Douche of the Day: Arnold Schwarzenneger

With much the same sentiment as expressed by Al Pacino's Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Part III: "Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in", I offer the Douche of The Day: Arnold Schwarzenneger. The explanation for my ambivalence is: First, I was feeling a little guilty that, perhaps, the blog was becoming a bit too negative. After all, one it's most popular features is titled Douche of The Day! And it ain't about the saints among us. Second, as I explained in my introduction to yesterday's DOTD, Glenn Beck, my goal is to select those douche bags whose callous approach to life is worthy of discredit, and do so in less obvious ways. However, if I stuck solely to that approach, I would be remiss in my duties as a journalist; that is to report and comment (at least on THIS blog) on those who affect us the most. So, as was the case with yesterday's DOTD, we must yield to the obvious and name Arnold Schwarzenneger as Douche of the Day.

The Govenator's latest revelation of infidelity of the highest order comes as no surprise to me (and to many others). Rumors accusing him of inappropriate behavior with women persisted throughout his bodybuilding, acting, business, and political careers. In fact, a joint lawsuit by 16 women accusing him of lecherous behavior was brought during his first campaign for California governor. Look, I understand that famous people are often the subject of rumor and innuendo that usually proves unfounded. However, it can also be said that where there is smoke, there is fire. And thick smoke always surrounded Arnold's behavior.

Still, I am not hear to judge his weak moral character. That is something for him, his wife, his children, and his family to deal with. No. He was named DOTD for the lying hypocrite and cheat that he has ALWAYS been. He lied when he took steroids to become the youngest Mr. Universe winner. He lied by denying having used them until he was confronted with indisputable proof to the contrary. And he lived a lie of a the idyllic Republican marriage fostered by so many so-called social conservatives.

Look, I'll spare us the details of his sordid affair. We've all read the latest accounts. But this is just the icing on a rotten cake, at least for me. Like most people, early on, I was most impressed with the young Arnold Schwarzenneger; the so-called Austrian Oak. Just as impressive as his massive, muscular physique was his equally over sized personality. He was easily to like. This comes up clearly in George Butler's documentary on the early Mr. Universe contests, Pumping Iron. It made Arnold an international star. He moved to California and the rest, as they say, is Hollywood history.

But if you look between the lines in Pumping Iron, you see the early signs of a personality that is interested in three main things: self promotion, self aggrandisement, and self indulgence. It was obvious that he was driven to success and that he would do almost anything to get it. And, if that included cheating, than so be it. And Arnold began controlling his image so that he could control that lie. As outgoing as he appeared to be in public, Arnold was ALWAYS in control of how his image would be disseminated and, therefore, interpreted.

This became very clear to me during an incident that at the time received very little attention in the media. It really hasn't since either. But it left a lasting impression and soured me on Schwarzenneger as a professional and a person. PBS was doing an investigative report on the use of steroids, particularly in bodybuilding. I do not remember the exact program or who the correspondent was. What I do remember is that Schwarzenneger had just recently been named as the head of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. As part of the PBS program, the correspondent attended a press conference staged by Schwarzenneger to discuss his new position. The reporter raised his hand and asked the following question (paraphrasing): "do you think that as an admitted steroid user it is appropriate that you should be at the head of the President's Council on Physical Fitness"? Schwarzenneger never acknowledged the reporter any further and immediately his goons where all over the man, escorting him out of the building. I was outraged! That's a legitimate question that should have been answered with grace and honesty - if Schwarzenneger actually had any.

Eventually, as Schwarzenneger's movie career grew, so did his huge ego and, subsequently, so did his desire to control everything about his image. He became the epitome of everything that can be wrong in Hollywood; the line between reality and fantasy becomes completely blurred. This is the lifestyle that he not only embraced but became master of - the sham!

Now he's fessing up and trying to make amends with his family. He is also asking the press to respect his privacy during these trying times. This is the standard line of shit. Well, my friend, you can't have it both ways. You can't help to build the machine and than beg to switch it off when it turns in your direction.

So, Arnold Schwarzenneger, has been living the lie for years. I always knew it. Now, so does everybody else. As I often say, once a douche, always a douche.