6 ms·

This guy is one of the most under-rated celebrities out there. Sure the films in which he played didn't help - I actually felt to the trap too. His autobiograp

This guy is one of the most under-rated celebrities out there. Sure the films in which he played didn't help - I actually felt to the trap too. His autobiography is just amazing - you realize he's just extremely smart, hardworking dude that also happens to have a vision.

ekianjo 10y ago
have to agree here. Arnold is far from the guy he just pretends to be in movies.
humanrebar 10y ago
Under-rated? How? He's a huge star in four or five different fields.
- rtpg 10y ago
  Many times the praise is qualified - Body Building "for dumb people" - Acting "just in dumb movies" - Governor " Just because he's an action star. He won for because of the lols" I'm not a megafan, but the more I think about him, the more I'm surprised I completed discounted how he completely dominated 3 fields. I sometimes wonder whether it's because of his accent. So many subconsciously connect strong accents with stupidity.
  - TheAlchemist 10y ago
    In Europe, most people don't know / remember he was a Governor. You say Arnold - they think Terminator.
    - AstralStorm 10y ago
      Goverminator. For some reason, not remembered as a bodybuilder or Conan.
  - humanrebar 10y ago
    I understand some of it. He did enjoy many aspects of "meathead" culture. Though "smart" people considering him dumb because he didn't signal intelligence properly is... well, probably an unexamined position.
  - mysterypie 10y ago
    > connect strong accents with stupidity That's too generalized. To an American, a British accent conveys prestige and sophistication. This has been studied, not just my opinion, though I can't immediately find a citation. Also, to me, certain foreign accents sound very charming. Arnold's voice sounds authoritative, but it's probably more to do with the deep pitch than the accent.
    - rtpg 10y ago
      You're right. Thinking about this more, I think perhaps there's an association between verbal communication difficulty and intelligence. I've personally experienced situations where people seem to think I cannot understand some simple concept when I am not a native speaker. Just an an anecdote, though
      - CaptSpify 10y ago
        I've caught myself on the giving end of that. I'd think "Oh, they don't speak clear English, therefore they can't be smart." But that is obviously completely wrong. I don't know why my brain goes that direction, or what I can do to stop it.
        learc83 10y ago
        It happens to everyone, and the best you can do is to try to be aware of it. It happened to me often when interacting with Chinese CS professors during college. I'd constantly have to remind myself that they were much more knowledgeable than I was despite having subpar communication skills.
    - maxerickson 10y ago
      To an American, a British accent conveys prestige and sophistication. Not all British accents carry that stereotype.
      - 91bananas 10y ago
        And not all Americans hold that same stereotype in their minds.
  - davidwparker 10y ago
    Not to mention he was also a millionaire via real estate before he even started acting. He's extremely hard working.
  - ekianjo 10y ago
    You can't be successful in so many areas with just sheer luck. I think people have to realize that Arnold is far from being just a stupid bodybuilder, even though he started his career like that.
    - AstralStorm 10y ago
      You can, that's how sheer luck works. It sometimes clumps. That said, being a bodybuilder, an actor and a politician has some skills and talent in common.
  - at-fates-hands 10y ago
    >> Governor " Just because he's an action star. He won for because of the lols" Actually a story had been circulating for years about him and Jesse Ventura. I guess they've always had a very healthy competition and close friendship. Jesse said they had both talked about going into politics for years, and after Jesse became governor in Minnesota, Jesse said he called him and boasted that he had beat him to the punch. Sure enough, right after Jesse was elected, they had the recall in California and Arnold jumped in and won the recall election. I've heard in several interviews Jesse stating the only reason that Arnold got into politics was because of him.
  - jccalhoun 10y ago
    would underestimated be a better word?
agumonkey 10y ago
Many "making of" shows him as a very very respectful and friendly (right amount of goof on set) person. His words about body building are also not shallow, he talks about the dedication and the inner exploration about your own limits. It resonnated with ideas I had in other fields that are much less "dumb" in the public eye. ps: he's also directly responsible for movies like Total Recall, which were burried for years, and he arranged financial and directorial setups for it to happen because he loved the script and the filmmaker. I've heard it for other movies but my memory is in DDoS right now.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
