FBBUK: Rene Goes Public (FMS Stays Private)

When was the last time female muscle fans were in the mainstream media?

As far as the UK is concerned, the last time I can recall was the rather infamous segment of Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends when the eponymous presenter meets a few at the Jan Tana, as well as Maria Calo and her (then?) husband.

Since then, Brian Eno has said he likes a muscular woman (see FMS passim), but I really can't remember another instance - and please to tell me if I'm wrong - where us fans of female bodybuilding have been given either airtime or column inches.

But a couple of weeks ago, FBB fans found themselves in the very mainstream UK magazine Closer as part of a story about the ever-beautiful Rene Campbell.



Strangers love my muscles and beg me to marry them! it reads on the front cover.

Inside, under the headline: Bodybuilding Mum: "Men think my muscles are sexy – strangers ask to marry me!", we learn that Bigorexic Rene Campbell says she gets more attention from men as a bodybuilder than when she was a petite size eight.

There's Rene, NUDE! And only her tastefully positioned legs and well-placed arm preventing that week's Closer from having to be displayed on the topmost shelf.

Her muscles, the story continues, have made her an unlikely sex symbol with thousands of men viewing her pictures online everyday. Well, OK. I, and I dare say you, dear reader, may have been guilty of a bit of that. But there's more...

Rene, 37, has had more than 10 marriage proposals from strangers and last Valentine's Day received several bouquets of flowers from secret admirers. "Men tell me I’m sexy and I’ve had marriage proposals from guys all over the world."

Really?

I've been writing this blog a while now, and as a result I've had the pleasure of contact with a number of fellow female muscle fans from both the UK and elsewhere. Now, I wouldn't say that all of them are exactly what you'd call "normal" (who among us is?) but they are most certainly not in the business of asking Rene Campbell - or any of their favourite female bodybuilders for that matter - to marry them.

So, who the hell are these guys, these poor souls who, without any hint of irony, write forum posts like 'If only Aleesha Young were single...'? Who are they and why do they get all the attention? Why isn't Closer writing about professional men in their late 30s, not at all the kind of timid, skinny live-with-mother types some would paint all female muscle fans as. They're moderately successful, they're property-owning, educated, eloquent guys who just happen to have a thing for muscular women...

Well, I have a confession to make.

I had the opportunity to talk to a journalist from Closer and I didn't take it.

Now, unlike the marry-me-Rene brigade, I am not deluded - well, not as deluded at least. I'm not saying it would have changed anything about the Rene story, nor that Closer would have been interested in what I have to say and published 'my' story instead or as well as Rene's. If I'd made out I was a proposal maker or bouquet sender then maybe - maybe - I'd have had a little quote in there somewhere.

In fact, I procrastinated for some time after I was contacted (not by the magazine, note, but by an intermediary), and let the moment pass. Now I somewhat regret that the opportunity to represent the silent majority of female muscle fans, to paint an alternative picture of us, has gone, but, though tempted, being the spokesperson for the entire female muscle lovin' brethren is not something I would want to be.



But anyway, about Rene.

Seems she's on a bit of a publicity mission. Not only has she got her name (and naked body, remember) in mainstream print, but she also made an appearance, in late November, on The X-Factor (about as mainstream and prime time a TV show as you are ever going to get) as part of a backing act for one of the performances.

And Rene has starred in a music video as well. I mean, really starred.

The Closer story then (new pictures of Rene and bonus clip of her working out all pumped up aside), not really worth the read. The X-Factor appearance (aside from Rene's own Facebook pictures of the day), not really worth bothering with.

But the music video, which was directed by Jack Newman for Bullion Productions, is definitely worth four minutes and twenty-four seconds of your time.

Oh, what a surprise - I recommended by far the least mainstream thing!

This is 6ft1swell, for FMS, staying well out of the limelight...