Sanctimonious Pundits Get Christie Mocking Wrong

“I never thought I’d see so much of your anatomy” –The Camel Toe Movie

By Art Gallagher

Respected columnists on both the left and right have come to Governor Chris Christie’s defense against the viral social and new media reaction to the ridiculously embarrassing photos of Christie in a way too tight softball uniform last week.

Star Ledger sports columnist Steve Politi writes that we should give Christie credit for not being ashamed of his body and applaud him for putting on the skin tight uniform that revealed both girth and a lack thereof and getting on the field to raise money for a very good cause–the families of slain New York City police officers.  Politi noted that he was fat in high school and that he’s covered high school sports.  Therefore, he argued, we should not ridicule Christie because fat kids might stop participating in sports.

A Star Ledger editorial, presumably written by Editorial Page Editor Tom Moran who launched Christie’s YouTube career when he lectured to Governor on his manners, lectures his readers for acting like fifth graders, asks if we’d tolerate such nastiness if a female politician dressed like Christie did last week, and like Politi, asked if it would have been better if Christie had not taken the field in his tight white pants, as if Christie did not have another choice.  Moran, if he wrote the editorial, did not mention if he has ever been fat.

Ken Kurson, publisher of The Observer and a friend to many MMM regular readers, writes that he used to be fat and probably will be again while dubbing the social and new media’s reaction to the Governor’s appearance as “Disgraceful and Stupid Fat Shaming.”

All three gentlemen missed the mark. The reaction to Christie’s appearance in his tight white softball pants was not fat shaming.  This time was different than the usual fat jokes we’ve all become bored with because the outfit was way too tight and showed off way more of his anatomy than I care to see of my Governor and a very likely candidate for President of the United States.  I say this as a guy who was fat in high school and still is, as if that matters.  It seems to matter to Kurson and Politi.

If, as Politi argues, Christie is proud of his body and wants to show it off, he should spend a day at Gunnison Beach. If he “dresses” appropriately, no one will ridicule him. If he dons a Speedo, he’ll be laughed off the beach.

Would we be so nasty to a female politician who wore too tight white pants? Moran asks.  I can’t imagine Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Susan Martinez, Nikki Haley, Carly Fiorina or Nancy Pelosi dressing like Christie did in public with the media present. Prior to Christie doing it, I couldn’t imagine a male political figure (sorry) doing so either. Jeb Bush?  Bill Clinton?  Even former Senator Scott Brown was more discrete in his youth. I’ve seen a photo of President Obama topless, but he was wearing baggy shorts in that photo.

Chris Christie had a choice last week. He could have played for charity and not revealed so much of his anatomy in his tight white pants.

Christie played in Boomer and Carton’s celebrity softball game for charity last year too.  He wore baggy shorts with his jersey out and over his belt.  Last year all of the players in the charity game wore baggy shorts and their jerseys out.  This year he could have been the only player with his jersey out.  If he had done that, there would have been the usual boring fat jokes, but not the viral reaction he exposed us too last week.  Boomer and Carton would have let him play with his jersey out.  After all, the game was for charity and he was the only governor and potential president on the field.

Christie’s appearance in his tight white softball pants was disgraceful, stupid and shameful.  We let him off the hook by mocking him and laughing at him.

Moran and Kurson both argue that the “nasty” viral reaction to the spectacle that Christie made of himself would never be tolerated if women had dressed with similar exposure.  They’re right about the double standard but wrong about the reaction to such an unprecedented spectacle.  If any female politician flaunted their anatomy the way Christie did last week, they would become former politicians headed toward to the Reality TV industry.

 

Posted: June 8th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie, Media, Opinion, Social Media | Tags: 2016 Presidential politics, Art Gallagher, Camel Toe, Chris Christie, Chris Christie white shorts, Chris Christie's baseball pants, Christie baseball pants, Christie white shorts, Ken Kurson, Moose Knuckle, Opinion, Star Ledger, Steve Politi, The Observer, Tom Moran | 1 Comment »

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