April 10, 2006

Bodybuilding and the Media – What a Miserable Mess!

I work in an office full of normal guys who have had little exposure to bodybuilding other than the occasional Arnold movie, or a few photos I might show them from one of my bodybuilding trips. Bodybuilding exposure is not widespread, and it goes without saying that most people are very impressionable when it comes to what bodybuilding is all about. Often, they form their opinions from the way the sport is portrayed by the media. I admit, I am proud of the many years I have been involved in covering the sport in the magazines, particularly in my efforts to get Canadians much needed publicity; however, not all the coverage bodybuilding gets in the media these days is good.

The other day, young Matt, a co-worker of mine, peeked into my office with a funny look on his face and asked me if I’d seen the TV show "The Man Whose Arms Exploded." He was totally freaked out by the piece, and got the impression that all bodybuilders were as whacked and crazy as Gregg Valentino who was featured in this show. I confessed I hadn’t seen the show but admitted that I knew whom he was talking about, because I’d seen Valentino before. I assured him that all bodybuilders were not like this!

With my PR being done for the day, I got back to work only to look up a short time later to see a grinning Trevor in my doorway. Trevor is a big lad who has dabbled with lifting weights over the years. He said, "Did you see that show about the crazy bodybuilder whose arms exploded?" Now I knew I had to see it.

Fortunately, I have a buddy who had taped the show, and I finally got to see what all the talk was about. Man, what a public relations nightmare for the sport of bodybuilding! But still, I have to ask, "What is the point of running a show like this? Why do the media concentrate on the very worst of a subculture?" I guess the "National Enquirer" mentality of reporting guarantees an audience, regardless of bizarre content.

Currently, bodybuilding is at its lowest level in popularity in a long time – the public is totally turned off and has absolutely no interest in bodybuilders other than to mock them – and a show like this just reinforces all the stereotypes and prejudices people have about the sport. Unfortunately, guys like Valentino make it even easier for the public to do so, bragging about their use of steroids, and showing off freaky development that no one in his right mind would find appealing.

Valentino, though, is not the only one; there was the Joanna Thomas documentary, too, which aired many times in 2005. Both TV shows portrayed bodybuilders as pathetic, hapless characters, and victims of their own insecurities. I am sure that if parents who managed to sit through these two documentaries had kids watching, they would have a fit if their child even suggested joining a gym or working out. Then, there are the out-of-proportion Godzilla-sized pro bodybuilders, as well as things like the Kelly Ryan and Craig Titus murder trial happening, which provide the media attention with plenty of sensational news stories. What a nightmare!

But let’s get the facts straight. Bodybuilding and lifting weights, when done right, are the best possible things that people can do for their health and appearance. All world-class athletes, and most movie stars, train with weights – it teaches you self-discipline, proper nutrition, and taking care of the most important gift that God has given you: your health. Unfortunately, like most things that are good, there are those who set out to abuse, pervert, and destroy it. Those characters who go mad and do absolutely bizarre things to their bodies, using bodybuilding as an excuse, have other things going on in their heads that have nothing to do with health building. Unfortunately, these are the people that the media keeps showing.

The essence of bodybuilding is to use exercise to sculpt and shape your body so that it looks better. Your hard work and effort should reward you with something that is pleasing to the eye and the envy of your peers. If your body is all out of whack, where certain body parts don’t fit, then you are training wrong. Your goal of training should not be to create an out-of-proportion, odd-looking physique; the end result shouldn’t be something you would pay to see in a carnival sideshow. Proper training will make you look and feel better.

For example, how many people do you think were inspired to begin bodybuilding after seeing how great Arnold Schwarzenegger looked in his movies? I remember, as a kid, seeing Hercules starring Steve Reeves, and was literally held spellbound by his magnificent physique. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a set of weights. But how many guys do you think will want to bodybuild after seeing the Valentino piece? Thanks to the media, misfits and losers like Valentino are getting all the attention, driving our sport further underground.

The TV show with Valentino was ridiculous and couldn’t have painted a more pathetic and negative image of the bodybuilding world. The facts were all twisted and sensationalized, and they were blaming steroids for all his problems, particularly the grotesque and sickening mess his arms were in. What they didn’t tell us, though, was that the abnormal, ugly size of his arms was probably not from steroids at all, but something else, like oil, which many wannabes inject into their muscles to artificially inflate their size.

But, yes, there are steroids in our sport, and they are misused and abused. But whether we want to admit it or not, they are also responsible for some pretty magnificent physiques. They are also likely to be only part of the real story when it comes to health problems suffered by the individuals featured in the stories on TV. Like I said, the last thing these individuals seemed to care about was their health.

On the other hand, there are some really great success stories out there about bodybuilding. Let's have a documentary about eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, not only one of the most successful bodybuilders ever, but one of the finest gentlemen I have ever met. Then there are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Reg Park, Bill Pearl, Larry Scott, Dorian Yates, Vince Gironda, and Frank Zane. These are all successful men who had great physiques with stories that are inspiring. Unfortunately, though, what’s shown on TV is like a grotesque car wreck, and for some reason people are unable to change the channel.

...Garry Bartlett
garryb@seriousaboutmuscle.com

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Garry Bartlett is the leading authority on Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and figure. Garry's "Canadian Corner" column has appeared in MuscleMag for over 25 years and has provided an unsurpassed level of exposure and publicity for Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and figure enthusiasts.