Some things that might already be of known facts to Porta's Cat... but I learned a few things about this man in reading this information out of google's Todays Birthdays.
Charles Atlas (1892)Angelo Siciliano, better known as "Charles Atlas," was dubbed "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a NYC contest in 1922. Siciliano had been a small and weak child, but, inspired by the strength of a tiger at the zoo, he built up his endurance by working muscle groups against one another. Atlas went on to achieve phenomenal success marketing his "dynamic tension" fitness methods, now generally known as Isometric exercise. Atlas' physical measurements are buried in a time capsule where? (
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World's Most Perfectly Developed Man
In 1922, the publisher of the magazine Physical Culture dubbed him "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a contest held in Madison Square Garden. He was chosen by a cross-disciplined group of health and medical experts, educators, anthropologists, scientists and medical doctors who viewed Atlas as the "perfect male body" and placed his physical measurements on file for posterity. Atlas's physical measurements are buried in the Crypt of Civilization, a time capsule at Oglethorpe University.
Pop culture referencesThe song "I Can Make You a Man" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show refers to Charles Atlas in lines such as "A weakling weighing 98-pounds/Will get sand in his face when kicked to the ground", "Makes me shake, makes me wanna take Charles Atlas by the hand/In Just seven days I can make you a man" and "He thinks
dynamic tension must be hard work".
Frank N. Furter referring to Rocky Horror: "He carries the Charles Atlas Seal of Approval"
The song "I Can See For Miles" by
The Who (on the album
The Who Sell Out) is followed by a "commercial" for the Charles Atlas Course ("The Charles Atlas course with dynamic tension can turn you into a beast of a man.")
The song "She's Your Lover Now (Just a Little Glass of Water)" by Bob Dylan, released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3, refers to Charles Atlas in the line "Why must I fall into the sadness / Do I look like Charles Atlas?"
The song "Mr Apollo" by the
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band on the album Tadpoles parodies the idea with lead-singer/writer
Vivian Stanshall affecting a gruff butch voice. The song involves members of the band singing a fictional body-builders praises while Stanshall alternately sings and offers no-nonsense advice "no tiresome exercises/no tricks/no unpleasant bending/wrestle poodles and win!"
The song "Mr Superman" (Swingles II; lyrics by Tony Vincent Isaacs to the melody of Scott Joplin's 'Elite syncopations') whilst not referring to Charles Atlas directly, implies the connection. In the song, the 'hero', having done the course and having achieved nothing, thinks it's a fraud and becomes an expert in other fields and Mr Superman only in his daydreams. There are some poetic refences to "sand in the face"
The
comic book Flex Mentallo by
Grant Morrison has several features that parody the Charles Atlas ads, including the costume of the hero and the text "HERO OF THE BEACH" hovering above the hero's head. Jeffrey Hogue brought suit against
DC Comics over the character.
In the Kurt Vonnegut novel
Cat's Cradle, the religious leader
Bokonon is a graduate of Charles Atlas's course.
In the
Futurama Season 2 episode "When Aliens Attack", Fry gets sand kicked in his face by a "professional beach bully" who asks for payment for his services, after Fry has won the girl. Leela hits on him but he turns out to be gay.
The song "Sand In My Face" by 10cc on their debut album is a detailed description of Atlas' legendary ads.
The song "Charles Atlas" from the album He Who Laughs Last by A.F.I.
The Marvel Comics title
What The--?! parodied the famous Charles Atlas "98 pound weakling" advertisement, in a number of issues. Altas was often referred to "Charles Gutless" and in one particular issue, was portrayed as a woman and named "Charlene" Atlas.
Australian band The Fauves had a minor hit with their song "The Charles Atlas Way"
