Shirtless images of Obama cause stir online

[The Sushi Bandit]

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

Forget Barack Obama's staff making contact with a governor charged with corruption. What's got everyone talking is the president-elect's fine first form.


"FIT FOR OFFICE: Buff Bam is Hawaii hunk," the New York Post gushed on its cover Tuesday above a photo of the future president strolling without a shirt in Hawaii. The Drudge Report called him "President Beefcake" while TMZ said the president-elect is "still humble enough to do laundry — ON HIS ABS!"

The photos were distributed by Bauer-Griffin, a photo agency more typically found on the corners of Hollywood. Photographer Chris Behnke simply strolled along the beach to get the shot, said agency co-owner Frank Griffin.

Obama "wasn't hiding. He was completely out in the open," Griffin said. "We didn't by any stretch of the imagination expect to get the images we got."



Read more: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081223/BREA...

[roseBudd]

1. I love it, Mr. Ride My Mountain Bike & Cut Brush never looked so good

with his squinty eyes and lipless mouth he's actually quite unattractive

[47of74]

18. Amen.

To tell the truth, I have never seen, nor do I ever wish to see, Bush topless. The mere thought of it is enough to make me wanna pluck out my eyeballs with a chainsaw.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. So little going in the US and the world, that the AP has to resurrect old stuff?

The photos were taken months ago, and here it is being written as if this is the latest news on weighty matters of actual importance.

[Pirate Smile]

4. The photo they are talking about is from yesterday (or Monday). It is a new pic.

They have to pay for it so many are showing the old pics from August.

[paulkienitz]

9. it looks like his condition may have improved?

which if it happened during the campaign is pretty impressive.

[liberalmuse]

3. He does have nice pecs.

And the beginnings of washboard abs. I suppose now that he's our President, we really should not think about how buff he looks without a shirt. Though he is the first Prez in a long time who probably should go shirtless more often. If Bush went shirtless I'd lose my lunch, and probably some vital organs.

[Mari333]

5. arghhhhhh.....

[RainDog]

6. I think it is creepy to sexualize our elected representatives

just plain creepy. I want effective policies. Leave the trailer trash gossip crap to Britney, please.

[Catch22Dem]

16. Wow! You must be a hoot at parties

I prefer to be silly once in a while.

[RainDog]

20. yeah, I'm no fun when the guys are all jerking off to Hillary, either

but if that's your thing, go right ahead.

[ACTION BASTARD]

30. Haha! Go have a drink please. Your waaaay to wound up.

At the very least, it's nice to have a CIC that's too smart not to be a fatass.

[Sparky 1]

32. Sex appeal is

... essentially good health. No getting around it, that's the deffinition of sex appeal -- a well-toned body, shiny hair, sparkling eyes, smooth skin, nice teeth, and so on. That doesn't mean everyone is getting "turned on" -- some of us may just be getting inspired to eat better and exercise more. But everyone should be able to appreciate attractiveness and glowing good health in anyone of any age (or station in life), and there's nothing wrong with that.

[NashVegas]

34. And Then Scream When They Have Affairs

I guess we're just like that.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

38. DC home for people too ugly to be in Hollywood

or too ugly to be actors, something like that.

Im glad our First Family is young, healthy and attractive, and that
there seems to be so much love and vitality there.

Its refreshing.

[Happyhippychick]

7. I won't be able to comment on that picture until I have seen others. Let me know if there are any.

[kskiska]

8. Compare

[Psephos]

12. or this...

http://a.abcnews.com/Nightline/popup?id=3516310&content...

yikes

[FlaGranny]

23. My 69-year-old hubby

looks more like Obama than Reagan at that age, but he does have a "slight" pooch.

[Psephos]

26. lol - tell him to ease back on those carbs :-)

after Christmas, of course...

[pitohui]

29. the photo in discussion is photo # 1 in that slideshow but somehow you have it linked backwards

or at least my computer is linking me backwards

i'll try to see if i can post the actual photo, i think it's more flattering that the other photos in the slideshow, most of the world leaders in question are just not beefcake material

http://a.abcnews.com/Nightline/popup?id=3516310&content...

okay i can't get the photo to show in my post but i think if you click that link it now goes directly to obama's new photo...

[Johnyawl]

14. Oh come on! Rayguns was in his 70s when that picture was taken.

Do you think You're gonna look that good when YOU'RE 70?

and that's about all the nice things I've got to say about Reagan.

[mgc1961]

10. I'm pinching your face!

[Psephos]

11. ah yes, the smoker's physique... n/t

[KittyWampus]

13. excuse? what exactly was your intent?

[Psephos]

15. what's yours? n/t

[SemperEadem]

22. He stopped smoking a few months back.

and it appears he hasn't gained any weight as a result.

[Psephos]

31. Actually, from the way he parsed his responses, it seems likely he's still sneaking a few

time will tell

it's not an earth-shaking matter either way...I'm sure his perception manager are strongly against it

[question everything]

17. Quick, get him some of this full cover suit

that were popular at the turn of the 20th Century.

And make sure that Michelle and the girls are covered from head to toes. What are we? French?

[Mind_your_head]

19. Having a president-elect that's "easy on the eyes" is an added bonus

to all of Obama's other great qualities that got him elected.

Anyone who is "causing a stir" is probably just another 28%'er who will defend their little dork, who is TOTALLY "uncool" in every way and is just jealous of someone with brains, courage, style, class, and good-looking too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-fOdbB3ESU

[SemperEadem]

21. don't hate... work out and eat right

better than a dun-lop belly going on.

[Vinca]

24. I'm concerned that if an idiot with a camera can get that close that easily,

the Secret Service isn't doing its job.

[BumRushDaShow]

25. These paparazzi have some mega-telephoto lenses

I doubt they are that close to the compound but are stationed along the beach nearby.

I wish the media would just leave them alone for a few days during the holiday. This poor family has been going non-stop for 2 years and he hasn't even been inaugurated yet.

[TrogL]

27. This thread is useless without pics

...and no I didn't really need the Cheney one this time in the morning.

[riverdeep]

33. Here you go.

This one compares shirtless leaders.



Putin tries really really hard to be macho. There's something weird going on there. Obama is just what he is. I don't really consider him 'buff', but he's in decent enough shape. The only thing that bugs me about this kind of 'journalism', is that it can lead to some loss of authority on Obama's part.

[pitohui]

36. riverdeep thanks you are much appreciated!

i was trying to get those very pix, but while it allowed me to "grab" the fugly putin pic, i couldn't get the "buff bam" pic and it made me very, very sad

[pitohui]

28. i'd rather "buff bam" than "flabby putin"

what gets my goat is that when i read a related article it invited me to google "shirtless obama" and don't ask me but somehow i end up at a page with a not very appetizing photo of a shirtless GERALD FUCKING FORD!!!! yikes, that's worse than being rick-rolled!

anyhoo all the cool kids are doing it, if an old coot like putin can take his shirt off i don't see why obama can't

[RCinBrooklyn]

35. That's his bone for the gay community. I'm not impressed.

[pitohui]

37. only gay men take off their shirts at the beach?

really?