the world of Schwarzenegger

I have to admit that I take pleasure in the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger is having such a sh*tty time as governor. I wish the state of California — and the people whom I love there — all the best, but the idiots who thought that he was going to be able to play action hero and solve the fiscal problems that former Governor Gray Davis could not? Yeah, well, haha. This ain't the movies.

These idiots are probably the same folks who are now heckling the big guy whenever he appears in public. I mean, it must be tough for him. All those years of fan adoration has probably led him to believe that he is fabulous. I mean, I bet even he thought he could ride in on a white horse and save the day — and the state.

Now he's got a little problem because it has been reported that he is being paid to serve as the executive editor for two fitness magazines and that they are paying him one percent of annual advertising revenue — no less than $1 million per year. The real issue is that the majority of the ad revenue comes from makers of dietary supplements, which Schwarzenegger publicly supports (and apparently uses), to the extent that he vetoed a bill that was meant to discourage high school athletes from using the stuff.

It's a clear conflict of interest, right? Apparently, it is not in "the world of Schwarzenegger". No, says his spokesman. The guy sh*ts more than that before breakfast. It's just not that much money, the spokeman says, when Schwarzenegger can pull in $30 million to make a movie. (He might want to check and see if that is still his going rate. Those days might be over, Arnold.)

The Washington Post article about this mess points out another potential wrinkle in the situation. The same folks who own the fitness magazines in question also own the National Enquirer and the Star, both of which didn't bother to report on the sexual harassment charges that plagued Schwarzenegger during his campaign.

Too bad Superman died. California could use a real super hero right about now.

UPDATE - (This should teach me to keep up on my newspaper reading.) Schwarzenegger has announced he will cut his ties with the magazines.