Monday, February 8, 2010

And now a word from our sponsor...

Is it a requirement that all bodybuilding-themed commercials be either kitschy and dated-looking, or unbelievably weird?

In the second category, I offer up this vid. For those of us that are real connoisseurs of the handsome, crystal blue-eyed Dennis Newman, it's actually quite startling to see him here, because he actually does look like a superhero ought. That hadn't occurred to me before but it makes sense.

Though it is disappointing in one sense: that voice of his makes the Christian Bale Batman voice sound downright underplayed and subtle.



This gym commercial actually played in Staten Island theaters along with Star Wars. What I find interesting is that its' target audience is mainly male: its implicit message is that bodybuilding will help you get laid!

This is downright amazing, considering how these days both men and women go to the gym - though for different exercises and different purposes.



This next one isn't a commercial, but while we're on the subject of youtube vids, I put it up because it illustrates what I've always liked about Asian bodybuilding culture: the slowness, the quiet classical music and so on. I always hated the use of discordant speed metal in posing routines.

7 comments:

Travis said...

Charles Clairmonte ftw. Zane, Labrada and Paris all had incredibly symmetric builds, but I think Charles Clairmonte had the most proportionate and symmetric physique in bodybuilding. For whatever the reasons, he doesn't get enough credit though.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rw_U1LlrOFE/STW4HZQmVnI/AAAAAAAABJU/pKuR9G3phx0/s400/charles-clairmonte.jpg

Anonymous said...

Does this count as kitschy or weird?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjYcLrtZ5wg

Anonymous said...

forgot to sign the above..Fabian

Esperanto Grrl said...

Holy crap, Fabian!

Holy crap!

I can't believe what I just saw. This can only really be the product of a society that's a little bit more innocent about race, because holy crap. World's whitest white guy goes into the wash. Female protagonist applies color enhancer. Comes out a black guy with kickin abs and there's hip hop music playing.

Anonymous said...

dont know where the line is between innocent and malicious, but Italy isn't the only place where it's hard to determine. -Fabian

Anonymous said...

Here's another one, not racially tinged. From scandinavia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZ_Y3Vya0M&feature=related

-Fab

Esperanto Grrl said...

I'm not 100% sure that ad was racist. It goes so far, and actually isn't that denigrating, that it kind of reminds me of Borat, who has such ludicrous views that he actually comes off as a little innocent.