Interesting warning for the ladies from Muscle & Fitness Hers Creative Director

[Musclepapa John]

What do I see when taking a look at www.schmoecountry.com where women gather together to promote themselves and find work but an important message from the Creative Director of Flex, Muscle & Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness Hers Chris Hobrecker. He chimes in with this warning that if the images made available on the web by you or those photographers who pay you to shoot are arbitarily considered "too sexy" that there is a probability they won't use ya.

"One of the first things we check before casting people is whether or not they have done porn/borderline porn (re: SOME of the fitness paysites, not all), and that usually leads to us not using them in the mags. Now, if, as a competitor, you have no interest in being in the mags, by all means, take the money and run and enjoy a successful career in that section of the fitness industry...personally, I'm pretty liberal and I don't begrudge anyone making some $$ from a mutually beneficial business arrangement."

I don't see this as being accurate to the record of those publications, but if there is to be some "public position" proclaiming a litmus test of this sort is it only for women as compared to the men whom have been strippers and do porn/borderline porn? A few come to mind. Flex won't cover them?



GREENE SIGNS WITH WEIDER - Flex Online

Apr 26, 2010 ... Kai Green signs exclusive contract with Weider/AMI ...

[Aaron Singerman]

I'm not trying to be a asshole, but comparing Kai Greene (possibly the best BBer on the planet right now) to a figure, fitness, or bikini competitor seems like a poor comparison.

What I mean but that is that AMI can't ignore a Kai Greene or a athlete of his caliber... no matter what he may have done in his past. It's not even a option. Maybe this isn't right, but it's reality.

[Musclepapa John]

AMI isn't ignoring the women who have and continue to do this work
Like I said the record does not seem to bare it out what the creative director stated as if it were fact. Looking through the athletes featured on the female side many have done work for one paysite or another.

To your other point though a magazine with it's limited amount of space to feature their signed athletes and ads can and do ignore lots of bodybuilders male and certainly females. A more accurate statement would have been something like this,

"One of the first things we check before casting people is whether or not they are a female bodybuilder, and if they are that usually leads to us not using them in the mags. Now, if, as a competitor, you have no interest in being in the mags, by all means, compete in female bodybuilding enjoy a successful career in that section of the fitness industry...personally, I'm pretty liberal and I don't begrudge anyone making some $$ from a mutually beneficial business arrangement."

I'm not trying to be a asshole, but comparing Kai Greene (possibly the best BBer on the planet right now) to a figure, fitness, or bikini competitor seems like a poor comparison.

What I mean but that is that AMI can't ignore a Kai Greene or a athlete of his caliber... no matter what he may have done in his past. It's not even a option. Maybe this isn't right, but it's reality.

[Carolyn Bryant]

AMI isn't ignoring the women who have and continue to do this work
Like I said the record does not seem to bare it out what the creative director stated as if it were fact. Looking through the athletes featured on the female side many have done work for one paysite or another.

To your other point though a magazine with it's limited amount of space to feature their signed athletes and ads can and do ignore lots of bodybuilders male and certainly females. A more accurate statement would have been something like this,

"One of the first things we check before casting people is whether or not they are a female bodybuilder, and if they are that usually leads to us not using them in the mags. Now, if, as a competitor, you have no interest in being in the mags, by all means, compete in female bodybuilding enjoy a successful career in that section of the fitness industry...personally, I'm pretty liberal and I don't begrudge anyone making some $$ from a mutually beneficial business arrangement."

Now that's a fact, Jack!

[tiramisu]

AMI ignores women competitors as a general rule. It has little or nothing to do with their previous history. The weider organization and it's sponsors have pretty much disowned women's bodybuilding in the last 20 years.

[Musclepapa John]

They do like good butt shots though with a side view of boobage. Reckon at AMI they have to "feel" like they are the ones to originally publish them that way like a boyfriend wanting to be first or think he is anyhow.

Their spokespersons prognostications of holier than thou moral clauses are even more laughable in the face of their running the National Enquirer and Star.

I visualize a turf war where Flex feels pitted against not only MD but these independent web site operators that water down their ability to be first to press with a sexy shot of emerging talent. Meanwhile 99.9% of competitors will never have a chance to shoot with them and look for other opportunities to pay for their federation dues, entry fees, travel, hair & makeup, suits, supps, training gurus, etc, etc, etc.

AMI ignores women competitors as a general rule. It has little or nothing to do with their previous history. The weider organization and it's sponsors have pretty much disowned women's bodybuilding in the last 20 years.

[R_U_Red_D]

The constant whoring of that site by certain people is truly repulsive.

Get some original content for that POS site, please and stop vulturing legit sites for hits.

[Musclepapa John]

Keep your eye on the ball. There is news and topics worth discussing that come up at the AMI, MD and yes www.schmoecountry.com that benefit this and others sites talking about.

To take your position would suggest that the approach Flexonline takes is the best by focusing solely on a narrow sliver of their signed athletes and expecting popular success to come of it.

Even the Chinese discarded their insular ways after realizing the advantages that doing so lent in strengthening their economy by embracing what was not familiar to them. It is good for business.

The constant whoring of that site by certain people is truly repulsive.

Get some original content for that POS site, please and stop vulturing legit sites for hits.

[Musclepapa John]

Now that's a fact, Jack!

We stand corrected