Skip to main content
Tummy Time

Tony Soprano, Bill Clinton, and More: The Return of the Power Paunch

From Tony Soprano to Bill Clinton, the power paunch reigns supreme.

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-tease_zmfhxy
By Sean Macaulay
galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-tease_irphyx

Prince Albert, Tony Soprano, and Bill Clinton were all known for their charisma and what some may argue was one of their best assets: the power paunch. See other politicians and celebrities modeling that most exquisite of all male accessories.

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-11_a6monq

Southern Comfort’s award-winning “Whatever’s Comfortable” campaign features a beach stroller who owns his paunch so completely, he’s become a global cult hero.

via YouTube

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-10_u6zs2d

Skinny and pale was the dominant look for rock gods for decades, but Keith Richards has recently made the switch from riff to midriff. 

Mark Milan/Getty

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130430-power-paunch-clinton_cdwxot

During Bill Clinton's tenure in office, the White House boasted its finest paunch since the days of George Washington. Health issues have since forced Bubba to go vegan and settle for more a modest silhouette. 

Marcy Nighswander/AP

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-06_r3dgnd

Any tyrant worth his salt knows a tauntingly well-fed belly is essential to complete the Bond-villain aesthetic. When North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-il got ill and lost weight, newspapers wondered if it his days were numbered. (Correctly, as it turned out.)

Korean Central News Agency,via Korea News Service,via AP

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-05_y6cpwt

Chaz Bono can happily confirm that one of the great privileges about transitioning to maledom is the shame-free paunch—and the admirers it attracts.

Victoria Will/AP

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-02_figygg

BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is proof of the clear line between exquisite paunch and just plain gross. That’s not a paunch, that’s a belly.

Brendon Thorne/Getty

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130430-power-paunch-soprano_az21bq

Crime boss Tony Soprano was a proud adherent to the tradition of menacingly rotund mafiosi that dates back to Al Capone. He snacked constantly to keep up his intimidating physique.

Mary Evans/HBO/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-01_gsvsqe

Alec Baldwin’s weight has fluctuated wildly over the years, but he’s at his grandiose best and funniest when packing a Jack Donaghy paunch.

Marcel Thomas/Getty

galleries/2013/05/01/the-return-of-the-power-paunch/130429-Macauley-belly-03_pudaem

George Clooney’s pet of choice for his Hollywood bachelor pad was not a designer dog with six-pack abs, it was a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. 

Sven Hoppe/AFP/Getty

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE
Sean Macaulay
Sean Macaulay

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

TRENDING NOW