Westside vs the World
One of my favorite hobbies is watching strength sports documentaries and then reading reviews from a bunch of natty warriors on letterboxd that pretend like they know what they’re talking about. Sitting on a high horse when it comes to lifting cause they probably compete less than twice a year for fun. They come on here and talk out of their asses cause don’t think the big guy at the gym who can rep out a 700lb deadlift has a letterboxd account and isn’t gonna judge them for saying anything moronic. Newsflash folks, the strongest letterboxd user is here, and it’s time to address some remarks;
I love the enthusiasm that you kids have for lifting, but stop gatekeeping and being judgmental because folks do it differently than you. The stuff you care about as an average gym goer that might do some powerlifting here and there does not have to equate to what people from Westside do/did. In fact, it shouldn’t. 620
We’re talking about the elite athletes of a fringe faction of a fringe sport.
Before you condemn the subjects of the documentary, take into account the socioeconomic factors that lead these people to this place. Sure, the drug use, the violence, etc. is all bad/sad/whatever you wanna call it, but it’s simply a product of the environment it exists in. It is not a reflection of the culture of the sport. The sport (and those in it) is a reflection of the culture.
Also: Stop complaining about people not talking enough about steroids, you natty warriors are all the same. You’re never gonna take gear, but that’s all you ever wanna talk about… Maybe take the time to learn about it without sounding like judgmental elitists, and those big fellas at the gym might actually help you learn a thing or two.
The movie mentions steroids in passing at least a couple times, but going back to the other point, you can’t blame steroids itself as a fundamental issue of why certain people are problematic in the culture of lifting. Plenty of your favorite athletes use PEDs, and they lie about it, how is that any better than athletes in a non-drug tested sport being open about it?
It’s the people that are problematic, the drug didn’t make them such — and if you actually knew about AAS you’d maybe have a better perspective as to why the film focussed more on the people in the film as opposed to the drugs.
Also the one review where one of you makes a backhanded remark about the women having deep voices from taking gear… you’re a loser. 620