The crux of this doc is squarely on the perceived notions of what steroids do to an individual. I dare anybody to refute the fact that there are too many unknowns concerning steroids. This doc states that the side effects of steroids are reversible once steroids are stopped. True, but what isn't mentioned is the wasting of muscle tissue that breaks down into ketones. Unless a vigorous exercise ritual is maintained, then muscle mass dissipates into fatty bulk. This is what leads to heart problems.
Getting back to the film, it masterfully illustrates the hypnotic influence wrestling had on so many young boys; myself included. When I went to the Army, I worked my rear off to look like Brutus the Barber Beefcake. It never happened, but my ego was never bruised because of it. The "side effects of being American" don't come from the steroid culture. They come from a childhood of being told that we can do or become anything we want to be. Think about how different childhood would be if we were told exactly what our function would be at an early age. So much time otherwise spent dreaming of irrational careers could be spent preparing for an inevitable livelihood. That is not to say that people are their jobs. So much time could be spent enjoying the personal aspects of our lives rather than spending 20 plus years exploring how we make a living.
Getting back to the film, it masterfully illustrates the hypnotic influence wrestling had on so many young boys; myself included. When I went to the Army, I worked my rear off to look like Brutus the Barber Beefcake. It never happened, but my ego was never bruised because of it. The "side effects of being American" don't come from the steroid culture. They come from a childhood of being told that we can do or become anything we want to be. Think about how different childhood would be if we were told exactly what our function would be at an early age. So much time otherwise spent dreaming of irrational careers could be spent preparing for an inevitable livelihood. That is not to say that people are their jobs. So much time could be spent enjoying the personal aspects of our lives rather than spending 20 plus years exploring how we make a living.