Be a model... or just look like one, in Southern California in the 1980s


California has long had a reputation for fitness, especially Southern California. And yes, of course, some of those people are actors, and models, but most of them aren't - it just seems to be part of the culture of Southern California to be physically fit.



Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the beaches, I really don't know, but there are a lot of very fit people in California. They can be fun to see, and either inspire you to work on your self to make it more beautiful, or to just give up on your fitness. I've seen both.

In the '80s, I was a typical young man living in Los Angeles. And since it's Hollywood there, it was typical for people to be aspiring actors, or models, looking for work, so people asked me, but I just wanted to be fit. There were billboards at the time that said, "Be a model... or just look like one". I knew models, and actors, and that seemed to be too much work, going to auditions, or memorizing lines, and that didn't interest me. I just wanted to go to the gym.

As a straight man (or "grim" as my gay friends might call me), it seemed kinda strange for me to be working out to gain muscle just to look better. Men really aren't supposed to even look at their own bodies, you know, and they certainly aren't supposed to try to beautify themselves unless of course they're getting ready for a shoot (modeling) or are going to be in a movie, or TV show. The camera adds ten pounds you know!

In Southern California I wasn't mocked for my fitness, I was encouraged. And that's because it's part of the culture, and has been for generations. Take your shirt off!
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