Once upon a time Rusty Jeffers worked modeling for Colt and other gay studios under the nom de drool, Carl Hardwick. As far as I can tell Jeffers was able to make some good money posing for the cameras but was not gay. As I look at his more recent bodybuilding career pictures I find it striking just how different the man can look when he has been clean-shaven. That mustache is Carl Hardwick. Whenever I see it I forget that guy named Rusty and remember the big and bold soft porn star, Carl.
If you have read this blog at all you know pretty much how I feel about size-for-the-sake-of-size-alone in current bodybuilding culture, the use of steroids, and what I perceive as the insanity of the Mr. Olympia contest. I am not one of those physique admirers who thinks much of Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman. Yes, I am impressed by their work ethic and dedication. Am I impressed by the end results? Hell no. Freaky is freaky and not something I find all that attractive. Being a bulkosuarus has never been a personal goal and I fail to readily understand the point of building so much more armor than necessary. Sometimes it strikes me as being an example of body dysmorphia otherwise known as Bigorexia. But too much muscle armor is always superior to too much adipose tissue. Fat is just as freaky as bulk and a whole lot uglier. In other words: extreme is extreme. I support balance.
Still, there are some guys who have managed to bring off big and are able to maintain a level of physical grace and beauty. Jeffers, IMHO, is one of these fellows. In some of his photos he is pictured posing in front of monumental pieces of sculpture. This is an interesting conceit. The obvious intention is to relay a strong message that, like this outdoor art, Jeffers is a rare and refined work of art. One thing the man has down in spades is his ability to convey body pride, confidence and magnetic attraction. Jeffers is charismatic and few bodybuilders have that going for them.
I wonder how much the fact that he allowed himself to be displayed naked in gay publications has effected his ability to achieve success in the famously homophobic bodybuilding arena. It certainly effected Bob Paris’s career. But Paris was openly gay (and admiringly so, I might add) and seriously promoted himself as a bodybuilder alone while Jeffers was only slightly “gay for pay”.
Because Jeffers has fostered a clean-shaven look in the last decade of competing his appearance very much reminds me of Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor. I’ve always found Lex (especially the way he’s been depicted in recent years) to be very sexy. Jeffers may have put Carl Hardwick away forever, but it certainly isn’t possible for him to stop exuding the same sexy appeal. To my mind he makes the ultimate muscle daddy. And I for one am very happy he is still willing to expose himself so brazenly for personal gain even if he isn’t showing meat.
SUPERVERSITY 