According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Manuel Uribe was the heaviest man in the world two years ago at 1,230 pounds. He has lost 550 pounds since then, bringing him down to merely 670 pounds. He plans to marry his girlfriend, Claudia Solis, on October 26th.
USA Today reveals the story with a little hint of humor, but nothing offensive or demeaning. Their story reveals to the world that there is a very heavy man scheduled to be married. Additionally, they make sure to add that when he leaves his home he must be "towed through the streets on his specially made bed." Overall, USA Today's take is rather insignificant, as it should be.
On the other hand, Fox New's headline reads, "World's Fattest Man to Marry After Massive Diet". While USA Today brings some light to a rather humorous situation, Fox attracts readers by completely defacing and degrading the man. The article contains most of the same information as USA Today's, except for a few obvious differences in the words they use. For example, when describing how Uribe leaves his home, Fox News says, "Any outing involves hoisting it (his bed) onto the back of a truck."
There is a difference between making fun of someone in a degrading way, and trying to catch someone's attention with a bit of sarcastic humor. The man is extremely fat and he knows it and so does everyone else. Guinness Book of World Records clarifies that for us. If you ask me, both stories were pointless and made fun of the man, whether they meant to or not. What do you think?
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