myf01d 10y ago
> 300 million of net worth while almost all movies are action and comedy > underrated
paganel 10y ago
> Sure the films in which he played didn't help "Total Recall" and "Last Action Hero" are two of the greatest films made in the last 30-40 years, and I'm not saying that just because I'm a huge Paul Verhoeven and John McTiernan fan. The final action scene from "Predator" is one of the best from all time when it comes to action-movies.
- ekianjo 10y ago
  I think Conan the barbarian (the first one of course) was his best movie. A perfect fit for Arnold and wonderful cinematography. I watch it every year.
  - cmdrfred 10y ago
    If copyright didn't exist my dream film would start with Arnold as an old man sitting in front of a fire. "You could say I had an interesting life..." It would begin as it attempted to draw a single timeline from every one of his films as if he was playing the same character in all of them.
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    Yes. I think it is a really imaginative and well-made piece. At the time, with all the violence and sex around, it was quite frowned upon where I lived, but in fact I think it was made in perfect style.
  - GunboatDiplomat 10y ago
    Conan, what is best in life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc
    - ekianjo 10y ago
      What I like about Conan is to see how the character evolves through the movie. In the beginning through his upbringing he believes in violence as a means to solve all problems, however he slowly realizes that power lies elsewhere - Thulsa Doom reveals to him that strength is not about one's abilities, but about the ability to control and influence others. And there's the whole myth about the father and its role in one's life (and ultimately Conan's father's sword is broken at the end of one fight, while his father told him right at the beginning "you cannot trust men or beasts... but this (steel), you can trust".) Most people see Conan the Barbarian as a barbaric movie with blood and sex but it goes much, much deeper than that. There are multiple interpretations and ongoing symbolism everywhere in this flick. And the music... the music! It's almost like an opera.
pizza234 10y ago
He's also an extremely weasely manipulator and an egomaniac. In the documentary "Pumping Iron" he manipulates an entire family, who trusted him as a friend. Oh, and he also boasts about this in front of the camera. I would consider his autobiography to be a brilliant marketing piece (with the positive and negative connotations of the "marketing" concept), although of course this is personal opinion, and I doubt this will be ever fact-checked to dis/prove it. edit: of course, I don't imply he is devoid of good/inspiring traits.
- whowalrus 10y ago
  FYI a lot of it was staged/planned [1][2]. 'Pumping Iron' was almost like a proto-reality show. Arnold "played" the role of a villain. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumping_Iron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumping_Iron [2]http://spotmebro.com/pumping-iron-what-was-real-and-what-was-fake/ http://spotmebro.com/pumping-iron-what-was-real-and-what-was...
  - dhimes 10y ago
    Agree. Pumping Iron was the marketing piece that launched an industry. The "better than sex" quote still comes to mind, and I haven't seen the movie in decades.
stevekemp 10y ago
His book, Total Recall, was a fascinating read. I found it a lot more interesting than I expected to. He's also somewhat active in the fitness groups on Reddit, passing on tips and advice.
- jordigh 10y ago
  I also found that book incredibly interesting. I kept thinking that it must be full of lies and self-aggrandising hyperbole. If it is, at least it's very good lies and self-aggrandising hyperbole. Emotionally, I couldn't help but liking him after reading his book. I know he's had some questionable sexual conduct or worse, some of which he acknowledges in his book. I just hope it doesn't come up later that he has a string of silent rape victims like other once-loved celebrities.
  - learc83 10y ago
    My guess is that, any serious skeletons in his closet would have been at least partially exposed when he ran for governor.
- q-base 10y ago
  +1 I was even quite a big fan of him before reading it - but wasn't expecting much from the book, or expecting it to be somewhat bland. But I really liked it and will absolutely read it again.
dsfyu404ed 10y ago
>extremely smart, hardworking dude that also happens to have a vision It's generally safe to assume that anyone who grew up in near poverty in eastern Europe and became Governator of Commiefornia, or made comparably large socioeconomic gains has some combination of those or similar attributes.
- aerique 10y ago
  nit: Austria is not what we generally refer to as eastern Europe
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

ekianjo 10y ago

have to agree here. Arnold is far from the guy he just pretends to be in movies.

