Musclemag takes cheap shot at Mentzer

[littlearm]

Musclemag published their “Dubious Achievement Awards” again. They’re supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek listing of the not-so-stellar things that have happened in the past year.

Here’s one of their “awards”:

“The No Wisdom Award

Our publisher Robert Kennedy has said many times that Mike Mentzer gave the most well structured and informative seminars of all; however, Mike more than balanced off his apparent logic by recommending steroids (“But don’t tell anyone”), excessive Johnny Walker consumption and a virtual chain smoker of cigarettes. Accordingly, the Iron Man features proclaiming “The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer” is on our opinion a complete misnomer. The man was most definitely, and utterly bereft of wisdom!”

First of all, if you’re going to insult another magazine, you better make sure you know basic grammar and this is a mess (those aren’t typos, this is as-published.) Their message is kind of confusing: Iron Man is bad because they praise Mentzer, even though they fully admit they did the same? And whatever his shortcomings, saying that Mike Mentzer was “bereft of wisdom” is pure nonsense.

Then there’s also the issue of not speaking ill of the dead. I don’t think anyone has been hiding any of Mike Mentzer’s troubles, but to insult the man just to take a cheap shot at a competing magazine? That seems petty and unprofessional and just plain sad.

[Superfly1]

Musclemag published their “Dubious Achievement Awards” again. They’re supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek listing of the not-so-stellar things that have happened in the past year.

Here’s one of their “awards”:

“The No Wisdom Award

Our publisher Robert Kennedy has said many times that Mike Mentzer gave the most well structured and informative seminars of all; however, Mike more than balanced off his apparent logic by recommending steroids (“But don’t tell anyone”), excessive Johnny Walker consumption and a virtual chain smoker of cigarettes. Accordingly, the Iron Man features proclaiming “The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer” is on our opinion a complete misnomer. The man was most definitely, and utterly bereft of wisdom!”

First of all, if you’re going to insult another magazine, you better make sure you know basic grammar and this is a mess (those aren’t typos, this is as-published.) Their message is kind of confusing: Iron Man is bad because they praise Mentzer, even though they fully admit they did the same? And whatever his shortcomings, saying that Mike Mentzer was “bereft of wisdom” is pure nonsense.

Then there’s also the issue of not speaking ill of the dead. I don’t think anyone has been hiding any of Mike Mentzer’s troubles, but to insult the man just to take a cheap shot at a competing magazine? That seems petty and unprofessional and just plain sad.

who cares? talk is exactly that just talk.. as for the comment bereft of wisdom.. well taking amphetamines constantly is not exactly a sign of great wisdom is it.

[lovebbing]

who cares? talk is exactly that just talk.. as for the comment bereft of wisdom.. well taking amphetamines constantly is not exactly a sign of great wisdom is it.

yeah, he was trippin and kind of crazy imo.

He had no need to retire after 1980 either, he was only 28 and could have maybe had a brighter future. but his frustrations took over.....

[TerryDaTank]

He had a luxurious 'stache. Certainly, there was more wisdom in Mike's facial hair than there is in the collective mind of Musclemag's editorial staff.

[DavisForman]

Then there’s also the issue of not speaking ill of the dead.

What? Since when is speaking ill of the dead not allowed?

[deadsheepmill]

What? Since when is speaking ill of the dead not allowed?

^^^^^

He's dead. It's like criticising my lawn furniture.

[rotatoo]

when someone dies it doesnt instantly make them a fine upstanding character... Guy was insane and spent all day snorting coke.. Awesome physique though

[MrMetabolism]

who cares?

this

[littlearm]

I think some of you are missing the point...

1. Musclemag is criticizing Iron Man magazine for praising Mentzer, while admitting they praise him too.
2. Crazy or not, Mentzer is a bodybuilding legend and he had a lot of good training information to share. Calling him bereft of wisdom, now that's crazy.
3. Death doesn't make someone a hero. If MM wanted to do a (intelligent) full expose on Mentzer, that's fine.

What I'm saying is I question Musclemag's motivation. Using Mentzer to take a shot at Iron Man shows no class.

[LightCrow]

The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer...

What books are next:

The Humility of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Everyone Has Good Ideas by Vince Gironda

[really_nice_guy]

Musclemag says that he gave good seminars, but criticizes Mentzer's approbation of steroids and his usage of alcohol and cigarettes.

So saying that Musclemag is contradicting itself is false.

Lastly, the dead are not exempt from criticism.

[antithesis3]

There has always been this concerted effort by the HIT crowd to transform Mentzer into some misunderstood martyr who willingly sacrificied himself to uphold intellectual intergrity and then you have all the "objectivist" bodybuilding crowd her were exposed to a single philosopher through Mentzer so they think the guy is brilliant. Mentzer encourages this by constantly portraying himself as a persecuted genius which does not help his credibility one bit considering all of "his" ideas are reformulations of Arthur Jones Mentzer was an nut job, a poor loser with no heart, he could have continued and could have won the O had he persevered, and he became completely psychotic due to amphetamines. I think Ironman needs to present the entire picture of Mentzer and stop this sychophantic cult that has grown out of him.

[littlearm]

Mentzer might very well have been crazy. I don't know. My issue is more with Musclemag. They're saying "Mentzer gave good seminars. Mentzer had no wisdom." That sounds like a contradiction to me. You could say there is a difference between "knowledge" and "wisdom", but that's really splitting hairs in this context.

And again, death does not turn someone into a saint. It's just petty to use Mentzer to slam Iron Man. And I guess I mislabeled the thread. It should have been "Musclemag takes cheap shot at Iron Man."


I do have to give a shout out to TerryDaTank, who really put everything in perspective:

"He had a luxurious 'stache. Certainly, there was more wisdom in Mike's facial hair than there is in the collective mind of Musclemag's editorial staff." Good one.

[curt_james]

Wasn't Pre-Exhaust a precursor to HIT?

Robert Kennedy, if I'm not mistaken, invented the pre-exhaust technique?

Maybe Kennedy appreciates a good swipe at Mentzer as well as a competing magazine.