Flex n Femme is gone from Flex Magazine: Say a Prayer September 29, 2004

Flex Magazine is considered the premier bodybuilding magazine for the industry. So when a decision was made to drop a column and pictorial called Flex n Femme, which featured women bodybuilding, some of the women bodybuilders were upset, and wrote some editorials and comments. Here are a few of them, bringing light to the tough situation that female bodybuilding has to face each day. Say a Prayer for Flex n Femme By Dr. Lisa Aukland, IFBB Professional bodybuilder The end has come for Steve Wennerstrom's Flex n Femme column in FLEX magazine. Gone are the new faces and 'old Pros' that accompanied Steve's clever words every month. It is my understanding that reader surveys do not support his printed column. I don't know who the survey responders were, or how many responded, but it couldn't have been representative of the readership. Every person I have spoken to in this business, female AND male, is up in arms over this subject. I don't fully blame the editor of FLEX, Peter McGough. He has been very supportive of women in the past. It was he who went to bat for the women when the Olympia was cancelled in 1999. However, I feel a better explanation is due for this move. Women's coverage in FLEX had already dwindled down to microscopic proportions. Without Steve's column it is non-existent. Women now have NO reason to purchase this magazine. It couldn't make economic sense to cut 4 pages of a 300+ magazine thereby alienating and outraging the female readership. Shape magazine, et al, is of no interest to many who are beyond that basic level of training and nutrition. FLEX used to be inspiring as well as informative. When half the population is alienated by the self proclaimed premier magazine of the muscle sport, where do the women go from here? I respectfully encourage both women and men to submit their concerns to Peter McGough at Flex magazine. (pmcgough@weiderpub.com). I don't plan to let Steve's printed column disappear without a fight and I'm hoping you won't either. Let your voices be heard. Flex Magazine - Have they lost their minds? By Christine Brandon, NPC bodybuilder I'm going to state my opinion and I'm sure I will make more than a few folks angry, but I also feel the need to do away with all the 'political correctness' and just be honest about the situation. I do not mean to disrespect anyone and I sincerely hope that I do not, as that is not my intention. I do think it is a shame that Flex Magazine is doing away with this article, as it is the only part of the magazine that guarantees any coverage for female bodybuilders each month. However, in lieu of the way many of the women present themselves, who can blame the media and mainstream public for not supporting us. Many of the women present themselves basically as prostitutes. You can not present yourself in that manner and then demand respect as an athlete, it's ridiculous to even consider. Until we stand together and represent ourselves and our sport as intelligent, educated, respectful women and athletes, we will continue to lose ground for any such argument, as well as the respect we receive from the followers we have. In regards to the support we are supposedly given by Flex magazine, how many articles or columns are written by female bodybuilders? I can't recall ever reading an intelligent, in-depth article by any of the top amateur or professional female bodybuilders regarding their training, competition preparation, dieting and so forth. Maybe that's because Flex Magazine had rather use 20 pages to cover women in bikinis, posed in positions which allow men to purchase the magazine as a form of pornographic entertainment. While I have no problem with men or women viewing pornography, you cannot mesh it with a sport, any sport, and still expect to receive respect, especially not as a female. I had much rather read an intelligent article by Lisa Bavington, Juliette Bergmann, Lenda Murray, and the like that will feed my mind and fire my spirit and soul as a female bodybuilder, competitor, and athlete rather than read half of a magazine because the other half is identical to that which I could view in Playboy Magazine. There is no doubt that we have beautiful bodies, but we can choose to display them in a way which shows that beauty without demeaning ourselves as athletes and women. As with all else in life, we do have a choice in how we are viewed by others, in our careers as well as on stage and in magazines. I have no idea where we would need to start to make the changes occur that we wish to see in our sport, but I'm more than willing to work hard with all of you to make it happen. It is not something that can be accomplished by one or two of us either. It will take all female bodybuilders working together to change the way we and our sport are viewed. Thank you for listening to my rant! I hope all of you keep training hard and daring to be different. It is our differences that make us unique and beautiful.