Weider Headquarters

[Rick Collins]

Not really a legal post, but wanted to share. In my role as counsel for the USFA (www.usfa.biz) in the fight against further legislation (criminalization) of dietary supplements, a meeting was arranged for me with the folks at Weider Publishing in their offices in Woodland Hills, California yesterday. At the time, I was primarily focused on the substance of the important issues at hand. But reflecting on it the day after, I gotta say that it really kinda rocked to be there. Everyone who was ever anyone in bodybuilding walked through those doors. And also the never-quite-made-it's, and the never-really-were's (whose names some of us would recognize anyway). There's a huge waterfall on one wall and sculptures and paintings everywhere -- a total shrine dedicated to four decades of bodybuilding. It's kept as quiet as a church. Like a monastery of muscle. Yes, there's the Weider bust with Robby Robinson's torso. But there's also inspiring life-size oil paintings of Arnold, Dorian, Haney, Franco, Zane and others. I think the whole experience gave me a little extra juice (no pun intended) for my afternoon workout at Gold's, Venice. Which, as always, was also very cool. But that's another story.

Anyway, I'm back east.

 

[HULKSTER]

I'm not trying to start a flame war, but Weider is one of the biggest con men out there. His supplements are crap, his advertisements are blatant, undeniable lies, and he perpetuates the idea that his celebrity bodybuilding spokespeople actually got that way from using Weider supplements, when he and others at that company know that those celebrity spokespeople are on hardcore juice. I consider Weider to be on the same level as Kenneth Lay and Bernie Ebbers. In the end, Weider used extremely deceptive business practices (like his knowingly false advertisments) to reap millions from lying and tricking gullible consumers.

 

[plethos]

I'm not trying to start a flame war, but Weider is one of the biggest con men out there. His supplements are crap, his advertisements are blatant, undeniable lies, and he perpetuates the idea that his celebrity bodybuilding spokespeople actually got that way from using Weider supplements, when he and others at that company know that those celebrity spokespeople are on hardcore juice. I consider Weider to be on the same level as Kenneth Lay and Bernie Ebbers. In the end, Weider used extremely deceptive business practices (like his knowingly false advertisments) to reap millions from lying and tricking gullible consumers.

Not to mention that the people who sign with Weider always tend to do better in competitions than they hay have deserved.

 

[Rick Collins]

Whatever we may think of Weider himself wasn't the point.

 

[HULKSTER]

Whatever we may think of Weider himself wasn't the point.

As I said, I wasn't trying to start a flame war or take away from your exciting experience. I'm sure you had a very memorable time at the headquarters, and met some top-notch bodybuilders. I would love to be at the headquarters when guys like Arnold, Sergio, Coleman, etc. stop by there to visit, too.

 

[ROID WARRIOR]

Weider amassed a fortune with, to say the least, less than honest business practices. If I recall correctly, Brute Enterprises settled charges year ago with the FTC for violations of the FTC act stemming from the claims made for Anabolic Mega Paks (remember those!?!), and some of the other placebos that were/are sold.

However, Weider did in the past and continues to allow the fortunate few to earn a living doing what they enjoy. Aside from that, despite Ben's naive and futile crusade, competitive bodybuilding will always remain a fringe pageant.

RW