If the last picture above had been released during the campaign, it would certainly have been appropriated for "gotcha" purposes. That explains why former Occidental College classmate Lisa Jack had these photos of Obama locked up in a safe deposit box till now.
If the images serve a purpose going forward -- beyond confirming the early and long-standing nature of Obama's cool, jaunty side -- I would hope this one does have some traction.
Obama, if somewhat reluctantly, has spoken up recently about his battle with nicotine. To the extent that the man has been over-idealized, part of the post-election process in building a more pragmatic relationship with Obama involves realizing the man -- like all of us -- has and feels his stresses; has both constructive and not-so-constructive releases for them; and, yes, does have his demons.
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53 comments:
Obama does Barry White....
All right BO lets go... puff puff pass!
Look at his chubby cheeks! He's just a baby there :)
LOL, he looks like a kid!! Cute, but very young. I bet he was a total playa! He's probably embarrassed by these pics now.
I swear this guy must've been born cool. What a cool, sexy cat. How many girls must have lost their minds for him?
He probably looks at the pictures and asks himself "Was I EVER that young?"
I know! I think he looked young for all his life until recently within these few years!
OBAMA IS A HUNK. SMOKING HIS CIGARETTE and being cool. Did any media outlet ever put G. Bush's picture in print when he was a slobbering, falling down drunk? Would have been nice to compare.
Great photos. Really funny to see him vamping around for the camera. And the fro! Love it.
With that mellow Hawaiian vibe and that mixed race look, I bet he had girls all over him. Look at how he pulled Michelle. She was telling a story about how Obama took her around in a beat up car, whose floors were so rusted out that she could see the road while sitting in the passenger seat. You have to be a charming mo-fo in order to pull that off. That story reminded me of how my hottie girlfriend had to jump into my car dukes of hazard style because my passenger door was damaged in an accident.
I know its a ciggy, but I prefer to believe it's a fat j and pink floyd is playing in the background. Maybe Bob Marley...
He is probably totally embarrassed about those photos done when he was 20 for a stupid photo shoot by an co-student- want-to-be-artist. Geesh, I would be if anyone pulled photos out of their basement done back in the day.
And she was paid a BUNDLE for the film.
this proves that we're all just stupid kids who don't really know anything when we're in college...
I don't think these photos are stupid. Definitely not as stupid as the picture of Bush falling down the stairs at his college frat party.
Hey Barack, pass it this way...
No, he's not smoking a joint. Just a cig. However, he is SMOKING!!!
He's still smoking...the other would have been better for him.
He may be tokin', but girlfriend didn't marry no pot head. Uh-uh.
At last: a human in the White House again (gotta give props to Bill even though he said he didn't inhale)
LOL. True that.
Guess that was back when he used to sing with the Obama 5.
LOL Yeah there's a Michael Jackson kinda similarity (before the weirdness)
Absolutely debonair. "Work it!"
KOOL!
Frobama!!
That is too clever, combining afro with Obama to make frobama
LOL absolutely
(It's a pretty conservative fro, considering the time period)
Man that's one groovy looking young brother! Superfly baby!
total hotness...
Looks like something out of a Calvin Klein ad. He could be a model!
Still true
OBAMA GOT GAME!
1980 top hits:
1. Call Me, Blondie
2. Another Brick In The Wall, Pink Floyd
3. Magic, Olivia Newton-John
4. Rock With You, Michael Jackson
5. Do That To Me One More Time, Captain and Tennille
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen
7. Coming Up, Paul McCartney
8. Funkytown, Lipps, Inc.
9. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Billy Joel
10. The Rose, Bette Midler
11. Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Rupert Holmes
12. Cars, Gary Numan
13. Cruisin', Smokey Robinson
14. Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl, Spinners
15. Lost In Love, Air Supply
16. Little Jeannie, Elton John
17. Ride Like The Wind, Cristopher Cross
18. Upside Down, Diana Ross
19. Please Don't Go, K.C. and The Sunshine Band
20. Babe, Styx
He's holding it like a joint - but I think it's a hand-rolled cigarette.
You really think that's a Cig he's pulling on ?
I've got some land in the Everglades I'd like to talk to you about.
They are nice photos. I would like them even better if they didn't glorify smoking addiction.
He wasn't glorying smoking addiction for crying out loud. Those were pics of him in college not an advert for Marlboros! President Obama has admitted to his smoking habit numerous times and has also stated that he is trying to quit. Move on! and see the pictures for what they are... a young cool and confident college man.
The photographer Lisa Jack wrote this:
"Barry showed up in a bomber jacket, carrying his cigarettes and a straw hat for effect (his idea, not mine)."
Great article of her and how the ladiess had the hots for him:
http://augnet.augsburg.edu/news-archives/2008/12_15_08/jack_obama.html
Links don't work in the comment section so I went to the site. Here's what Lisa Jack said (this is long):
Recollections of President-Elect Barack Obama
By Lisa Jack
In 1980, while a student at Occidental College, I was experiencing some success as a photographer. My black and white portraits of fellow students had gained some positive recognition. Consequently, when my roommate's best friend introduced me to this "hot guy" named Barry, I knew I had to take his picture because, well, he was "hot" and I just couldn't resist. Barry agreed to be a model.
