Bob McCarty Writes

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett made news yesterday for challenging residents of his city to lose one-million pounds as part of a collective New Year’s resolution. Little did he realize, he also placed the city’s male population at risk.

Cornett, a former local television newsman who parlayed his name and face recognition into a political career, not only challenged his city’s residents, but he set up a web site, This City Is Going On A Diet, where they can track their progress. His goal is to lower the city’s profile — in more ways than one — as one of America’s fattest cities.

Risk, for the city’s male population at least, entered the picture when the first female resident signed up for the program. You see, when a woman enters a weight-loss/fitness program, she’s telling the world she’s concerned about her appearance. And when a woman is concerned about her appearance, she often pings the man in her life — husband, fiance, boyfriend, etc. — with challenging, appearance-related questions, such as “Do These Jeans Make My Butt Look Big?”  And everyone knows a wrong answer to a question like that invites woe, tumult and heartache into a relationship.

As a skilled politician who knows how to respond to tough questions, Mayor Cornett probably didn’t realize the impact such a program might have on he-she unions in his city. The men of his city, however, are probably just now beginning to realize what a “can of worms” the mayor opened.

Good luck, men of OKC. My advice: Plead the Fifth!