Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Arnold, the massive muscular body and the American dream

By Peter West - posted Thursday, 17 January 2013


Reviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography, I'm reminded of the comment attributed to Philip Roth. "I write autobiography and I'm told it's fiction: I write fiction and I'm told it's autobiography".

Here is - we are told - Arnold's story, done with a co-author. Once people wrote books and then became famous. Now they become famous, and then write books. It's a fat book of some 630 pages and would be ideal for using to build up your biceps. Otherwise it's a rather long read. I must admit I skipped over some of the details of the bodybuilding competitions. Frankly, I wonder how many people would be interested. Arnold won Mr Olympia or Mr Universe, again. Do we care?

Arnold's story is full of contradictions and paradoxes. How did a fellow from an obscure town in Austria (Thal, near Graz) become a world-famous figure? How did some bulging bodybuilder rise to make many successful movies? How come when I Google his name I get some 60 million hits? How can someone with broken English become a successful American actor? The only answer seems to be- determination, cunning, and ambition. And a certain charm.

Advertisement

Arnold had a tough childhood, as did many who grew up in Austria and Germany after World War II. Meat was scarce. The food that was obtainable was often of poor quality. His father beat him frequently and set his two boys tasks which had to be done to his standards. If they saw a concert, they were required to write a 5 page review. Any errors had to be copied out correctly, fifty times. (The older son died in a car accident in his twenties).

In the 1950s, bodybuilding was not a popular thing. When the father saw Arnold had pictures of half-naked men on his wall, he came after him with a leather strap.

Bodybuilding had a poor image, Arnold says: of narcissistic, inferior guys who were weird and might even be homosexuals (151). Like everything else, it didn't stop Arnold achieving his aim of becoming wealthy and successful. Somehow Arnold decided that his dream was to become a successful bodybuilder, win a pile of awards, come to America and make movies. To do this he would build up a massive body.

Nothing was going to distract me from my goal. No offer, no relationship, nothing (p 142)

The death of his brother, his father and his mother are all mentioned. Yes, he was a bit upset. None of these events seems to have distracted him from pushing forward.

So we hear about numerous competitions. Arnold wins one after another. It's all told without a great deal of emotion and I can't resist asking 'And..?" or- "So what?". Neither Arnold nor the people who helped him write the book are terribly talented writers. As someone who sometimes teaches English, I puzzle at the level of English at which Arnold - and his co-author - write. There are numerous passages which don't quite sound like him. There are four pages of acknowledgement of people who helped.

Advertisement

Arnold comes to Southern California and he is hugely successful. He makes lots of friends, somehow. He is sponsored by Joe Weider, who plasters his image up constantly as the acceptable face of bodybuilding. Arnold's image is everywhere and he has no self-consciousness and a talent for self-promotion. He refuses to change his name. People want to be around him, but he doesn't ever seem to be a terribly nice person. He works out with friends but beats them in competitions without much remorse. It's hard to feel warmth for someone who is so calculating. Eventually he becomes Governor of California with apparently little effort.

There are some curious omissions and semi-omissions. Arnold says yes, he took steroids early in his career.

Steroids made me hungrier and thirstier and helped me gain weight, though it was mostly water weight, which was not ideal because it interfered with definition. I learned to use the drugs in the final six or eight weeks leading up to a major competition. They could help you win, but the advantage they gave was about the same as having a good suntan.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All

 

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Arnold Schwarzenegger with Peter Petre.  (Simon & Schuster, New York: 2012)



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

3 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Dr Peter West is a well-known social commentator and an expert on men's and boys' issues. He is the author of Fathers, Sons and Lovers: Men Talk about Their Lives from the 1930s to Today (Finch,1996). He works part-time in the Faculty of Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Peter West

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Peter West
Article Tools
Comment 3 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy