Nope. I really haven't, bud. His physique is admired by virtually every guy I met. He's less popular with women but that's expected. Moreover, he hadn't pushed the limits of what the human body can do, far from it. Heath, Ruhl, Ronnie, Ramy, etc. are pretty much the maximum anyone can be with human DNA. There's no comparison, like I said. Some people didn't dig the 70s BBers at the time. But nobody digs the people today.
Your qualification of "some" and "nobody" is a bit subjective to say the least. If more people dug Arnold's physique, then you'd have to explain why Heath gets six-figure for being Mr. O, or why guys who placed last at the O got as much money as Arnold (and only Arnold) got for winning it.
I've met people who admired Heath's physique; and I've met people who thought Shawn Ray (hardly a monster by bodybuilding standards) was "disgusting" and all those other negative items.
Certainly enough people dig today's bodybuilders or they wouldn't have the careers they have, especially in light of the aforementioned lack of mainstream press. Heath isn't getting $200,000 for winning the O, if there isn't a substantial audience that like his look.
Those guys are Internet phenoms to a relatively small group of subscribers to their channels. Their videos do get relatively high views, but so do many other junk videos like how to put on makeup or play an electric guitar. It doesn't translate into real-life success except in rare cases, like Bieber.
That makes my point. These small groups add up over time. YouTube allows the reaching of certain niches without the need for mainstream press. The bodybuilders have to follow up on it. But, those that do can parlay success from it. Kali Muscle is a prime example. And, didn't CT Fletcher just nab an endorsement deal with MusclePharm, based on his YouTube videos. Prior to that, he was basically a retired, virtually unknown powerlifter, sidelined with a near life-ending heart attack.
I'd be willing to set my life savings against that theory. Offer the average guy with a popular Youtube channel a television show on a mainstream channel, and they would drop the Internet like a bad habit.
Perhaps, I should have phrased my previous statement better. No one's disagreeing with you on that point. BUT, my point is that a show on a mainstream channel is NO LONGER the lone gateway to success, in terms of marketing bodybuilding. That's how bodybuilding has thrived, DESPITE its being dropped from stations like ESPN, which again were aired often during the wee hours of the morning with partial coverage of contests, that happened months before that broadcast.
