Obama Shirtless on Washingtonian | 04/21/2009 8:00 am
President Barack Obama Shirtless on Washingtonian Cover (Image)

The May issue of Washingtonian recycled the infamous paparazzi photograph of a shirtless President Barack Obama to illustrate one reason why people "love living here: Our new neighbor is hot."
The picture was snapped as Obama vacationed in Hawaii with this family in December, days before the first family officially moved to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Garrett Graff, editor-at-large at Washingtonian, a monthly entertainment and lifestyle magazine read by more than 400,000 people, told ABC News the idea for the cover came during a staff discussion about the Obamas arrival and the "celebrity aspect that has brought energy to the city and the attention of the paparazzi."
"The Obamas are the center of attention here and the whole world is looking to Washington now in a way we haven’t seen in years," Graff said.
In February 2007, a different beach photograph of the then-Senator of Illinois stirred a media frenzy. In response to the publicity, Barack Obama voiced his dismay that the public wasn’t curious about his policies but rather his pectorals.
"The problem is that that’s not what you guys have been reporting on," he said. "You’ve been reporting on how I look in a swimsuit."
Tell us: What do you think of the May issue of Washingtonian? Is it innocent? Fun? Disrespectful? Degrading?























68 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Do the publishers of this mag actually think adults are uprooting their lives; and moving to DC to be in the ‘aura’ of the President? N Synch didn’t get that kind of fanatacism from its teeny bopper fans. Really a weird, teenage girl crush like article.
Must be an uber slow news day…
You are right, C Hardy, as I live in the DC area….home sales are up and home values have increased 3 to 5% in a down market! Only problem is in 3 l/2 years we will be in such dire straits they won’t be able to sell their property when he steps down!
Obama clearly has "rock star status" in DC.
you are so good at predicting the future… you should work for ms. cleo, or go buy yourself a crystal ball!
realism does not equal projecting your bias into the future.