christie lettermanChris Christie’s weight is clearly a sensitive subject. Though he’s poked fun of his largess, he’s also inclined to telling others to “shut up” about it. It appears nobody will, though.

Yesterday, Esquire magazine issued the governor a few tips on how to make his figure appear a little less rotund. The first tip: “Put on a damn jacket” to cover that overhanging gut, “making it look less like you’ve stacked a few extra inner tubes, Michelin Man-style, around your midsection.”

The article also suggests a three-piece suit, which would draw attention away from his “core” and more to his face, as well as letting his shirt cuffs show as it will make his “normally stubby looking” arms appear longer. Fixing his tie to hit mid-buckle, instead of far below that as he usually does, would help make Christie look less short than he is, the article also says. Finally, it suggests that the governor grow a moustache.

In February, New York magazine suggested that Christie follow William Howard Taft’s lead and embrace “his ample size with good humor.” Christie, who could well be the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2016, would “certainly share one of the top two spots” with Taft weight-wise among presidents, the magazine hypothesized.

After he left office, Taft eventually did lose weight–69.2 pounds. He cut out red meat, pork, potatoes and bread, according to a New York Times article from 1913, and ate more vegetables and poultry. If Christie wants people to stop talking about his weight, he might consider doing the same.

 

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24 replies on “Slimming Down Chris Christie”

  2. Christie does “embrace his ample size with good humor.” He’s a good pragmatic politician that that is first concerned in the interests of his constituents. He tells it like it is, and realizes that he can’t please everyone, both conservative and liberal. He doesn’t pretend to be all things to all people. He’s a well grounded, honest, capable man that is doing good things for the vast majority of the residents of NJ, so don’t stoop to the fat jokes if you can’t articulate a better reason for disliking him.

  3. HAHA Spiro! !!!

    Wow, Taft was the man even before Jenny Craig! Low sugar, low cholesterol!

    what the heck does “less short than he is” actually mean? Couldn’t they say, make him “look taller”? Or is that a snarky way of saying he’s a shorty in real life?

  4. I’m sure that the public-sector employees in our State wouldn’t ever associate the Guv with “largess(e).”

  6. At this point, Chirstie/fat jokes and stories are the functional equivalent of the Black comedian saying, ” White people are….” It’s tired and played out.

    How about this: no more stories about Christie’s weight until there is something, ah weighty (see how I just did what I hate?) to say?

  7. Would Esquire offer such advice to various rappers? To singer Adele? To, when he was alive, Ted Kennedy? (Would he have also asked Ted to lay off the sauce?)

    This is a played-out line of “humor.” Even as I’m concerned about the Governor’s health.

  10. ‘nitz, I put this in the same category as references to a woman’s “fulsome” figure or a politician’s “noisome” speaking voice. Moral of the story: an adjective is not more descriptive because it has an extra syllable; especially if it means something completely different from its cognate. OK, stopping now to avoid enormity (I mean, enormousness).

  11. Christie is a gifted politician with some rough edges. However, he loses his temper too easily and comes off, at times, as a bit of a blow-hard and bully. His weight won’t be a serious issue in his political future but his barely concealed anger might.

  12. How thoughtful of New York mag to give this free advice. To return the favor, I hereby advise New York mag to sell more ads and run better stories. You’re welcome.

  13. “I wish this amount of attention was directed towards issues that affect the state of New Jersey.”
    Yeah, like Holly’s next “name that cocktail” – a.k.a. The altered state of New Jersey.

  14. Holly? Holly! It’s about time for a new cocktail. It’s Good Friday, the Pope is washing women’s feet… This doesn’t happen every day!

  15. I agree with posters who don’t think Christie fat jokes are hilarious, ingenious or relevant. Christie has done some things I agree with and some things I don’t–privatizing jails, for example. I would love to keep the dialogue respectful and focused on issues, as some other posters have mentioned as well. Don’t people who make “Christie is fat” jokes have a sense of shame over their own lack of originality? We get it. He’s not a slim man. is that all you got?

  16. As much as it pains me to admit it–and it does pain me, like having a 3-ft tapeworm removed in a single yank, or being disembowled–the prof is right: Christy fat jokes are played out.

  19. I agree with my fellow humorless scolds that Chris Christie is off limits.

    I remember quite vividly that we all expressed the same amount of sensitivity and concern when the President of the United States had his citizenship, his religion, his obvious socialism and his race joked about by the lunatic fringe.

    Oh right, those weren’t jokes. And they haven’t stopped. And we are a pack of simpering hypocrites.

  20. -“I remember quite vividly that we all expressed the same amount of sensitivity and concern when the President of the United States had his citizenship, his religion, his obvious socialism and his race joked about by the lunatic fringe.” –
    I am a progressive democrat. I have continued to be horrified by the inherent racism and hypocrisy displayed by the behavior you site, above. Perhaps that is even more reason to discontinue that mean-spirited and divisive behavior. It is important not to let name-calling and nastiness destroy our collective basic humanity. Is Chris Christy a big man? Yes. Do I agree with all his policies? No. But is he a human being, with a family, a desire to serve our community and some good ideas, too? Yes. So I’d rather just stick to that.
    As for the hypocritical attacks on Obama since the day he was elected, I continue to find them beyond disturbing and cruel, but people are free to say what they like. I wish the whole dialogue could just be a little bit more open-minded, fair, and well-informed.

  23. It was nice to see Christie and Obama working together after Sandy. Politically, I’m more in Christie’s court than Obama’s, but I think they’re both decent people.

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