FOREVER ICONIC

Why Does Arnold Have Such Enduring Popularity?

Before I type another word, let’s get something straight: I’m a nutrition and fitness geek, not an entertainment writer. However, the team at MUSCLE INSIDER seem to think I have a certain type of “conversational” writing style that would lend well to an expose on why Arnold is so damn cool and still so beloved by fans all over the world. Or perhaps they wanted it to be written by an old guy who actually saw Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator when they first came out?

Regardless of why, I’m a pretty big fan of Arnold and for me personally, the reason I love The Oak is that I just “know” that he’s as cool, charismatic, and funny in real life as he is in his movies. How do I know this? Well, I guess I don’t. I mean, I’ve met the guy five or six times, but if I’m honest, except for one time when he asked me a question, all I did was shake his hand and exchange hellos (while straining to resist the urge to get down on my knees and repeatedly chant “I’m not worthy”). However, because I’ve been in this industry for 25 years, I know lots of people who know the man, and I’ve heard multiple Arnold stories over the years. And it’s just another tribute to how idolized Arnold is that everyone who has an “Arnold story” wants to tell it to everyone they meet. Interestingly, all of these stories have a few things in common—they’re funny, he doesn’t take himself too seriously, and he always gives people his attention and respect.

So to explore the reasons why Arnie is so revered a little further, and being the aforesaid research geek, I think an appropriate way for me to properly establish the facts is to start with the evidence: As things currently stand, he’s 69 years old, he hasn’t competed in bodybuilding in almost four decades, he hasn’t made a real big blockbuster hit movie in years, and it’s been a while since he was governor of the USA’s most populous state. Yet he’s still revered to the same degree as Muhammad Ali in boxing or what Bruce Lee was to martial arts and … well … I’m trying to think of another athlete, actor or politician who is in the same league as the Oak when it comes to popularity, but I can’t—especially one that garnered so such notoriety beyond their original chosen field. Arnold’s ability to evolve over his lifetime has truly has set him apart from the rest.

A VERY STRONG WORK ETHIC

I know, not the number one thing we think of when we try to figure out why someone is so revered, but bear with me. Arnold has always had relentless ambition and been a winner. When he decided to excel at bodybuilding, he dove right in, dedicated himself to it totally, and became the top dog. Then, when he started telling people he wanted to be a famous actor, most of them laughed at this guy who had such a thick Austrian accent that it almost seemed like a speech impediment, but again, he left no stone unturned and succeeded at what he set out to do. He was similarly laughed at when, with no experience at the job whatsoever, he decided to run for governor of California—he was successful. Again. Not only do people love a winner who applies himself against the odds but succeeding at so many disparate things makes you popular in many different segments of society, so being successful and renowned in sports, movies, and politics means exposure to a lot of different people, meaning more fame and adulation from more people!

ARNOLD STAYS LOYAL TO THOSE WHO HELPED HIM ALONG THE WAY

Maintaining friendships and alliances, backing up your friends, and staying true to your beliefs not only are good human qualities but also help you to increase and maintain your status, and thus your fame. Arnold displays these qualities in spades! For example, he achieved some great things early on in his life in bodybuilding, but then he moved on into much more prominent and high-profile pursuits. Once he moved on, he could have forgotten all of the “little people” in the insignificant world of bodybuilding, but he did no such thing. All of his friends and the people who were instrumental in his early career say that he’s the same guy he always was and that he still takes their calls and has a good chat with them when they get together at events.

Another great example is that, despite the fact that he doesn’t have to, he flies to the unglamourous city of Columbus, Ohio, every year, in the middle of winter to promote and be involved in the Arnold Sports Festival and the Arnold Classic. He does this because he made a vow to his long-time friend and business partner, Jim Lorimer, many years ago, when few people had heard the name Schwarzenegger. So ever since 1989, when the first Arnold Classic was held, he’s come every year, despite his brutal Hollywood film and political schedules over the years. It may be easier to see why he visits the show now because it’s the most attended, multi-sport event in the world and certainly one of the two top physique shows, but it had humble beginnings in those first several years.