humanrebar 10y ago

Under-rated? How? He's a huge star in four or five different fields.

rtpg 10y ago
Many times the praise is qualified - Body Building "for dumb people" - Acting "just in dumb movies" - Governor " Just because he's an action star. He won for because of the lols" I'm not a megafan, but the more I think about him, the more I'm surprised I completed discounted how he completely dominated 3 fields. I sometimes wonder whether it's because of his accent. So many subconsciously connect strong accents with stupidity.
- TheAlchemist 10y ago
  In Europe, most people don't know / remember he was a Governor. You say Arnold - they think Terminator.
  - AstralStorm 10y ago
    Goverminator. For some reason, not remembered as a bodybuilder or Conan.
- humanrebar 10y ago
  I understand some of it. He did enjoy many aspects of "meathead" culture. Though "smart" people considering him dumb because he didn't signal intelligence properly is... well, probably an unexamined position.
- mysterypie 10y ago
  > connect strong accents with stupidity That's too generalized. To an American, a British accent conveys prestige and sophistication. This has been studied, not just my opinion, though I can't immediately find a citation. Also, to me, certain foreign accents sound very charming. Arnold's voice sounds authoritative, but it's probably more to do with the deep pitch than the accent.
  - rtpg 10y ago
    You're right. Thinking about this more, I think perhaps there's an association between verbal communication difficulty and intelligence. I've personally experienced situations where people seem to think I cannot understand some simple concept when I am not a native speaker. Just an an anecdote, though
    - CaptSpify 10y ago
      I've caught myself on the giving end of that. I'd think "Oh, they don't speak clear English, therefore they can't be smart." But that is obviously completely wrong. I don't know why my brain goes that direction, or what I can do to stop it.
      - learc83 10y ago
        It happens to everyone, and the best you can do is to try to be aware of it. It happened to me often when interacting with Chinese CS professors during college. I'd constantly have to remind myself that they were much more knowledgeable than I was despite having subpar communication skills.
  - maxerickson 10y ago
    To an American, a British accent conveys prestige and sophistication. Not all British accents carry that stereotype.
    - 91bananas 10y ago
      And not all Americans hold that same stereotype in their minds.
- davidwparker 10y ago
  Not to mention he was also a millionaire via real estate before he even started acting. He's extremely hard working.
- ekianjo 10y ago
  You can't be successful in so many areas with just sheer luck. I think people have to realize that Arnold is far from being just a stupid bodybuilder, even though he started his career like that.
  - AstralStorm 10y ago
    You can, that's how sheer luck works. It sometimes clumps. That said, being a bodybuilder, an actor and a politician has some skills and talent in common.
- at-fates-hands 10y ago
  >> Governor " Just because he's an action star. He won for because of the lols" Actually a story had been circulating for years about him and Jesse Ventura. I guess they've always had a very healthy competition and close friendship. Jesse said they had both talked about going into politics for years, and after Jesse became governor in Minnesota, Jesse said he called him and boasted that he had beat him to the punch. Sure enough, right after Jesse was elected, they had the recall in California and Arnold jumped in and won the recall election. I've heard in several interviews Jesse stating the only reason that Arnold got into politics was because of him.
- jccalhoun 10y ago
  would underestimated be a better word?

agumonkey 10y ago

Many "making of" shows him as a very very respectful and friendly (right amount of goof on set) person. His words about body building are also not shallow, he talks about the dedication and the inner exploration about your own limits. It resonnated with ideas I had in other fields that are much less "dumb" in the public eye. ps: he's also directly responsible for movies like Total Recall, which were burried for years, and he arranged financial and directorial setups for it to happen because he loved the script and the filmmaker. I've heard it for other movies but my memory is in DDoS right now.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

myf01d 10y ago

> 300 million of net worth while almost all movies are action and comedy > underrated

paganel 10y ago

> Sure the films in which he played didn't help "Total Recall" and "Last Action Hero" are two of the greatest films made in the last 30-40 years, and I'm not saying that just because I'm a huge Paul Verhoeven and John McTiernan fan. The final action scene from "Predator" is one of the best from all time when it comes to action-movies.

