Latest issue comes with the title “The Elephant in the Room,” Twitter is not amused

Nov 8, 2013 08:42 GMT  ·  By
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the cover of the latest edition of Time Magazine
   New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the cover of the latest edition of Time Magazine

That New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is overweight is no secret, as neither is the fact that he’s fully aware of it, as he said repeatedly in interviews on the topic. Still, that he has a weight problem should never be brought up when talking about Christie and his career in politics.

The latest edition of Time Magazine, out on newsstands today, Friday, November 8, 2013, comes with a cover dedicated to the New Jersey politician and his 2016 bid in the White House run. However, the photo used isn’t all that appropriate considering the topic, angry voices online are now saying on Twitter.

You can see the photo attached to this article as well: Christie is shown in profile and dark silhouette against a stark white background, which makes his double chin stand out even more than it would have in normal circumstances.

To make matters even worse, the cover includes the title “The Elephant in the Room,” which was probably meant to refer to the Republican Party mascot elephant but can also be seen as a jab at Christie for his weight.

Many Tweeps are taking the latter meaning from the cover and they’re not happy about it at all, as the Daily Mail writes, summing up some of the most virulent reactions on the social networking website. Politics and fat-shaming in a serious publication should never mix, they’re saying.

Time is yet to respond to the controversy, but we’d be willing to bet money that they will say the weight reference was never intended, but purely accidental.

Earlier this year, Christie was on the cover of Time with the title “The Boss,” which referenced his Governor position and the fact that he was a big fan of Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen. He was unhappy with the unflattering pic and the implication that he was some sort of crime boss a la The Sopranos, because of that title.

We can only imagine how he’ll react to the “Elephant” one.