THE CLASSICS THAT BUILT ARNOLD

PUMPING IRON

One of the best known movies for true Arnold fans is Pumping Iron. This is the first time he really demonstrated his personality, his ambition, and the crafty mind games that he is capable of perpetrating on his opponents to an audience. These traits would later serve him well in the world of Hollywood and politics. This was Arnold’s first taste of cinema success, and while the documentary/docudrama wasn’t originally supposed to “star” Arnold, it soon became clear to the filmmakers that Arnold was the most compelling personality in front of the camera. The movie contains several scenes which can be credited with creating the first round of Arnold fans, like when he tells his archrival Lou Ferrigno that his mom is going to invite Arnold over for dinner, bulk him up to 280 pounds and then set him up with Lou’s sister. But my favourite scene is when he tells Louie before the Mr. Olympia competition has even started, “I called my mother yesterday already and I said I won. She said, ‘Congratulations, Arnold.’” He’s essentially telling his biggest competitor that he’s so confident that he’s going to win that he’s already told his mom he’s won! Of course, in many of the scenes, Arnold was clearly hamming it up for the cameras and purposely creating controversy, and he has since admitted that this is the case, but the way he delivers cocky or sneaky dialogue, with a big smile on his face, makes you forgive him for sounding arrogant or devious—he’s the classic “loveable rogue.”

CONAN BRINGS MUSCLE TO HOLLYWOOD

So he became the king of bodybuilding, then the star of the biggest bodybuilder movie ever. Next, as if to establish himself as the world’s leading alpha male, he did Conan the Barbarian. With some apologies to Sly Stallone, this drove the trend of heroes (and villains) in movies towards needing to have real muscle. Ever since then, dozens of actors and actresses have had to bulk up and/or get lean for their roles. In Conan, Arnold didn’t really need to put on an acting clinic because of the sparse dialogue, multiple fight scenes, and the amount of muscle on display but somehow when he did act, he delivered his lines in a cool, confident, “Clint Eastwood-esque” manner, so combined with all that muscle, just believed he just was the hero.

TERMINATOR AND LEGENDARY MOVIE QUOTES

Then, in 1984, came the film that would make him the world’s top action movie dog and earn him millions for each of his subsequent films—The Terminator. This edgy, dark film set in the future was perfect for Arnold. He played a large, humanoid, robot assassin and adopted a stony, monotone voice for the role, which might have even been enhanced by his accent. Having shown the ability to deliver both funny and solemn dialogue in previous films, it’s this series of films in which he’s given the short, memorable lines that have become his trademarks and made him a living legend. Of course, everyone remembers “I’ll be back”—even people who haven’t seen the film know this Schwarzenegger line, and indeed he’s even used it in subsequent movies that weren’t even part of The Terminator series. He also made the Spanish-inspired salutation, “Hasta la vista, baby” a common expression, and then there’s “Come with me if you want to live”! When an actor delivers such epic, memorable lines in such a cool, iconic movie, it’s not surprising that he becomes an icon.

Besides delivering his “I’ll be back” motto in several movies since Terminator, he’s laid down some other classics. In the movie Commando, after dropping one of the bad guys off a cliff and being asked what happened to him, he responds, “I let him go.” In Running Man, when he kills an adversary with a chainsaw and is asked about him, he states with a sly grin, ”he had to split.” Similarly, when he strangles a guy with barbed wire, he states, “What a pain in the neck.” In Total Recall when he kills his planted spy wife, he then states, “ Consider that a divorce!” On top of all of these classics and dozens of other movies, he was even in the video for Guns N’ Roses’ “You Could Be Mine”!

A LIFELONG ICON

So Arnold’s indefatigable work ethic and desire to succeed underlies his ability to get to the top in many different fields. This means that countless people have been exposed to his achievements and his work. This, and the fact that he’s coined some of the most epic quotes in action movie history, means that that he has an enduring clan of millions of fans all over the world. Several videos and social media posts, an upcoming film, and his new position as host of the Celebrity Apprentice have helped to not only maintain his current horde of fans but also to generate new ones.