It sounds like a very mean thing to do - following an actor's change in girth - but it's all in jest and I only notice because I care.
I think the first person I truly noticed it on was John Travolta. When you watch Saturday Night Fever and then watch Pulp Fiction, it's almost impossible to believe it's the same person. It's more than just a weight gain - it's as if his entire frame has widened, that perhaps no matter how much weight he could lose, he would never look the same. It is interesting because it seems to happen to a certain number of men, not all men who age and gain weight.
One of these girth growers is Alec Baldwin. I know the man has had his share of personal problems and whatnot, but who hasn't? It doesn't take away from the fact he is a talented actor (and one of the best hosts on SNL - even in the lamest skits, he stands out).
Same thing here in that it's hard to believe he was the same svelte young man who starred in "The Hunt for Red October." As we say, he used to be a "pretty boy." Of course he is still handsome, but far from being a pretty boy.
Now:
The best part was that he even acknowledged this as his alter ego, "Jack Donaghy" on 30 ROCK in episode "The Bubble" (3.15) in which "Liz Lemon" must contend with her boyfriend (Jon Hamm) being a handsome man who gets to live in a shielded bubble of preferential treatment. Jack shows Liz a picture of himself from his younger days (my money is on something like the one on the left, below).
Then:
Even Liz's reaction is like WOW. And no kidding. Jack acknowledges it calmly and then pats up his neck at the end of the scene. I LOVED it. And this is another reason Alec is awesome: not many actor's are willing to admit they aren't as handsome as they used to be, especially actors who are usually considered very vain, yet Alec is cool enough to know that when it's comedy gold, you go for it.He, and 30 Rock, are fantastic. And that is why I following him via a Bloat Watch, along with D'Onofrio, only because I care.
It seems like when men reach a certain age they are allowed by the boys club to let themselves relax and "let themselves go", so to speak. Women have a much harder road to hoe because they are held up by the highest standards especially if they are TV anchors, God forbid. On the other hand I think it is noble that you care about the health of certain individuals but we expect so much from people who are celebrities when they are just people like you and me who encounter the same circumstances as we do in that we battle weight issues too.
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