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Friday, February 24, 2012

Taft's Tub


Some stories are stuck in the public’s consciousness and can’t be dislodged by logic or evidence to the contrary, such as the story of how Catherine the Great died. It has been rumored for centuries that she perished in an equestrian accident, a polite way of saying that this regal nymphomaniac died while trying to copulate with a stallion suspended above her bed from a crane. According to legend, the chain broke and crushed the czarina to death. While this is fun to envision, it never happened. Catherine died in a much more boring manner, in her own bed after suffering a stroke—alone.


But I’m not here to talk about Catherine the Great; as a fat man I’m here to defend someone who isn’t able to defend himself, the twenty-seventh President of the United States—William Howard Taft. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of how fat he was, so fat that he broke the White House bathtub while struggling to get out of it.


Let’s set the record straight: William Howard Taft did not break a bathtub; he got stuck in one, and it took four men to get him out. They used a gallon of butter and the tub did not break. Unfortunately for Taft, reporters were present when the tub was dismantled and accidentally dropped while being taken out of the White House. They were responsible for creating the lie that Taft had broken it. Now you know the truth. Taft may have been our most portly president, but he was considered a great dancer, a good tennis player and an average golfer.


Click (Here) for one of the first stories I posted at Chubby Chatterbox, Revenge of the Claw Foot Tub. I didn’t have any followers back then and my story received zero comments.


PS: Sorry I couldn’t find a fanciful illustration of Catherine’s death. Taft’s tub will have

to do.

20 comments:

  1. I'm glad you set the record straight. That old myth has been around too long, as well as the one about Catherine the Great. People really marginalized Taft because of his size, which is something I hate because it was done to me when I was morbidly obese.

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  2. I wish I had Taft's tub. Then I could take a bath. Though Taft is having a renaissance right now with two different books involving him: the After by Briane Pagel features Taft as a main character and another one called "Taft 2012" involves Taft somehow coming back to life and running for president in the 21st Century.

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  3. Seems, I am grossly uneducated on both Catherine the Great and Taft. I wasn't aware of the story regarding Catherines "love" of horses nor the broken tub. I was aware that Taft was considered obese. How embarrassing to be stuck in a tub!!! OR how "in-bare-assing" to be stuck in a tub.

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  4. 1) I just saw something on the news about the talents of president's and they showed a picture of Taft doing a jig.
    2) I read a biography of Catherine the Great, and it seems that much of the legend around her was not true, though it does make for more interesting stories!
    3) I too, bought an old house once, and yes, it ate all my $$$
    4) I still want a claw foot bathtub though.

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  5. What size water heater did the White House have? And how long did it take to fill that thing from one small faucet? Geez

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  6. So now I expect you will tell us that Nero didn't fiddle when Rome burned and Marie Antoinette didn't say, 'Let them eat cake'!

    I have to say that the thought of having to be lathered in a gallon of butter make me wonder how they got a grip on the poor man...

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  7. The media has been altering the truth for years. It's what they do.

    Have a terrific day and weekend. :)

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  8. The rumor about Catherine was started by her enemies in Poland, i believe. Somehow it figures the press was to blame for Taft's troubles in this respect.

    And The Broad, Nero could not have fiddled while Rome burned. The fiddle hadn't been invented yet. Sources at the time say he was at his country villa, 50 miles or so away, on stage singing about the burning of Troy. It's up to you to decide if you believe that one.

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  9. How large does a man taft to be to get stuck in a tub? Sorry, that's all I got.

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  10. You didn't have any followers? I can't imagine. You're hilarious. Someone should let Chris Christie know about the Taft bathtub thing. He may reconsider running for president on the "Not the First President to Get Stuck in a Bathtub" platform.

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  11. History was my weakest subject. I had not heard either legend. One summer I rented a house while working on my Master's degree. It had a wonderful clawfoot tub, the most comfortable soak ever. I don't remember a hot water problem, most likely because it was summer in Springfield, Missouri, and I welcomed a cool bath in the evening. Around here, the clawfoots are mainly spied in cattle pastures, being used as a water trough. I've had to stop my husband numerous times from seeking out the owner and making an offer.

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  12. It's the idea of a gallon of butter. I really wish I had seen that.
    He obviously had a glandular disorder :D

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  13. I for one am happy you didn't find an illustration for the Catherine the Great rumor.

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  14. He must have been very portly to get stuck in that tub.

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  15. So I'm guessing the tub shown in his museum is not the original, or has it been glued back together again? I personally never take baths, only showers. "I don't wan to wash my face in water I've been sitting in." :)

    S

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  16. AAAh, Stephen, you flatter me, thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! How was that restaurant you and mrs chatterbox were going to try? BTW, that picture of the deconstructed chicken soup just cracks me up! I want to rescue that little chick though!
    Talk to you soon!
    Best,
    Jenn of JustAddWaterSilly.com

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  17. Spas could really capitalize on the gallon of butter bit - the newest spa treatment "The Taft Lubrication! administered in your own private Taft Tub." They could charge big bucks for this one. On the other hand, the Catherine the Great story defies visualization - I will leave that one alone.

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  18. well congrats on your award...and nice to "meet" you! what an interesting blog!!! My boys are very much into all this history stuff..i can't wait to tell them about the bath tub!!
    I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

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  19. Man! I missed out on the interesting rumors, I guess. I had never heard either of these. Loved them! :)

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