ekianjo 10y ago
I think Conan the barbarian (the first one of course) was his best movie. A perfect fit for Arnold and wonderful cinematography. I watch it every year.
- cmdrfred 10y ago
  If copyright didn't exist my dream film would start with Arnold as an old man sitting in front of a fire. "You could say I had an interesting life..." It would begin as it attempted to draw a single timeline from every one of his films as if he was playing the same character in all of them.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Yes. I think it is a really imaginative and well-made piece. At the time, with all the violence and sex around, it was quite frowned upon where I lived, but in fact I think it was made in perfect style.
- GunboatDiplomat 10y ago
  Conan, what is best in life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ6335puOc
  - ekianjo 10y ago
    What I like about Conan is to see how the character evolves through the movie. In the beginning through his upbringing he believes in violence as a means to solve all problems, however he slowly realizes that power lies elsewhere - Thulsa Doom reveals to him that strength is not about one's abilities, but about the ability to control and influence others. And there's the whole myth about the father and its role in one's life (and ultimately Conan's father's sword is broken at the end of one fight, while his father told him right at the beginning "you cannot trust men or beasts... but this (steel), you can trust".) Most people see Conan the Barbarian as a barbaric movie with blood and sex but it goes much, much deeper than that. There are multiple interpretations and ongoing symbolism everywhere in this flick. And the music... the music! It's almost like an opera.

pizza234 10y ago

He's also an extremely weasely manipulator and an egomaniac. In the documentary "Pumping Iron" he manipulates an entire family, who trusted him as a friend. Oh, and he also boasts about this in front of the camera. I would consider his autobiography to be a brilliant marketing piece (with the positive and negative connotations of the "marketing" concept), although of course this is personal opinion, and I doubt this will be ever fact-checked to dis/prove it. edit: of course, I don't imply he is devoid of good/inspiring traits.

whowalrus 10y ago
FYI a lot of it was staged/planned [1][2]. 'Pumping Iron' was almost like a proto-reality show. Arnold "played" the role of a villain. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumping_Iron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumping_Iron [2]http://spotmebro.com/pumping-iron-what-was-real-and-what-was-fake/ http://spotmebro.com/pumping-iron-what-was-real-and-what-was...
- dhimes 10y ago
  Agree. Pumping Iron was the marketing piece that launched an industry. The "better than sex" quote still comes to mind, and I haven't seen the movie in decades.

stevekemp 10y ago

His book, Total Recall, was a fascinating read. I found it a lot more interesting than I expected to. He's also somewhat active in the fitness groups on Reddit, passing on tips and advice.

jordigh 10y ago
I also found that book incredibly interesting. I kept thinking that it must be full of lies and self-aggrandising hyperbole. If it is, at least it's very good lies and self-aggrandising hyperbole. Emotionally, I couldn't help but liking him after reading his book. I know he's had some questionable sexual conduct or worse, some of which he acknowledges in his book. I just hope it doesn't come up later that he has a string of silent rape victims like other once-loved celebrities.
- learc83 10y ago
  My guess is that, any serious skeletons in his closet would have been at least partially exposed when he ran for governor.
q-base 10y ago
+1 I was even quite a big fan of him before reading it - but wasn't expecting much from the book, or expecting it to be somewhat bland. But I really liked it and will absolutely read it again.

dsfyu404ed 10y ago

>extremely smart, hardworking dude that also happens to have a vision It's generally safe to assume that anyone who grew up in near poverty in eastern Europe and became Governator of Commiefornia, or made comparably large socioeconomic gains has some combination of those or similar attributes.

aerique 10y ago
nit: Austria is not what we generally refer to as eastern Europe
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]