Should Pro Bodybuilders Try to be Entertainers Too?

While pro bodybuilders’ physiques have changed drastically over the last few decades – a 240-pound competitor today is considered "small," yet very few weighed close to that much just 20 years ago – the competitions have changed very little. In fact, the events today very closely resemble those of the ‘60s and ‘70s, even if the physiques do not. As a result, it gets said time and time again that the sport needs some sprucing up, it has to change with the times, and that something needs to be done to make today’s events more exciting.

The problem is, however, that there are not many great ideas for change out there – or, at least not from those at the top who have the power to implement them. For example, the only thing that ever seems to be tried is to have the competitors dress up in costumes to make the presentation "theatrical," basically, turning the competitors more into entertainers to put on a better show for the crowd.

On the surface, this seems like a good idea – bodybuilding is a visual sport, so it makes sense to jazz up the visual display in order to spruce up the show. The problem is, however, that entertaining the audience takes more than a fancy costume – it takes considerable skill to entertain the crowd, something most pro bodybuilders don’t possess.

Take eight-time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, for example. In 2006, he dressed himself up as Moses and got onstage with stone tablets and all; however, walking onstage in costume carrying two stone tablets was all he could do. Not far into the routine, Coleman ditched the costume and was back to posing in his usual way. That’s hardly what I call entertaining. In fact, it made the whole costume thing seem rather foolish. Furthermore, Coleman didn’t even end up winning in 2006 – Jay Cutler took the title from him, no special costume at all. Frankly, I doubt we’ll see Cutler try what Coleman did in 2007, and we are not likely see Coleman do anything similar again.

The truth of the matter is there are few pro bodybuilders who have the skill to put on an entertaining show – if I had to guess how many have such talent, I’d say less than about half a dozen. And of those half dozen, none will likely be Mr. Olympia anytime soon.

Take King Kamali, for example. He’s actually quite a good entertainer. I remember being very impressed with his posing routine at the 2001 Mr. Olympia where he posed to Phil Collins’ "In the Air Tonight" and seemed to have the audience right in the palm of his hand throughout the routine – few other competitors take command of the stage like that. The problem is, though, that Kamali’s presentation never really progressed past that point. Today, his routines follow the same old formula that he used years ago and he seems to be more or less going through the paces. Furthermore, while Kamali has placed well enough in some events, his physique isn’t such that he’ll ever be much of a threat at the top-level shows like the Arnold Classic or the Mr. Olympia.

Another good entertainer is Frank Roberson, a competitor from Texas whom we featured on our cover this month. Frank calls himself the "Texas Tornado" and is unforgettable onstage in his boots, cowboy hat, and multi-colored posing trunks. I’ve seen him pose twice now, once when he was the guest poser at a local competition and the other time when he competed at the 2006 Montreal Pro Classic (which is where this month's cover photo was taken). His routines are original and have plenty of energy; he’s one of the few who can work the crowd into a frenzy – even more so than Kamali. However, Frank’s a far better entertainer than he is a bodybuilder. Kamali can at least usually place in the top half of the pack. Frank, on the other hand, was 13th in Montreal.

The truth of the matter is, while the "entertainer" angle seems logical, it’s just no-go in this sport, at least as far as the competitions go (in terms of guest posing, which is where guys like Kamali and Roberson are at the top of their fields, that’s a different story). It’s tough enough to be a great bodybuilder, and equally as tough to be a great entertainer. Therefore, you will likely never find someone who is both. Furthermore, you don’t stand a chance of finding a whole lineup of competitors who can do both, and that’s what you need to really fire up an entire show – you can’t rely on just one or two guys to be the entertaining part and have the rest of the guys simply go through the paces.

Pro bodybuilders shouldn’t try to be entertainers, and the powers that be shouldn’t expect it from them. Instead, if someone feels that the shows need more excitement, they'll have to find a different way to do it. In fact, next month, I’ll suggest one way how.

...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.