Review of Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) by Jennifer S — 10 Aug 2010

This is a movie about things which I have no experience with - and a problem that I can easily step around and say "this does not have to do with me" to a certain extent. Perhaps I just like that feeling once in a while, not having to get worked up over a certain problem in society, but I also love to get a peek into worlds that I never frequent. Weightlifting, bodybuilding, sports - there will always be people who take it to the absolute max. I have never been a fan of extremes, but watching other people try to achieve them is always interesting.

At times I wondered how Chris Bell, the middle brother of his heavy-set, terrified-of-mediocrity family, realized that he needed to make a documentary exploring this side of the American Dream. How did he even realize that he had been caught up in this tantalizing but unattainable idea of masculine perfection? I find his revelation startling amongst the culture he seemed just as immersed in as his brothers, who still appear to be chasing this mirage (but wind up empty-handed every time.) I give kudos to him for waking up from all of this at all. I hope he finds a happiness and self-acceptance that he can call his own.

One of the things that surprised me about this movie is that it doesn't just flat-out say "Steroids are bad. Don't do them!". The issue is much more complex than that, including whether or not it should be "okay" to promote their use in professional sports. Even the idea of professional competition in general could be called into question if we start sorting through the ideas surrounding the question "when does an advantage become unfair?" I mean, the man who slept in an air chamber to boost his oxygen intake was not exactly taking steroids, but the effect was similar; Tiger Woods' laser surgery has allowed him to see farther than humanly possible otherwise. Both of these things are not steroids, but they could very well have been in terms of added advantage. But then again, some people simply have the added advantage of genes - born taller, faster, stronger, a person can just be better than someone else at a certain sport and therefore win. It remains unsaid that all of these individuals would be working out as hard as possible to prepare for their competitions... it's not as if a person can win using steroids without needing to work hard. That wouldn't even make sense.

It is a precarious balance to be on if one finds themselves competing to be the absolute best at something. In the end, there become several different kinds of "best": Achieve society's definition by taking the steroids and going as far as one can (and perhaps lose your soul, or your health, or your stability in the process)? Or achieve a personal best simply by working hard without those added chemicals? How does this factor into what is promoted at professional games? What is wrong with our country that we think we have to be the "best" at every single thing we do or else be complete failures?

This movie can come across as awfully pro-steroid. Those who are against the drugs come off as misguided at best, indignant and self-righteous at worst, which was more than a little disconcerting. I still felt that there was more to steroid use than what was shown, and I felt slightly put off by the fact that I was not given that information to chew on. The pro-steroid individuals made some good cases (such as the man who took it to curb his HIV) but then others either had no moral compass or looked freakish (such as the man whose muscles looked like tumors bulging out of his arms.) I have been so used to being told what to think that to see all of these views, with Chris not exactly taking one stance or another, downright made me feel confused and agitated. And to top it all off, there is a brief interview with a man who believed steroids caused his son to commit suicide - that kid's anti-depressant medication was the more likely culprit to me, a whole can of worms for another documentary. Argh.

Chris Bell certainly succeeds, however, in forcing me to think about our country's cultural realities. The United States has a rather schizophrenic view on steroids, because on one hand it forces people to feel that they need them - but then rallies politicians and parents and everyone else on the idea that they're "bad" and should not be used. But then the phrase "on steroids" is such a prevalent one, that leads me to believe that in the end, steroids have become like a recurring traumatic psychological malfunction - denied and repressed but still very much there.

Shreds of vague anti-steroid sentiment surface towards the end of the movie where Chris' younger brother is seen coaching a bunch of kids. He admits to the camera that he doesn't want them to know that he uses, because it would in a way taint their innocence. Let them decide for themselves when they grow up whether to use them or not, he says. Let them just enjoy being kids for now and not get into all that. Steroids are a very sordid and adult matter.

I related this film to my issues of whether or not I am "doing" something with my life. I definitely am not a sports person, so the idea of even being the best in anything related to that is laughable. But I sure do want to be respected, and looked up to, and seen as somebody who has gone out there and done something meaningful. How do we curb these feelings of inadequacy that show up when we are feeling weak or less than perfect? I don't expect the collective consciousness of the United States of America to answer this anytime soon, caught up as it is with all those big things such as war and politics and money and fame, so it is up to me. This movie is a good watch for the sake of just thinking about all of these things and learning about other people.