As Matt discussed a couple weeks ago, Rob McElhenney (Mac) from “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” put on fifty pounds for the show’s seventh season. I’ve posted the promo after the jump, and, sure enough, he’s fat. Yup. Definitely fat.

I like to paint myself as some fancy-schmancy comedy snob, so my gut reaction to this whole story was something along the lines of “Pfft. Fat jokes? Really?” But then two things happened: First, I started watching reruns of “Sunny” on Comedy Central Monday nights and remembered how much I like the show. I decided that, at the very least, they deserve the benefit of the doubt on this one. I mean, they haven’t steered me wrong yet, right? And the second thing was that I saw one of my overweight friends fall off his chair and I laughed for like twenty minutes straight.

What can I say? I’m a man of the people.

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Last week, we learned that the previously fit and rakish Rob McElhenney gained fifty pounds to play Mac on the upcoming season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” for no better reason than he thought it would be funny if his character got fat.

However, we hadn’t seen the results of McElhenney’s gluttonous, sedentary lifestyle until now — and they’re GLORIOUS. As you can see, he’s embracing the change by wearing a Hawaiian shirt, the official uniform of overweight men. Even his beard gained weight. And I can’t tell what he’s holding in his right hand — I studied the full-size photo to no avail — but in my mind, it’s a bottle of barbecue sauce.

(thanks for the tip, @ScottyKnoxville)

I highlighted this story in the links yesterday, but none of you A-holes read the stories that I painstakingly compile for you, so here it is again: ScreenJunkies visited the set of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” where they learned that the normally fit and muscular Rob McElhenney had added fifty pounds to play Mac this coming season.

Why? For the sheer comedy of playing his character as a fat guy. “It’s been disgusting to watch him go through with this adventure,” said Charlie Day. “We were a little on the fence about it for his own personal health and safety,” he added, “but it has definitely made Mac a lot funnier.”

I absolutely love this story. The entertainment media always showers actors with praise every time they add or drop a bunch of weight to play a role, and it’s always for the “integrity of the story” and “being true to the character” and blah blah blah wank fart noise. And Rob McElhenney does it because fat people are funnier. Awesome. Now THAT’S dedication to your craft.

Most of my long-term memory has been washed away by the ocean of whiskey I’ve imbibed over the last decade, but I actually remember this anti-smoking PSA. And it turns out this sullen teen who was too cool to be enthusiastic about not smoking is none other than Rob McElhenney, who now plays Mac on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” I guess teens who were considered at-risk to start smoking were supposed to identify with Mac’s apathy. “Hey, that apathetic kid doesn’t smoke! Neither should I!”

As far as revelations about 1990s PSAs go, though, this still doesn’t come close to the day I found out that Rachel Leigh Cook was the girl in the This Is Your Brain on Heroin PSA. “Take that, egg! F you, kitchen!” Years passed, and then Freddie Prinze, Jr. made her attractive. Good story.