Public perception of bodybuilding - steroids, gay and why lift.

[dantelis]

This article on another board is interesting:  http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/general-articles/25013-public-perception-bodybuilding.html.  It makes some good points about the public perception of bodybuilding.

Couple of interesting quotes:

"In an interview world champion bodybuilder Dorian “the Shadow” Yates stated that he made around 1 Million dollars a year during his Mr Olympia reign, that’s including all contracts, endorsements, personal appearance income, income from writing, personal training etc."

    Really?  I am amazed that Dorian was able to make that much, even with endorsements and personal appearances, etc.

"Bodybuilding is a "homosexual" sport...As soon as you call yourself a bodybuilder you are under suspicion in the eyes of the public."

    Hence, the denigration of G4P by those of us on the boards.  Gay-4-pay just adds to this homosexual perception by the public.

"The final reason for a lack of acceptance of strength ties in closely with the inability of the public to relate. It is simply the question “Why?” Ask yourself now “Why do I build my body?” or “Why do I want to lift big weights?” "

    As Edmund Hilary might say, "because it is there."  Actually, you probably would get many, many answers to the question, "why do you lift weights."  I don't think that there is any one reason.

[BlueDevil]

The body is going to fight you negatively at the beginning both physically and mentally. At the same time, it will adapt and overcome in a very strong positive manner: Sort of a crazy combo, but this is true:

                                                     DECIPHER YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mars]

why lift? because men suppose to be muscular thats why.

[Beener]

why lift? because men suppose to be muscular thats why.

Thats basically what i say when people ask why i work out and like being big. im just like "Because im not a little girl" and they shut right up.

[nycbull]

Thats basically what i say when people ask why i work out and like being big. im just like "Because im not a little girl" and they shut right up.

but you are Blanche.

[Wanocki]

why climb a mountain?  because you want to climb a mountain

[Azure]

whatever.

I remember reading articles about how Lee Haney said Women would come up to him and tell him he had a beautiful body.

My own personal experiences would be that was a true statement. Believe it or not  people (women) like the way it looks UNTIL you start looking gross like the pros.  To be honest they may like it just to see waht youlook like without your clothes on    But they like it nonetheless.

I know a lot of gay guys that compete in bodybuilding, but i know a lot of straight ones too.  So people lose me with the "you're gay if you compete in bodybuilding."

You're gay if you compete in bodybuilding and pose to Bette Middler.

[Meso_z]

[davidpaul]

Bodybuilders like the great leaders of the past need to start listening to thier public, or they will plot their demise.

Thats basic politics.

[Azure]

Bodybuilders like the great leaders of the past need to start listening to thier public, or they will plot their demise.

Thats basic politics.

I don't understand why people don't get that what is happening in Male Bodybuilding already happened in Female Bodybuilding.  It's just taking men's bodybuilding longer to die.

It's all about the judges rewarding terrible physiques so that's how people come into the competition.

[lifterguy]

I think there are a lot of legitmate issues that created a negative public perception of bodybuilding, and they've been covered in detail here many times.  But I think the question of "Why do I want to lift big weights" or "Why do I want to build my body are the least of them."  If you step back from almost any sport you can ask the "Why" question and find it difficult to find good answers.  Why do you want to be skilled at dribbling a ball and putting it through a hoop?  Why do you want to battle your way through a line of huge men to move a ball down a field?  Sure many sports pay their pros a lot more than bodybuilding, but most people who play sports are not motivated by money.  At its most basic level strength training is generally agreed to to be a healthy activity and - when not carried to drug laden extremes - should benefit health and longevity.  So, why not?

[Mad Nickels]

if youve every been to a bodybuilding show, youre a little bit gay, son.



-Mad Nickels

[BayGBM]

Sigh.  Here we go again.  Let's go over this one more time...  Bodybuilding is gay because:

•  it is predicated entirely on looks--not  physical prowess.

•  the public face of the sport is scantily clad men posing and flexing for an audience of cheering men.

•  competitors often have erections on stage.

•  over the years, posing trunks have become smaller and smaller.  Glutes used to be covered up.  Now, we have competitors hiking up their trunks and showing off their shredded bums.

•  more than once, cocks and balls have popped out of their small trunks and amidst all the cheering (ostensibly over muscle) everyone pretends not to notice.

•  the “dark” side of the sport consists of competitors making lusty videos for gay audiences, escorting and/or “private posing” for male fans and judges.  Every competitor knows someone who does this but no one ever talks about it because in their mutual fear of discovery lies mutual safety.

•  I have seen guys (surreptitiously) masturbating in the audience during the posedown.
 
•  Who do you think buys all those videos from  http://www.repetrope.com/men/  http://musclegallery.com/ http://usamuscle.com/  http://www.muscleweb.com/   http://vistavideo.com/  http://www.powermen.com/   and all the rest?  Women?  Um, no.

•  If you look closely enough at his website, almost every bodybuilder you can name offers some version of private posing, very “personal” training, web cam sessions, or selling used articles of his clothing.  Again, who do you think buys this stuff?

•  the ultimate winner in bodybuilding walks away with the Sandow statuette--the statue of a gay man.  Eugene Sandow (long considered to have the perfect proportions of classical Greek and Roman sculpture) dumped his wife and toured the country posing and flexing with his piano playing boyfriend in tow.  The two eventually set up house together in NYC.  http://www.sandowmuseum.com/sandowlife.html

• the most popular body building gym franchise is Gold's Gym, founded by Joe Gold (he also founded World Gym).  Yep, Joe Gold was gay.

•  The godfathers of body building: Eugene Sandow, Joe Gold, Joe Weider.  Now, what do they all have in common?

Class dismissed.   

[hipolito mejia]

Well According to Bob Chicherillo.."you Can't turn a chihuahua in to a pitbull"

Don't know if that has anything to do with the topic at hand, just wanted to point that out.