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Charles Atlas

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Bodybuilder

The Resume

    (October 30, 1893-December 24, 1972)
    Born in Acri, Calabria, Italy
    Birth name was Angelino Siciliano
    Coined the question 'Are you a 97-pound weakling?'
    Promoted the idea of pitting one muscle against another, later trademarking the term Dynamic-Tension
    Physical Culture magazine held a contest in 1922 at Madison Square Garden and crowned him 'World's Most Perfectly Developed Man'
    Founded the health, fitness and weight loss company Charles Atlas Ltd. in 1929
    Selected by Forbes Magazine as one of the 20th Century's Super Salesmen
    Portrayed himself in the documentary 'March of Time Volume 13, No. 1: Is Everybody Happy? (1946)' and subject of the A&E Biography 'Charles Atlas: Modern Day Hercules (1999)
    Died in Long Island of a heart attack after a morning jog at age 79

Why he might be annoying:

    He claimed a lifeguard actually did kick sand in his face at Coney Island which started his fitness quest.
    He changed his name to Charles Atlas and trademarked it after viewing a statue of Greek god Atlas atop a Coney Island hotel.
    Before launching his mail order company he took a job as a Coney Island side show strongman, tearing telephone books and pounding nails into boards with his hands.
    He named is son Herc.
    Though he died in 1972 his company still uses his photos and wants to know if you'd like to look like him (no, not in his present state).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He asked 'Ever see a tiger with a barbell?' and launched his Dynamic-Tension exercise program (known today as isotonic and isometric exercises), turning him into a self-made millionaire.
    In 1938 at age 44 he towed a 145,000-pound railroad car attached to a rope 122 feet.
    He's posed for over a dozen statues, including the Alexander Hamilton statue at the Treasury Dept. in Washington, D.C. and the George Washington statue at Washington Square Park in New York City.
    A cultural icon, he's been mentioned/parodied on Monty Python, The Rocky Horror Show, The Onion, Futurama, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s 'Cat's Cradle,' The Who's album 'The Who Sell Out' and Ren & Stimpy (with the character Charles Globe).
    He's been the inspiration for countless boys and men wanting to improve their appearance and bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger who paid for the Atlas Dynamic-Tension course.

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 33 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 27 Votes: 29.63% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 78 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 29 Votes: 55.17% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 124 Votes: 37.10% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 42 Votes: 47.62% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 93 Votes: 47.31% Annoying