Today is Fat Tuesday. This means Mardi Gras, one of our favorite holidays is just around the corner. Now before you start planning your weekend trips to New Orleans and partying in the middle of campus (which we highly endorse), we figured this was the one day where the fat should be honored. Here’s 10 famous fat people for your Fat Tuesday reading pleasure.
10. Aretha Franklin
Most divas are hot, or at least they think they are. That can not be said though for Aretha Franklin. Undoubtedly one of the greatest performers of all time, The Queen of Soul has constantly struggled with weight problems. We don’t really care about her body because it defintely wasn’t her looks that made her famous. Music competitions such as The Voice, American Idol, or America’s Got Talent all have the same thing in common. Wannabe hopefuls falling short at trying to replicate Aretha’s classics.
9. Ralphie May
If you just listen to 30 seconds of his stand up comedy, you will know he is fat right away. If you then see Ralphie May for 30 seconds you will ask yourself how the hell is he still alive. This man got his start on NBC’s reality show Last Comic Standing. While clearly obese, he welcomes the idea of being larger than life in a funny matter and that is respectable. Just hope he lives to see 40.
8. Brian Baumgartner
Alright, if we didn’t show his picture, you probably would have no idea who Bryan is. Luckily we did and Kevin Malone from The Office is one of everybody’s favorite characters. Kevin Malone plays the stereotypical fat guy in the office. At first you don’t want to bother dealing with him, but in the end, they provide comic relief in an otherwise stressful job. Kevin plays his role perfectly, and he couldn’t do it without the extra poundage.
7. Adele
She isn’t necessarily fat. More like overweight. It is difficult to include women on this list because let’s face it, a fat guy is normally seen as funny while a fat girl isn’t given the time of day. Even though these double standards are unfair, it’s the truth. We really wanted to include her on our list though because it is an excuse to write about the best musicain of the year. The Grammys literally could have changed its name to the Adeles after she took home 6 awards. Adele has spoken publilcy about how comfortable she is in her own skin ,and if she is, then so are we.
6. Charles Barkley (pre Weight Watchers)
Barkley has been a pretty good endorsement for the brand and actually lost a ton of weight. Although prior to being a spokesperson, Barkley allowed his TNT duties of sitting behind a desk to get the best of him. As a player, Sir Charles was a dominant force, and in great shape, earning the MVP award in 1993. Once nicknamed, “The Round Mound of Rebound,” Barkley post-retirement started resembling, “The Round Mound of Extra Pounds.” We love Barkley and hope for his sake he keeps off the weight, because if he didn’t, that would be just “turrable.”
5. William Howard Taft
Normally we elect not to talk politics, but there has only been one fat president in our history and that is worth mentioning. Let’s just say president Taft was big boned. To put this in perspective, when President Obama was inaugurated into the White House he had a basketball court built for him. When President Taft was inaugurated, they built a new bathtub just so he could fit into it. When Taft left the Oval Office, it was said he weighed well over 300 pounds.
4. Chris Farley
Fat Guy in a little coat. Those 30-seconds from the movie Tommy Boy are pure comic genius and a big reason why millions of fans fell in love with Chris Farley. When you think of Saturday Night Live in the 90’s, one of the first names that comes to mind has to be Chris Farley. Whether it’s Farley as a Chippendale dancer, delivering motivational speeches in a van down by the river, or Da Bears, we think Farley was Da Best.
3. Notorious B.I.G.
One of Biggie Smalls’ most memorable songs is Big Poppa. The New York rapper prided himself on being big. Girls wanted to be with him and boys wanted to be him while growing up, regardless of the weight. Biggie was a pioneer for today’s hip-hop culture and if Twitter existed during his day, he would constantly be a trending topic. One of the best rappers of all time, Biggie embodied being fat, as well as being phat.
2. James Gandolfini
Nobody in their right mind would mess with crime boss Tony Soprano. Tony is the epitome of “Like a Boss.” Sure Gandolfini has done some other acting work, but he will never live down his role as New Jersey’s favorite gangster. He won an Emmy Award for just doing what every American secretly wishes they could do. Sleeping with tons of women, destroying enemies, and eating whatever the fudge he wanted. Welcome to the good life.
1. John Belushi
Animal House is a right of passage before entering college. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Before one can truly enjoy school, you must first appreciate John Belushi in his legendary “College” t-shirt. Many dorm rooms have this iconic poster on their wall and nothing else needs to be said other than, TOGA TOGA TOGA. John Belushi will continue to make fat cool for generations and generations.
