Whatever don't kill me, can only make me stronger.

There are a number of things that I want to blog about and will be over the next few days, but for tonight I just wanted to take a few minutes and recommend a film that is an absolute must. As you can guess from the image above, the film is a documentary that is currently in theaters called Bigger, Stronger, Faster*. This film is fantastic and one the I highly recommend to anyone interested in sports, politics, self-reflection, or the sociology of the American male.

The film in short is about steroids. But as opposed to looking at the subject of steroids and screaming "They're bad.....they're bad.....they're bad!" The filmmaker goes out to ask questions and understand the reason for steroids within the culture, the true physiological and psychological side effects (or lack thereof) and the hypocrisies in the world of performance enhancement. The film succeeds because it asks thorough, thoughtful, and at times controversial questions without leading the viewer towards an answer. (Or at least trying not to lead as all documentaries ultimately have an agenda.) The filmmaker is the voice and the main character of the film and he is one of three brothers who grew up in an middle/upper-middle class family on the East Coast. Now what is interesting to start with is that the director is the only brother in the family that is not a steroid user. This is put forth early as he comes from the belief that steroid use is cheating and unethical. This is the grounded basis of the film, but it works on a much deeper level once the director moves away from his family history and looks at steroids in society.

Without going too deeply into the film because I really do want you all to see it, I am intrigued by the questions that the filmmaker asks. For example, why are steroids thought of as an illegal performance enhancer when a lasik eye-surgery that Tiger Woods had (thus improving his vision to 20/15) is perfectly fine. Why is HGH ok if prescribed by so-called anti-aging doctors, but not ok if simply purchased and used for sport? The film then takes the step further by looking at the American condition and the ideal that as Americans, we are bred and taught to succeed at no expense. We are encouraged to strive for the top and let nothing get in our way. When this is viewed from a physical aspect, are performance enhancers cheating or just a resource to use. As is asked in the movie, if risking the potential side effects of enhancers were the difference between security for your family vs, financial failure and ruin, would you take the chance? In addition, there is a self-image issue that is brought forth by those that we idolize. In the director's case, it is Arnold, Sly Stallone, and Hulk Hogan. (All steroid users). But ignoring that fact, it is suggested that the ideal of be super strong is a self-ideal as prevalent in men as being thin and beautiful is within the female sociological culture.

This is something I couldn't agree with more. While I go to the gym for health reasons mainly, there is of course the desire to build muscle and look great so that I can be cut and built rather than scrawny as I have tended to be for most of my life. After all, I drink Muscle Milk after every workout for Pete's sake! Which ironically enough he addresses in the film when discussing the prevalence of legal stimulants especially those that are advertised by individuals who also used steroids to achieve their results.

So all in all, the film was very well thought out and makes you wonder whether we as a society are attacking a minuscule element of the much larger problem instead of focusing of the overall issue of self-image, and American destiny. As I write this, I don't want you to think that I would even for a moment consider using illegal steroids (I do consider them a cheat and a way to get ahead in an unnatural way), but that being said, recently I did receive a cortisone shot (legal steroid) for my foot-injury allowing me to keep running, and tomorrow before I go out and run, I will take a couple of puffs from my asthma inhaler (steroid). The inhaler by the way will give me a boost and help me to run slightly faster. Why is this ok, and not another type of steroid? Many questions asked, answers from all sides given, and in the end, a very thoughtful and intriguing film. So a high recommend, you won't be disappointed.