Found a piece on what used to be the Mecca of bodybuilding - Gold's Gym Venice - in Magasinet. The piece was titled "Pump Fiction". Journalist - and I'm using the word in it's broadest context - Espen A. Eik has been to Gold's Venice and interviewed some people there. In the role of "professional bodybuilder", Eik dug up Jerome Ferguson, who - surprise surprise - compares himself to Arnold, because he "has the same car as Arnold, has an apartment on Venice Beach, and has plenty of modelling jobs." Other interviewees include former pro Danny Hester, a douchebag who calls himself Maxxwell Carlisle (yes; double x in the name) and Jan Riggs, who is 62 years old but doesn't look a day older than 61.
In a story about bodybuilding, in the mecca of bodybuilding, these are the interview subjects this "journalist" came up with. Sure; one might argue that the new Mecca is now Milos Sarcev's Koloseum Gym in Fullerton, Ca, but there are still plenty big names working out in Venice. What was the argument leading to this choice? Overexposure of pros like Dennis Wolf, Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Bob Chicherillo in Norwegian mainstream media? Didn't think so. What's worse, most of the piece is a blurb about Pumping Iron - the semi-documentary about the 1975 Mr. Olympia starring among others Arnold Schwarzenegger. Way to use the material handy at the location for the piece there, Eik.
Still, the funniest thing in the piece - I refuse to call it an article - comes from adding the moniker "Professional Bodybuilder" to "Hollywood" Jerome Ferguson, as he likes to call himself. Dude's not a professional anything, be it in the IFBB or any other organization. Jerome Ferguson is a scrub who's trying to qualify for a pro card through the NPC, and has washed out of the Nationals many times now. Way to check your facts there, Mr. Eik - if I applied the same research to what I do professionally, I sure hope someone would notice and fire my incompetent ass.
In a story about bodybuilding, in the mecca of bodybuilding, these are the interview subjects this "journalist" came up with. Sure; one might argue that the new Mecca is now Milos Sarcev's Koloseum Gym in Fullerton, Ca, but there are still plenty big names working out in Venice. What was the argument leading to this choice? Overexposure of pros like Dennis Wolf, Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Bob Chicherillo in Norwegian mainstream media? Didn't think so. What's worse, most of the piece is a blurb about Pumping Iron - the semi-documentary about the 1975 Mr. Olympia starring among others Arnold Schwarzenegger. Way to use the material handy at the location for the piece there, Eik.
Still, the funniest thing in the piece - I refuse to call it an article - comes from adding the moniker "Professional Bodybuilder" to "Hollywood" Jerome Ferguson, as he likes to call himself. Dude's not a professional anything, be it in the IFBB or any other organization. Jerome Ferguson is a scrub who's trying to qualify for a pro card through the NPC, and has washed out of the Nationals many times now. Way to check your facts there, Mr. Eik - if I applied the same research to what I do professionally, I sure hope someone would notice and fire my incompetent ass.
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4 comments:
From Dagbladet:
Javan Peteillo viser oss ivrig en slags blanding av trening og breakdance
Have you considered this, Wilhelm?
;-)
Other than that, I think the article is completly uninteresting. What point is the journalist trying to make, apart from that he and his photographer mate got a free trip to LA?
Agreed. This is almost as pointless as a song without a guitar solo.
On one hand, he's doing some interviews where he doesn't fact-check at all. On the other hand, most of the piece is a really bad review of Pumping Iron (where he didn't even know that Arnold's controversial statements were scripted to make the movie more interesting).
If he wanted to become a journalist all of a sudden while he was there, the very least he could do is ask "Hollywood" Jerome Ferguson to step on a scale, as he claims to be 120 kilos at 177 cm when he's not exactly a mass monster, and inquire further about those modelling gigs and how much money he makes off of competing as an amateur (NPC). THAT would lead to the interview being cut short in a hurry, to some blatant lying his ass off, or to some really interesting insight into the world of professional bodybuilding.
If ANYONE believes that a third-tier scrub like Jerome can make a comfortable living off of contest winnings (especially since he doesn't win anything) and modelling/acting, then have I got a deal for you!
So....
Since you didn't answer my first question, I assume this mean we ain't gonna see no breaking and pole dancing by you in the near future?
Lol. Nope - no break/pole dancing from me in the near future.
That being said, I'm sure the dude who strung words together for this piece is a better break/pole dancer than "journalist". After all; it can only go up from there.
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