure similar trials while in high school. In particular, I have had to help her pull through a rape threat and the PTSD she went through as a result of it. It's too bad that you weren't able to accomplish your goal (the joining of the popular and the unpopular groups). But, at the same time, considering the fact that you were expecting this to happen in one episode and you didn't even have any experts like with other episodes having to do with social topics, it gets me wondering if you even realize the scope of this problem. Yes, I did see that you recognized how great the chasm was at the end of the episode. But, if this is really important to you, I think you need to do a follow up. When you do, invite some experts and do a lot more research. I'm not saying you didn't. But, I think this is much bigger than just popular and unpopular girls. Also, when you wanted the popular girls to apologize, I didn't see a trace of remorse in any of them. I just saw them looking uncomfortable because they felt like they got caught. Also, when you wanted the unpopular girls to apologize, I felt like you were wrong. The unpopular girls called the popular girls "plastic" only because that was the only way they could fight back. Yes, I am a Christian and, as such, the Bible says

I recorded this show first for my 13 yr old daughter. After previewing i was sadly reminded of what it was like to be tormented in highschool. I have made it a point to instill in all of my children on how NOT to be mean to people. I felt so sorry for the "unpopular" kids. I was them in school. The good news is the "popular" girls are now overweight and have the same hair styles they had 20 years ago. While I have blossomed(finally) and look amazing;) My HS experiences have made me compassionate and sensitive to those that are hurting so in retrospect it was worth it.....

I know that this show has touched so many young girls in so many ways... I myself was one of the unpopular girls. I moved to a new school in my junior year of highschool and because I was new and what the other girls considered pretty, I quickly became a threat. Everyone's always asked me why I wasn't the popular girl, and I tell them it's because I was in the unpopular shoes once and it doesn't feel good when people treat you ugly. I was hurting alot of my highschool career, but it made me who I am today... accepting of anyone and everyone because you don't know if the shoe fits until you try it on, you might just like the person... To the "unpopular girls": remain who you are, don't hold grudges because the beautiful girl you are today is going to turn into a strong, independant woman who is beautiful on the inside and out... by the way, those girls who picked on me in school still live in the same town and hangout with the same mean girls, and now they are considered the unpopular girls in the real world because they are still ugly on the inside where it counts the most. God Bless

Tyra, I appreciate you opening this subject but additional professional help would have been needed to make any real progress. You definitely need to do more shows on this subject. And do not expect substantial progress from one show. That is extremely unrealistic when these bad traits have become deeply ingrained. And it is quite apparent from some of the popular girls that they still do not get it. They have the nerve to get upset about the plastic name when I am sure they have done and said much worse. This subject definitely needs to be addressed over and over again because it is a real problem in our society to judge people from the outside instead of the inside.

This has been a major issue for as long as I can remember. We can't change other people, but we can change how we look at ourselves. As long as we see ourselves through other people eyes, we will never be able to see the best in ourselves. Here is a poem I wrote that was based on my sister and my struggle with loving ourselves regardless of how we looked on the outside, or how people thought we should look. I hope this poem helps anyone who is dealing with such issues. "Uncovering Me" Can my outer beauty still be seen Without this masquerade of lies? Strip me of this human hair Remove the makeup that clog my pores Take away the colored eyes Because just maybe these dark brown eyes of mine or just fine, Remove the jewelry Do away with these clothes. Do you see me now? No panties or bra Just me and the mirror as free as we can be Standing in my birthday suit, My hair, my nose, my lips, my cheeks, My arms, my breast, my stomach, My teeth, my hips, my thighs, My legs, even my feet, My back and my waist line with love handles and all, And most definitely my butt Is so perfectly formed. So Ebony, keep your Korean hair My hair may not flow down my backside or be silky smooth, But it’s free and all mines Cover Girl, you can keep your concealer Because my skin tone is just fine with me There’s no need to cover-up the natural part of me Dr. 90210 you can keep your rhinoplasty, Face lifting, lipo sucking, breast injecting Butt lifting, vagina beautifying techniques No disrespect to you, I must say your work is that of a true artist But, I

yes, this is a serious issue. I know exactly what its like to be left out. i was bullied my whole life and even now, I remember how hurtful and how painful everyday would be. I still live with this pain every single day. I almost tried taking my own life, but i knew i had a life and stopped. bullying is inevitable. no one can run away from it and no one can make it better. teachers, students, administrators, everyone in the school, these people cant even stop it. its always going to be a problem that will never be solved. i know it.

