Well-crafted and thought-provoking. I think Clint's reputation among fans is also likely influenced by him being a shopkeeper- you don't see him around town as much, and your main interactions with him are likely going to be either quests or using his shop, so you might not build friendship as fast, which means you're seeing his less engaged, more standoffish low-friendship dialogue. But of course, if he wasn't fat that probably wouldn't be as much of an obstacle for players, whether or not he was a love interest. Look at Shane- people loved him so much they voted him in as a marriage candidate, and he's not just standoffish at first, he's hostile.
I'll admit that I don't care for Clint, since the "nice guy" character type is one I really loathe and he seems to fall into it based on your low-friendship interactions with him. But your essay made me curious, and looking at his wiki page, he doesn't seem to exhibit any toxic "nice guy" behaviors aside from that one line; he's just shy and socially awkward. But because he fits into the way we expect creepy dudes to look, it's easy to interpret him that way. You've given me a new perspective on his character. I also loved how you formatted your essay into bitsy, and you did a great job recreating Clint's workshop.