Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cultural Influence

Whatever you feel about Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s hard not to admire his rise to the top: firstly, as a body-building champ; then as a box office money magnet; and, more recently, as “governator” of California.

However, as the old saying goes – what goes up must come down and with his governorship of California ending in January and a cinema career that is unlikely to hit its previous heights, could it be that the “Austrian Oak” will finally lay down his roots and rest?

If that’s the case, then it certainly doesn’t mean that the big man will be forgotten. In fact, far from it. Aside from the films, there’s plenty of other cultural titbits that Arnold Schwarzenegger has left for us. Let’s take a closer look at some of our favourites………

The Arnold Effect On The Workplace

Go to any workplace, anywhere in the country and stay there for long enough, and I guarantee you will hear at least one Arnold impression or line per week. Whilst I was working in the stockroom of a well-known music and video retailer, quoting Schwarzenegger lines was pretty much part of the job interview. What started with the occasional “Get down!” “Camaaan!”or “Doo it!”, soon evolved to the point that whole days would be spent with staff communicating to each other only in Arnold-speak. All good fun, although I did feel a bit sorry for the unfortunately named lady who would order dozens of classical music CDs and wait for us to ring to tell her that they had arrived……….. Sound of telephone being picked up – Woman: “Hello…..hello? Is anybody there? – Stockroom Assistant: “Sarah Connor?”

The Arnold Effect On Language

You can put the name Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any variant of it, into pretty much any sentence, either as an adjective – “This article is full of Schwarzenegger lines”; as a noun – a journalist once used the line “…maybe it’s a sign of the Schwarzeneggerization of society” to describe the increase in use of male pectoral implants; as a metaphor – “When I see myself naked in the mirror, I AM Schwarzenegger”; and as simile – “On the dancefloor, like Arnold, I GET DOWN!”. Arnie also has an urban dictionary entry called the Schwarzenegger Effect, which applies to the situation where someone wins something on the basis of reputation rather than actual performance.

The Arnold Effect On Marijuana

Despite being a staunch Republican, Arnold has had plenty of experience with illicit substances – and it’s surprising how his political career has been largely unaffected by it. In the 70′s bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron, the future Terminator star is seen taking a large toke of what appears to be a well-rolled jazz cigarette. When quizzed by GQ magazine, he was adamant:”I didn’t take any drugs”, before stating to Piers Morgan in a further interview that marijuana “is not a drug. It’s a leaf.” Schwarzenegger has also made it consistently clear in his political career that there needs to be “a debate” about the idea of legalising marijuana. And the effect of that? Californians are currently considering their votes for a November ballot regarding legalisation.

The Arnold Effect On Music

You may or may not realise it, but Arnold Schwarzenegger has a minor music scene based around him. Tim Lambesis of goth metal band As I Lay Dying also has a solo side project called Austrian Death Machine, in which he concentrates solely on Arnie-based tunes, complete with Arnold impersonators on vocals. Here’s an example of their tongue-in-cheek work – “Get to the Choppa” is taken from the album Total Brutal

Austrian Death Machine isn’t the only example either – check out Schwarzenator, an “Arnold Schwarzenegger Concept/Parody Band”, and Arnocorp, who have composed songs with titles such as Terminator, Commando, Predator and Total Recall. Of course, I can’t vouch for it being a wonderful audio experience!

The Arnold Effect On Relationships

Whether you like him or not, if you’re a man; you owe Arnold. With countless stories of lewd and inappropriate behaviour towards the fairer sex (including paying an out of court settlement to the UK’s very own Anna Richardson for an alleged groping incident), Arnie is very much the caveman when it comes to his courting skills. Thanks to Schwarzenegger – and other men like him – us normal fellas can sit watching news of another scandalous incident feeling perfectly smug as our wives or girlfriends appreciate just how wonderful we are, and how lucky they are to have us. At least, they do until they catch us staring at the advert with the girl on the exercise bike a little bit too intently.

So there you have it. Whatever happens in the future for Schwarzenegger – Skynet issues aside – there’s no doubt he’s left a mark. We’ll leave you with some classic Arnie moments……