Posted on 12/10/2022 3:16:34 PM PST by nickcarraway
Social media's self-proclaimed "Liver King", who gained fame by claiming a diet of raw animal organs helped him naturally obtain his muscular physique, has been exposed as a heavy steroid user.
Brian Johnson, 45, gained millions of followers who watched him eating raw animal liver, bull's testicles, cow's lungs and other organs.
Johnson promised to help fans unlock their "highest and most dominant form" by sticking to an "ancient primal" carnivorous diet.
Appearing on numerous podcasts, videos and in interviews, he always firmly maintained that he obtained his herculean physique naturally, without the use of any type of steroids.
"The question has always been, 'Do you take steroids? Do you take [performance enhancing drugs]?' The answer to that is no. I've always told the truth, I still tell the truth", he said on a podcast in October.
About two months later, the Liver King sits shirtless on a throne-like chair in a dimly lit space, apologising to his followers.
In the YouTube video that has been viewed more than 2.8 million times, he comes clean and confesses his lies.
"Before social media, I was rich and anonymous and after social media, I'm still rich, but no longer anonymous. I never expected this kind of exposure," he says.
"Yes, I've done steroids. And yes, I'm on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone clinician."
The confession came just a few days after Johnson was exposed by fellow fitness YouTube star Derek, aka More Plates More Dates.
Derek showed his followers what he said were leaked emails from the Liver King asking for advice on his steroid use.
In the emails, Johnson allegedly said he was spending about $US11,000 ($16,400) a month on steroids.
Young men adopting unrealistic standards
Dr Mair Underwood, an anthropologist who specialises in the study of bodybuilding culture at the University of Queensland, said the reveal did not come as a surprise.
"Anyone who's seriously into fitness would look at the Liver King's body and say that is an enhanced body," she said.
And she said she was sceptical about Johnson's claim that his quest for fame was motivated by a desire to help young men suffering from mental health issues.
"It is wrong to say that you are [a natural bodybuilder] when you're not, because you are creating unrealistic expectations in fans who think that they can look like you, and then when they can't, they are disappointed," Dr Underwood said.
"If you think, 'All I have to do is eat a bull's testicles and take these supplements and then I can look like the Liver King,' and then you don't get there, it's going to really mess with your head and you might start asking yourself what's wrong with you.
"There is nothing wrong with you, you're being lied to. I think that's dangerous for mental health."
Steroid stigma in bodybuilding community "Fake natties" — bodybuilders who pretend to have attained the size that they are by purely natural means — are very common, according to Dr Underwood.
"It's especially common in the public eye, because there is a lot of stigma attached to steroid use," she said.
"I think people don't talk about their enhancement drug use because they don't want people to think it was just the steroids that built that body.
"People are reluctant to come out about using enhancement drugs, because they want to be recognised for the work that it has taken to build their bodies, rather than the general public thinking it's just the steroids."
'It honestly makes me and probably a lot of other people lose hope'
Online reaction to Johnson's steroid confession varied, with some fans still supporting him and praising him for his honesty, others expressing their disappointment, and others saying it did not come as a surprise.
"See the thing that makes me upset is that I have self-esteem issues also with my body and want to get bigger and honestly feels like now I can’t get big for a long long time because all of these creators are doing [steroids], or non natural substances," said one YouTube commenter.
"So it honestly makes me and probably a lot of other people lose hope once we find out what you guys do behind the scene of YouTube."
"Rest In Peace to all the eyeballs and raw testicles that were needlessly eaten to attain this unattainable physique," said another.
Dr Underwood, who works with a lot of bodybuilders, spoke with some of them about Johnson.
"There seem to be two camps. One says it's wrong to be a fake natty because it creates unrealistic expectations, and the other says it motivates people to follow a healthy lifestyle, which already allows them to gain muscle before even considering using steroids."
Still, Dr Underwood said she did not believe Johnson's intentions were all bad.
"I have no doubt that Liver King has some good things to say. And I have no doubt that at some level, he really cares about what young men are going through. I can sympathise and I can understand why he lied," she said.
"I just really hope that we can change as a society so that people like him don't feel the need to lie about these things. And so young men can make informed decisions about their health."
Looks like cheating pays, doesn’t it? His business may not survive, but surely he’s squirrelled away at least some of those riches. He may need it, as the roid damage will survive.
Seriously now — and I know I was joking along with the rest here — there’s something so very sad about these men who have gone to the extreme with this Mr. Muscle thing. My first sense when seeing pictures like that is ... I don’t want to say pity, it’s not pity ... just sorrow that they felt they had to do that to themselves, make a freak out of themselves.
I personally know a local fitness guru who looks worse.
I don’t know about a “soft look to him” unless they mean expression. We ladies do love it when our men give us soft looks — those tend to melt us. We also like men who are “soft” (in the sense of kindly) toward those weaker than them, children, the elderly, etc. — and, of course, towards us. Bullies are a huge turnoff, except to sicko women. And that half-smirk thing some men do is a big “ick!”.
Think of the big heart-throbs of Hollywood. Gregory Peck could look tough when the situation called for it, but got that “soft look” when he interacted with children, his leading ladies, and the downtrodden in his movies. We ladies really go for that. (Sorry to go so far back in time, but old movies and stars are the ones that stick in my mind.)
We ladies really aren’t nearly as interested in mens’ physiques as men seem to be. I imagine the men who knock themselves out going for the bodybuilder look (even when not extreme) do it more for themselves and to impress other men.
No pictures, please, Laz, or I’ll have to retaliate with Helen 😁
OK. But...
reduced sperm count,
infertility,
shrunken testicles,
erectile dysfunction,
https://www.medicinenet.com/steroid_abuse_symptoms_and_signs/symptoms.htm
I know. I’m wasn’t saying there aren’t repercussions.
Those guys are taking more than just steroids as well.
HgH, Anastrozole, Gonadreline, etc.
I understand a guy doing a couple supervised cycles for some multimillion dollar movie role.
There’s way too many normal dudes juicing. Half of the dudes at my gym very likely are. Our society is crap, and these guys aren’t even near the worst.
True, they’re not the worst. We humans can’t seem to help misusing the gifts of our science and technology. Medical science has blessed us with much good from the lowly aspirin tablet to eradication of smallpox to penicillin and so much more. But we misuse it, too. Look at the opioid crisis, the misuse of steroids (which can be lifesaving, correctly used) and on and on.
When The Pill was invented, it seemed like a good thing at first. Once, married couples had five or six children (or more), and hoped at least three would live to adulthood. After we wiped out the worst childhood diseases and there was much gnashing of teeth by Malthusians about overpopulation and the looming doomsday they predicted it would bring about, yes, The Pill seemed the answer.
Only once we had The Pill, the Sexual Revolution soon followed. This was an instance where we misused a medical advance en masse. And what a catastrophe it has been.
And look what we’ve done with the internet. We thought it would bring useful information to our fingertips, further knowledge and education. It has and it can, but — although the estimate that 37% of the internet is dedicated to porn is debated — porn is still a huge thing on the web, and it has harmed marriages and families and damaged children. The average age of first exposure to porn has been estimated at 11 years old and most boys start seeking it out by age 14.
Aside from porn and porn addiction, far too many of our young people are addicted to social media and suffer the ills of that. At first, Facebook seemed so benign, a nice way to connect with family and friends. Little did we know...
The internet truly has tons of crap.
Porn and social media being 1 & 2 in my opinion. (yours as well I think)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.