A bearded otter mayor has offended some residents of his small town by posing (mostly) nude in a fundraising calendar.
Gabe Carroll, the mayor of Creston, Iowa (population 7,487), teamed up with the local brewery Hot Air Brewing to appear in a calendar entitled, “Father Figures Calendar 2023,” which features male patrons of the brewery who have “dad bods.”
Most of the calendar’s photos feature shirtless dudes in jeans and shorts doing things like riding a motorcycle, playing an electric guitar, or carrying a metal beer keg.
But Carroll’s photo differs from the others.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In it, he appears to be completely naked, holding a plate of fried chicken in front of his crotch. The photo shows off his hairy chest and tattoo on his right bicep. The photo also has made us waaaaaaay more interested than we’ve ever been in the small southwest Iowa town.
The mayor participated to support a local business and help a charitable cause. A quarter of the profits raised from the calendars will benefit a Christmas basket fund that will send baskets of food to families in need during the holiday season.
Nevertheless, local news station KCCI said it received “almost a dozen” emails from people offended by the mayor’s photo. One of the residents said the picture shouldn’t be publicized because it’s of an elected political official.
Admittedly, such thinking is increasingly old-fashioned. Displaying one’s own body shouldn’t necessarily disqualify a person from political office. Similarly, being elected to political office shouldn’t bar anyone from showing off their own body, especially when they’re raising money for the poor.
“I can understand some people not getting the joke and feeling offended,” the mayor said in response. “That’s just part of life, I suppose.”
The brewery’s owner Katie Davidson defended the otter, er, mayor, stating, “He’s got underwear on,” even though his undies aren’t actually visible in the photo.
“The only thing naked is the chicken,” she continued. “Then again, people like to get mad. So…”
Carroll, who has served as the town’s mayor for the last three years, said that the calendar promotion has raised $220 for the charity program so far, though he says 55 copies remain for sale, although we have a feeling they’ll be completely sold out shortly.
Davidson also defended the mayor, saying that he has “done a lot of really great progressive work in our small town that was not doing so hot.”
Creamsicle
There are almost a dozen of us!
LeeLeeHelmsley
When other people criticize other people, it’s usually themselves covering up for their own faults! Instead of worrying about what everybody else is doing, they need to focus on themselves! By the way, what have they done for charity lately? I assume nothing!
m
The prude people probably are raping kids, so STFU!
Leo
All of a dozen out of a pop. of 7,487? Don’t think twice, its alright.
carllonghorn
Thanks, you took the words out of my mouth – there will always be at least 12 people who have little else to do but judge others, all the while running off to some church on Sundays to feel like they are better than others. These people always end up making a story much bigger than it would’ve been, so now all the calendars will get sold – good!
Brian
“Nearly a dozen” is such a weird phrase. Nobody talks like that. So, was it 10 emails? 10 messages from 8 different people, some of whom complained repeatedly? That’s not worth addressing.
barryaksarben
I grew up in a small town not very far from Creston and I am surprised that they got so few complaints as back there they love nothing more than to get into someone else’s business and react negatively to it. If a girl got pregnant out of marriage she was a slut . if she kept the baby it was wrong if she got rid of it that was wrong. They are a horribly judgmental people back there in fly overvalue. I get sick when someone calls it the real American. I pray it isn’t
henare
more recent news about this says they’ve raised about $1000 for the charity in question. this says a lot more than the handful of clowns who have a problem with it.
Steven R
All the “bad” publicity got people buying the calendar and donating to the cause. Sounds like those dozen people don’t have the clout they thought they did.
ingyaom
Dude is smokin’
dbmcvey
What a bunch of prudes. I wonder if abfab lives in Creston.
Claytonisahobo
He’s smoking hot.
trell
Let these prudes have their moan.
Thanks to them, I bet that the Brewery has just ‘Streisand Effected’ itself into making a lot more money for charity than they originally intended!
Kangol2
I hope the puritans’ anti-free speech complaints lead more people to get the calendar (I hope they print more too) and raise more money for charity. Then tout the increase in funds raised to the snowflake fanatics’ whining!
How much do you want to bet those same “almost a dozen” scolds and complainers are probably whacking off to the mayor’s calendar photo too?
moviemag
At last! A politician with (almost) nothing to hide…
tjack47
Dad bods are a hot commodity. 12 people don’t understand commerce and altruism.
Topazme
I think the problem is that they chose a really really sexy picture of him for the calender and not everyone in the community wants to be sexually aroused by a public authority figure…if they had gone for a more funny, non-risque photo where he is goofing around or laughing instead of that deadly smoulder, i think people would have found it more funny..
Vellala
He’s hot!
SDR94103
very cool!
Cato
Print a second run of the calendar and sell it online — town will make a lot more for the Christmas Fund.
Karlis
I understand the concept of clickbait on portals such as this one, but twelve people is not the whole town, and so to write that the “small town” was “scandalized” does not describe the situation accurately. That said, I went to the town’s Website to see if I could find the calendar in question. I couldn’t.