I understood what the message was but unfortunately I don't think it reached the "popular girls" or some of the other girls. I think everyone knows that the blame goes more on the girl or individual that is doing the picking. The girl that is being belittled or talked about is the victim and has done nothing to deserve the treatment. However, they should not stoop to calling the other girls names. That being said calling someone a name is not the same as a constant put down or insult as say calling someone fat for example. I think the most frustrating part was the attitude the girls that are "popular" today anyway...displayed on stage. Which is probably most of their problem, their bad attitudes. I honestly fear the poor girls confidence if the "popular" girls continue to be hateful or belittle them while in high school. Oh and one more thing.. it doesn't matter if you meant to hurt someone feelings, if they said you did - you did.

I just saw this show today and am certain the "popular" girls, for the most part, didn't get a clue--even after they experienced what it's like to be hurt. I could feel your sadness.I certainly felt sad. These girls are so guarded. Makes me think they are holding on with fingernails to ensure they never lose their place of superiority. I don't know that I agree with your assertion that these girls have all the power. Seems that that assertion just gave them more reason to feel entitled to lord that power over others. Better to have emphasized the power inherent in all human beings. I saw how empowered the not-popular girls felt when you told them that their days to shine would come. I'm afraid your emphasis on popularity power polarized the girls even more. Although I knew what you were trying to say, I think it came off as just the opposite. Tyra, good for you. You are always trying to level the playing field for young women and to make them realize how precious they are. You are an amazing woman,yourself.

I was actually frustrated by this show. I was not popular in High School and now that I've grown a bit more, I can see both sides of the issue. There were two major problems with how this show was framed. First, the girls who were popular were kept in a large group. There is strength and fear in numbers. The girls feel that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing because there are 5 other girls who do the same thing. Alternately, the popular girls always feel like they have to save their image. If they break down and cry, or get upset about what they have done then how will they be viewed later by their friends. The second major problem was the two girls who offered to become "unpopular" for a day were put into a fake situation. As horrible as they felt, they could always justify that their school is not that bad. I know it wasn't 100% unrealistic, but it could easily be viewed as such by the girls who participated in this experiment. The real way to break down barriers between popular and unpopular is to form friendships. I know Tyra was hoping that would happen in this context, but the environment was not conducive to that result. A better idea would have been to create an environment where one-on-one the girls had to interact together, to get to know one another, to see why they are the way they are. It's not wrong to be beautiful and have nice clothes, it's also not wrong to grow up with skin, weight, or economic problems, it's what you do with it that matter and who you are that matters. Unfortunately, the girls in this show did not truly realize it. I would love

When I watched this show, I had strong opionions about how this topic was being directed. And I believe it was being misdirected. Instead of trying to make it about whether someone is popular or unpopular, it should have been based on a lack of kindness and maturity between all girls and boys in life, particularly in high school. I believe that the "popular" girls on the set acted unbelievely rightous and stubborn, trying to find every opportunity to catch the "unpopular" girls at their moments to criticize them even more than they would without the cameras on them. Nor did they openly admit one single flaw they saw in themselves. This shows that they can't even look at their own flaws in a humble matter. At least the "unpopular" girls had some humility and exposed their flaws, and sincerely apologized. But while they did that, the "popular" girls had a look of fake interest, with an undertone of agression. I believe that the unpopular girls have every right to feel resentment, and they don't need to apologize for calling the popular girls "plastics" when they're only asking for that label by the way they cruelly treat their peers. The "unpopular" girls deserve to have some feeling of resent for everything the "popular" girls do to socially embarass them. "Popular" girls take advantage of their power. I myself, am a student in High School and like to believe i'm well known and generally popular. I'm not that type of girl to wear high heels every day to school or hang out with the jocks. But I earned my popularity by being completely open minded and deservingly kind to everyone that approached me. I wouldn't say i'm ugly either, but It wasn't the factor of my popularity. Popular or unpopular, people