Gossiping and voyeurism are likely the oldest pastimes on earth! So I actually don’t find it surprising that people state every damn move they make and that works in getting loads of attention. I personally don’t give a rat’s ass about what some dude is eating all day, but many people find this amusing, hence the common video theme of “a day of eating” on You Tube. Even a guy like myself, not the most flamboyant around, has pictures of meals meals on my IG account. I love food, and people are consistently asking me, “what do you eat?” While I was prepping I got this question nearly everyday.
And let’s not forget that many people who got into the pastime of bodybuilding, the good looking ones amongst them likely are used to getting attention all their lives, and the ones who went from getting no attention to loads of attention, are likely intoxicated by their newfound attention! As I starting resembling a bodybuilder and then a few months ago actually becoming one, I got more and more attention, both in person and online.
Let’s get this straight, I am not ogled at as I walk down the street in the way that Brad Pitt or George Clooney or as are other exceptionally good looking men. But if some guy is decent looking and is a full-blown bodybuilder, the attention will come, online and offline, despite the whole notion that “women don’t care about muscles”. Now, having muscles is not going to make some guy a great partner or husband, but having a killer body and a passion for something, ANYTHING, bodybuilding included, is going to open the door to meeting women and befriending other men, not to mention all the people who want to “come along for the ride” when you compete because it all is an interesting, unusual, and exciting process. Part of what garners such attention in bodybuilding is being able to do what others cannot.
As someone who did not have much attention as younger person, I can see how the wide reaching attention that one can gain from social media can be intoxicating for people who did not get much attention in the past.
I also can’t fault people for their followings, despite the bitching and envy of others. Yes, someone like Mike O’hearn does pedal a lot of bullshit, but at the same time I cannot fault him and many others because people simply like looking at them or want to buy their products or use their photographs simply because they are attractive! Although mass attention whoring can become distasteful, I also think there is a great deal of resentment out there by people who can’t attain such enormous followings.
