by Christian Duque
I have got to tell you I cannot resist a funny video on YouTube – especially when we’re talking about bodybuilding and fitness – because it seems everybody in this industry has a tendency to take themselves so seriously that any attempt at levity is shot down almost immediately. You have these larger-than-life social media influencers that are literally worshiped by their followers and it gets to the point where it’s like what are we doing here? We’re talking about lifting weights, consuming massive amounts of protein and posing in a mirror. We’re not talking about ecclesciastical issues or pondering the meaning of life. We’re gymrats but yet any criticism seems to be absolute heresy. So when I see a funny video especially if it’s a spoof of a social media influencer I can’t resist.
Eric Kanevsky absolutely hit the nail on the head with his spoof of Sam Sulek. From the ridiculous wig that he wore, to the Cereal Killer shirt, to posing in a bookstore and at a restaurant, the video could not have been funnier. He used Sam’s lingo and totally put it on its head. I mean this is the guy known for being the Russian hitman on YouTube and for busting out a scale at fitness expos trying to get competitors to actually weigh themselves to see if the numbers they post are real. He has absolutely no filter and he is absolutely fearless. I mean this guy has come close to getting beaten up by some of these onion-thin-skinned celebrities. When I tell you that influencers take themselves too seriously I am not embellishing. There’s a whole category of individuals within the bodybuilding world that are completely oblivious to the real world. They live in a bubble and anybody that even jokingly questions their superiority feels their wrath. Quite frankly that’s a bunch of bullshit and anybody that can make a joke out of it gets my vote – and my seal of approval.
This video is nothing short of amazing and it keeps in the tradition of Eric’s other videos. He is somebody that understands humor and understands how to employ it in order to make an entertaining video from beginning to end. There are no boring points during the video. He splices in several different scenes so that the viewer is constantly engaged. I have never watched one of Eric’s videos and said, “oh wow things are getting boring let me X out.” I have always watched his videos from beginning to end because of the fact that he puts so much time into that engagement factor. Whereas a lot of content creators will get you at the very beginning or at the very end (or maybe sneak something in the middle), to be able to have a video that’s entertaining from beginning to end is nothing short of amazing. It’s not done by coincidence and it’s not done by luck. This is a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s mastered his craft. Now, I don’t know if Sam is going to get all butthurt over it or not, but I think it’s a really funny video and if anything, I would think he would be tickled by the fact that Eric thought enough of him to make a video parody of his lingo and his approach to weight training and building a physique. Because at the end of the day it’s all in good fun. At least as far as I’m concerned.
And for whatever it’s worth, I can tell you that I’m not writing this article to take a crap on Sam. I respect Sam and what he’s all about. I respect the fact that he is not a hypocrite when it comes to gear, and I also respect the fact that he’s doing all this because of his love of weight-training and building muscle. He’s not out there trying to win a pro card or talking smack in order to create buzz for an upcoming show. Even the Tren Twins have tried getting ready for competitions; Sam has not. Sam is the quintessential gymrat and he lives it and loves it as much as he possibly can. He is very much living his best life. That being said, he has some quirks and he has some mannerisms that are absolutely insane. I don’t know if he’s aware of it or if he is working on it, but the ceral eating, the self-reflection, and the whole sort of pseudo Tom Platz approach to bodybuilding while he’s driving around in his car is absolutely hysterical. I don’t know if he realizes it or not, but maybe after watching Eric’s video he’s going to come to the realization that a lot of the people that are his diehard supporters are also secretly laughing at his schtick. And again this is not laughing at him or laughing at his expense, it’s just laughing as part of the viewer’s experience.
I really want to get away from this idea that just because somebody laughs that they somehow have a malicious intent. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just like me writing this article about a really funny video about Sam is not my attempt at tearing Sam down. I’m writing the article because it was a great video and I think fans of Eric’s and fans of Sam’s would enjoy it.
At the end of the day, though, if you’re going to be a public figure in the fitness industry or any other industry you have got to be able to process criticism and even deal with haters. I don’t for a moment believe Eric is hating on Sam at all. but even if Sam were to take it that way, so what? When you’re that big of a star you almost have to expect people to be negative towards you. You have to let it roll off your back and just accept it as being part of the dinner. That said, I would love to see a collaboration between Sam and Eric at a future date. They’re both bodybuilders, they both have great physiques, and they both love the gym. It would be absolutely hilarious to see Sam making an appearance on one of Eric’s future videos or for Eric to make an appearance on one of Sam’s future videos. I think that it’s all in good fun and that would help both of them in terms of public opinion.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of times when a celebrity on Sam’s level gets spoofed they generally have a tendency to retaliate. Now again, I don’t know if that is in Sam’s wheelhouse or not, but if he’s offended, all bets are off. That being said, I don’t think that he will be butthurt about Eric’s video because if Sam truly is the gymrat that he purports to be, he might be laughing as hard as I am, and as hard as you are.
At the end of the day bodybuilding itself isn’t the most riveting sport out there. Most of it consists of eating meals in solitude, posing in solitude, training in solitude and ultimately getting on stage for all of 60 seconds to run through the mandatories and if you’re lucky do an individual posing routine. Most people are not going to have their heart pump based on what I’ve just described, so a little bit of docudrama, a little bit of clowning, and even a little bit of trash talk is most welcome. Really honestly anything to keep it interesting I think is a good thing. Whether it’s Eric doing the videos or it’s the Natty Or Not videos, or it’s the guy that runs into people at the expos – it’s all in good fun. Anything that keeps people engaged whether that means laughing or picking up their jaw off the floor is good for bodybuilding and fitness. The point is to keep people happy, roll with the punches, and don’t make a big deal out of anything. And please don’t allow yourself to become this holier-than-thou individual simply because of the number of followers you have. I don’t think Sam falls into that category and I certainly don’t think Eric does either. I think these guys will probably have a great laugh and may even work together at some point in the future. Why the heck not?!?!
If you have not seen this video I highly recommend you watch it. If you’re a Sam fan you will absolutely lose your shit and you will laugh your ass off. If you’re not a Sam fan and you watch the video it might make you want to watch Sam’s videos and who knows, maybe Sam will gain some fans as a result of this, too.
Either way it’s a hilarious video for everyone to check it out. I give it five stars out of five! I feel bad for those poor Uber drivers as well as the bookstore staff, the gym goers, and the security personnel. Then again, that’s the cost of putting on a great performance. If they knew what was going on it would look fake. And nothing Eric does is fake. One last thing – everything online is fake, especially reality tv. So that’s an even bigger endorsement of Eric’s work because he’s one of the few people that really keeps it real and I can not get enough of that. What about you?