The Doors' Jim Morrison Declared "Fat is Beautiful" in a Rare Interview From 1969
- by Jack Whatley
When one thinks of The Lizard King, AKA The Doors’ enigmatic frontman Jim Morrison, one doesn’t necessarily think of him as an overweight glob of a man. The undying image of Morrison scantily clad in leather trousers is that of a sinewy and sultry rock God, untouched by the humanity of food. However, Morrison, more than most, struggled with his weight and under the spotlight, he developed some serious thoughts about the pressures on being body conscious.
Morrison’s continued drinking would see the singer pack on some pounds towards the end of his life, as his drug of choice continued to add to the issues that the singer faced. In this 1969 interview with The Village Voice’s Howard Smith, Morrison claims that despite the external pressure, “fat is beautiful”. He stands up for all those affected by the public expectations and the image-led world that was slowly building around them.
In the animation below, provided by Blank on Blank productions, we can hear those tapes in full flow as Morrison negotiates the prickly question of his weight gain and the implications of it. Following a cordial chat about what Smith ate for breakfast (“chocolate cake”) Morrison suggests Smith should eat a little more and fill himself out. The room goes a little colder when Smith, clearly himself a little offended says, "You put on a lot of weight, are you eating a lot?"
