President Obama made the cover of Washingtonian magazine’s May issue. But far be it for our nation to ever let him escape his shirtless bathing suit photos from over a year ago, they’ve slapped the shots on the cover. Luckily, Obama looks good – as he himself acknowledged. This isn’t the first time he’s been on the mag, though in the past he was often pictured with Michelle – and always fully clothed.
The magazine is doing a “26 Reasons to Love Living Here” issue, and number 2 is “Our new neighbor is hot.” The new neighbor obviously being the president. Honestly I thought they should have gone with a more current picture, but I guess if you want to prove the president is hot in a trendy way, the less clothing the better.
The Washingtonian ran a contest for a cover idea, (which partially explains it), asking readers to “come up with a fitting concept, design, or photo to feature” that showed what they loved about living in D.C. I guess having the president as eye candy is a pretty good reason.
If nothing else, shirtless Obama photos are a proven seller.
Here’s the president with his daughters in January 2008. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .
That’s so wrong. lol
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I listen to that man’s speeches and I’m like a bee to honey but still. He’s the president! Not an underwear model.
Now an underwear model, I’d have no shame gawking at. ROFL.
I don’t know…
For some reason I feel like I am disrespecting him by looking at him like that. He is the president of our country.. I understand his immense popularity and such…but…I don’t know. Its like..We see enough nakedness in every other aspect of our lives. Do we really need it in our president too?
Maybe I am just being a prude.
I agree samantha. I dont feel bad about looking at the vacay pictures because they are in context, but this blatant commercialization and decontextualized pic just irks me-cheapens him in a way that the beach pics didnt.
I agree with all of you. It is reprehensible to show the President of the United States in such a manner. Now, how can I get a copy?
Pics like this make it hard to take him seriously as the pres…They should stop.
Agree with above comments – it’s incredibly disrespectful to show our President in this way.
The beach photos with his family are completely different, they send a message of a normal, loving father on vacation with his family – nothing wrong with that. This magazine cover sexualizes our leader to sell copies – it’s BS.
Agree with everyone on this site. It reminds me of the Princess Diana pic after the divorce, wearing a leotard and exercising at the gym. The photog got an open-legged pic, as she’s working out on the equipment. People were upset and said that pic would never have been taken or come out if she had still been married to Charles. What I’m trying to say is that both pics make me feel vaguely uneasy because the proper decorum/respect is not given to their status. And yes, it is demeaning. Could you imagine such a shot of George Bush Sr. or Jr.? Not just the shirtless thing, but the open-legged thing, too. Then again, power sometimes does need to be demystified and the clay feet exposed.
T, in all seriousness, I don’t see how this picture would make you (or anyone else) take him less serious. If Obama was photographed every week walking topless on the beach, then maybe there’s an issue. But, it is one vacation photo to go with the thousands of him in power suits and being presidential. I think that it is a little silly to overreact to this cover and make it into something disrespectful. Intention means a lot and the magazine doesn’t appear to be trying to demean him in any way and it really is an acknowledgment that the President is kind of hot.
hmm, I think it more has to do with that that magazine says about our country AS A WHOLE. We already put WAY too much emphasis on celebrities, appearances, most people in this country know more about what Madonna did yesterday than they do about things like the economy, or world summits, stimulus package and what it means for them, etc. Now we have to look at our president being paraded around on the cover of a magazine with the intent to make people drool over his shirtlessness? Like the second greatest thing about America is having a hot president??? Whoa, if that is what makes this country so great, then we are surely going to hell in a hand basket, FAST.
I wish the media would stop celebritizing the First Family. There is no decorum in this at all.
Moobs.
He’s a public servant, not a king so I don’t mind this terribly. Too bad about the moobs-in-progress. I know he’s busy, but he might want to start doing some pec flyes or something while he’s getting his daily briefings.
oh i see, we don’t have any qualms about gawking at females (no matter what their background) but a male, now that’s a completely different story…
i think he looks hot… besides being hot, he’s a good looking man… michelle really lucked out with her man face…
By the way, I do not want my President to be “hot.” End of story. Be responsible.
oh i see, we don’t have any qualms about gawking at females (no matter what their background)
Bullshit.
I don’t wanna see Michelle in her Bikini. She’s our first lady! Not a swimsuit model.
oh i see, then it must have been some other country that was ripping apart her choice of outfits and gauging the sexiness of her arms…
I’m Canadian. I have no problem with this picture, he’s HOT!
I might add that I am quite grateful he’s not into Speedos
Agree with most everyone has written, it just doesn’t seem dignified, and he is a dignified man. The shots of him with the kids are precious.
@Codzilla, LMAO.
I think he’s hot. lol
This is a little wrong, but it does make people happy to be living in Washington!
I agree with the earlier posters and think this cover is very direspectful.
I understand the media’s obsession with the first family ( and of color) but this is just out of line. Sexualizing our president is just not cool!
I don’t ever recall seeing a similar picture of Bush (or Bush Sr.) on Washingtonian previously.
He is the leader of our country, not a rock star or model.
But he does have nice abs.
Other presidents have been photographed topless although I’ll add not one looks as good as Barack. Yum.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/23/other-shirtless-president_n_153097.html
apparently putin loves it… being photographed topless that is…
oh i see, then it must have been some other country that was ripping apart her choice of outfits and gauging the sexiness of her arms…
Excuse me, I’m not sure when I got clumped into the large masses, but seeing as how you clearly don’t count yourself in that number, might it be possible that I don’t either?
In fact, if you go look at my past posts about Michelle’s fashion, I’m going off about how sad I think it is that we focus so heavily on what she’s wearing when she’s a princeton and harvard law graduate! She is amazing, talented and intelligent as all get out and THAT’S what I focus on.
OH! And Stella, thanks for the link. Good laughs were had! 🙂 Maaaan…If I never see Putin in a bathing suit again, I’ll die a happy girl.
Gosh, I guess cocaine really does help people stay slim.
Yea he’s brought this on himself by being so open to the American people.
Would a three piece suit with a tie be more acceptable to play on the beach?
Cocaine? Huh? WTF??? Utter bullshit.
Bob, Bob, Bob you are only reinforcing the wingnut stereotype here. Your opinions will get no respect with that kind of silliness flying off your keyboard. Out of respect to your fellow conservative posters here, please rein it in. (or keep being ridiculous, I actually am entertained by it)
disgusting
agh
makes me want to puke
the same reaction when i hear him speak
bush was an arrogant idiot who thought he spoke to god
obama is an arrogant idiot who thinks he is god
I love the way he swaggers. He is some eye candy. Drool*
Now, how about a topless picture of “hillary rodham clinton” or Condoleezza rice”???
as much as this idea is inappropriate so is the pic of Obama in his bathing suit…
not what I expected, rather not hot
Oh come on, the cover is humorous, plus the man is seriously, seriously hot.