The purpose of the segment was to push the publics' view on steroids back a bit, where it isn't as harsh.
Your right that was the purpose, but unfortunately it was on HBO, not one of the networks, where it would have been seen by a wider spectrum of people. Even so, the show was a positive bump for AAS, but it is going to take a whole lot more than that to change the general publics perception and opinions. As long as there are politicians clinging to parents of deceased children, blaming their untimely deaths on AAS, the general public will remain oblivious to the truth. I think it would take a well established respected politician (if there are any) who is educated, backed with proven positive facts about AAS who has the balls to challenge what society thinks and end the lies for anything to change. But for now that man does not exist, and from what we have all seen, I doubt if that man will ever exist. That could have been an opportunity for Arnold...he is still one of my favorites, but his hypocritical postion on AAS now really pisses me off. Sure, the media would have tried to crucify him if he came out and told the truth about AAS, but even so it sure would have helped the cause if it was done properly.
Last thing, I went to the ASC last year and found one thing really interesting. At the night show Arnold came out and made a statement to the crowd about how bodybuilding needed to clean up its act, and how it should do all it can to get rid of AAS use in the sport, he said "it's bodybuilding, not body destroying"...his statement was met with a very sullen forced applause. What's strange about this is that the very next morning at the question and answer session held by Arnold and Franco, a little girl asked a question concerning steroids. With this Arnold's response and entire demeanour was much different than it had been in the more formal situation the night before. He didn't seem to feel bound by the chains of political correctness in front of the morning crowed of a little more than 100 people. He was much more cocky and relaxed, more like the Arnold of old we're used to seeing. I can't remember what he said word for word, but his response was much different to the this crowd then it had been the night before. He did not advocate the use of AAS, and he even mentioned how he would never advise his son to use it if he desired to be a bodybuilder, but he did say he would do all he could to make sure his son took the proper steps and he would advise and guide him in his decisions. Something else he said, that the winner of the show echoed at the question and answer session that day about AAS, was that when you are a bodybuilder, especially at the top level, sacrifices have to be made. He never went into a great deal about this topic, but again, his answers and over-all demeanor was much different than the night before. Maybe it was because he was now in front of the more die-hard fans, and thought he could be a little more relaxed, not sure, but I was still glad to hear him not be so blatantly hypocritical to the morning crowd.
