Yes indeed, my kind of group.

At one point early on in the weekend there was a crowd gathering around one of my trainer buddies, Steve, and laughing hysterically.   Steve is usually a pretty funny guy anyway, but I had to see what was going on.

Turns out he had found a new iPhone App: FatBooth.

FatBooth instantly lets you see what you’d look like fat- I mean really fat.

The app page says…

Tired of diets?! Get fat instantly with FatBooth. What would you look like with a "few" extra pounds? And what about your friends?

Yeah, just a few pounds alright.

So Steve was taking pictures of some of the fittest people in the county and transforming them within seconds to Jabba the Hut.

It became the on going joke of the weekend – who looked the most ridiculous.  I can safely say it was not me – others looked far more ridiculous.

Here is what my 4 year old son Nate looks like transformed through Fatbooth’s fattening filter:

And here is his slightly older father…

Not stellar pictures of either of us to begin with, but the “afters" are, well, yikes.

So here’s the thing:  Is this a harmless little app or is it an offensive electronic joke aimed at fat people?

I will confess that I am not opposed to offensive jokes- I think they tend to be the funniest.  My humor has often times been labeled as offensive – and I’m fine with that.  In my defense I will say I try to make fun of everyone equally.  Yes, I’m an equal opportunity offender.

But what I am opposed to is being mean.

And there is a line.  So does Fatbooth cross that line?  Weigh in below (get it?) Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

PS: To my knowledge there is no “ThinBooth” but I am working on a beta version.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.  While I did not know him personally, I did have the privilege of meeting him in the summer of 1983, when I was 12 years old.

 
Josh & Dom – Who Looks Funnier?

My grandparents were taking me on a trip to New York, Washington DC and then to Arizona where they were filming Cannonball Run II. (My grandfather was buddies with Sammy Davis Jr. who was also in the movie, but that is another story)

I was too shy to ask to have my picture taken, but at my grandfather’s insistence I summoned up the courage.  I remember Dom could not have been nicer.  Not only did he say yes, he put his cape around me and cracked a few jokes.  He made me feel like one of the guys.

It was a moment I will never forget.

To Dom’s family – my deepest condolences on your loss.  To  Dom, thanks for all the laughs over all the years- and thanks for making a shy, dorky 12 year old boy feel so special.

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175