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Steve Vaught, Fat Man Walking – Inspiration or Media Invention?
So, the fat man walking finally took his last steps on his walk across the country arriving in New York City on May 9, 2006. It took longer than anticipated, giving him time to assess his life and consider his future.
In the end it took Steve Vaught a little over a year to walk the 2,843 miles from San Diego to New York City. He entered New York like many tourists after being lost in New Jersey. What was different from most tourists to New York is that his arrival was met with a media frenzy. The Today Show, Oprah, Inside Edition and media from all over the world covered his arrival.
Was his journey an inspiration or a successful attempt to get media recognition? On the one hand, walking across the country to bring attention to obesity was an admirable goal and I believe Steve Vaught embraced his fat man persona. We may not all be fat, but we all have challenges in our lives. On the other hand there is no question that he has been enjoying his time in the spotlight and is savvy enough to take advantage of the opportunities that come with the attention.
But…. Steve Vaught is still a fat man. He may have lost over 100 pounds, but one glance at a picture and you can see that he has a long way to go before he is slim. No one can deny that with a book deal and 700,000 hits per month to his web-site and freebies(his flight back to San Diego was provided by Jet Blue) there has been considerable financial gain for Steve Vaught and his alter ego - Fat Man Walking.
What do I think?
I would walk across the country if it meant I never had to go to work in an office again. Alas, I did not think of it and even if I did I am not sure I would ever tackle such a big undertaking.
I do wonder why Steve Vaught caught the world's attention. People quietly tackle enormous challenges each day with little recognition.
Tell me what you think. Was Steve Vaught’s Fat Man Walking an inspiration or was it all an attempt to get attention from the media and the resulting financial rewards?
Posted by Jackie on May 26, 2006
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