Why Arnold Matters: The Rise of a Cultural Icon - Hardcover

While most people are familiar with the rough outline of Arnold Schwarzenegger's meteoric rise, from bodybuilder to box-office superstar to governor of California, the full extent of his reach into the American imagination has never been catalogued. This is the first analysis of the phenomenon of Arnold-in-America. Traces Schwarzenegger's innumerable cultural incursions: how he has become a major metaphor for all things big, powerful, & influential; how he has redefined the American body; & how he has spread his catch phrases like a virus that can't be stopped. After two decades of collecting Arnold data, the authors explain how Schwarzenegger has redefined the idea of political muscle, & why we ignore him at our peril.