I never did realize my dream of becoming a professional photographer, but I did keep the negatives from my early photographic explorations. And now that "Barry" is the President-Elect, I offer them up so that others may see a side to him I have yet to observe captured in the current maelstrom of contemporary media. I believe the images reflect his spirit of fun and thoughtfulness that I hope he hasn't lost on his road to the White House. For the record, there wasn't a nicer, more sincere guy in college.
These photos were taken in 1980 in a small apartment in Los Angeles, one block from Occidental College. My roommate and I had an overturned shopping cart as an end table, and our couch was a plaid nylon loveseat that had been left on the side of the road. The carpet was an indoor/outdoor lime green shag that probably hadn't been cleaned since it had been laid sometime in the 1960's. Barry showed up in a bomber jacket, carrying his cigarettes and a straw hat for effect (his idea, not mine). He was as friendly and charming as could be and followed instructions very well. He just kept flashing his awesome grin and asked how I wanted him to pose. We talked about Hawaii and New York, mostly superficial stuff, and I tried to get him to "speak to the camera".
After that afternoon of the photo shoot, we ran into each other on campus occasionally, but we didn't interact all that often. The next summer, while I was at a club in Hawaii, I spotted Barry sitting at a table near mine. There were two gorgeous women sitting in his lap and he had his arms around both. He was smiling and flirting and when he looked up and saw me, he enthusiastically said, "Hey, I know you." We had a drink and a cigarette, and then we both went back to being busy with "other things"; but it was fun to see him and I appreciated being acknowledged by such a cool, handsome guy. That was the last time I was to see Barry for over 25 years.
I was in Washington, D.C. three years ago and stopped by Senator Obama's office to say hello. I was leaning over a railing in the hallway of the Senate building sightseeing while he was engaged in a legislative session. When I looked up, I saw him walking down the hall toward me surrounded by an entourage of people. I yelled, "Hey Barry...Senator Obama." He looked over and knew exactly who I was. He left the entourage and gave me a big hug. We spoke for five minutes about old acquaintances and what we had all been like in college. I was impressed and touched that this most extraordinary man stopped what he was doing to take the time to reminisce with me about earlier days.
I next saw Senator Obama on June 3 in St. Paul, at the Xcel Energy Center, when he learned that he was to be the Democratic nominee for President. I won't share how I made it into the bowels of the building, but I bet the Secret Service guy remembers me.
Yet again, when Barack saw me, he smiled widely and said, "Hey you guys, look. It's an old classmate." He conveyed a genuine response of happiness when he saw me, and asked what I was doing. When I asked how one could get in touch with him in the future, he replied, "You can't." He looked around, pointed at all the dignitaries, and said, "This is my life now."
I must admit I felt a bit sad about not being able to participate in our once-a-decade hello. At the same time, I was amazed that on this most historic of evenings, he took five minutes to say "hey" to me, an old acquaintance, who took his photo many years ago.
It's exciting to see someone I went to college with become President of the United States of America, especially someone who was so genuinely nice and sincere. I would be lying if I were to say I knew him well; but like so many of us in this country, he has had a profound impact on me. I feel honored to have known him and to have been the "keeper of the photos from such a long time ago".
I wish President Obama the best in these most trying of times, and I thank him, from the bottom of my heart, for his sincere kindness every time we have spoken.
I really wish he didn't smoke.
OH GOOD LORD... you sound like Sarah Palin when she speaks and doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. What does the fact he "FALLS OF THE WAGGON" once in a while have to do with him being a Genius, Smarts, Wit, etc etc..??? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING THAT HE OR SHE NEEDS TO GIVE UP... SO CUT IT OUT. STOP JUDGING B.H.O BECAUSE HE SMOKES... I dont mind it at all... and i dont smoke, i mean good lord, THE MAN HAS JUST BEEN GIVEN THE TASK TO SAVE THE WORLD.... I THINK HE DESERVES A SMOKE OR TWO.
Please - no one ever likes the pictures of themselves when they were in their teens through 20 years. We all look at the pics and say - I can't believe I wore that or I can't believe my hair was in that style. I"m sure these pictures make him cringe, even if it's just a little.
Looks like he's got a Presidential quality buzz going on, it's gonna be so nice to have an intelligent and um......experienced POTUS for a change........
POTUS?
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I absolutely love those pics. How can anyone not love the man, he's been cool all his life. Thanks for finding all the pics doc, yesterday and today.
In the 3rd from last pic - looks like he's wearing a wedding ring. He wasn't married that young was he?
Looks like a graduation ring.
I bet that's it. Thanks.
That photographer is going to make a TON off those pics... I can totally see posters of Barry smoking on EVERY college dorm room wall for years to come.
So effortlessly cool! I would have loved to hang out with him in college! And to the credit of photographer, she did amazing job. The pictures are really beautiful and capture Barack's spirit so well..
He was still known as Barry in those days.
and then he grew up, used his real name, and is still so damn cool he won the presidency. McCain being a hothead he didn't stand a chance.
Looking more human by the day. Granted a very cool human. Might not be a Superman after all. Have to settle for the Smartest man on the planet I guess... Sounds good.
They're great photos. He takes the world seriously but he doesn't seem
to take himself too seriously.
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