It seems that Chris Aceto was not very happy with the reporting from Nick Miller (aka “NicksStrengthAndPower” or NSP) because Nick Miller wasn’t there. We have often heard this argument play out in the media, but does it really hold any water? Chris made comments suggesting that Nick Miller’s audience didn’t know anything about bodybuilding by calling them “noobs.” Do I really agree with that assessment? Well, I think it’s interesting to sort of pigeonhole all of the most popular YouTuber’s fans into one category like that. What’s to say that he does not count with season veterans amongst tWhat’s well? what’s to say that he doesn’t have fans that have been around the block in the sport for decades? I think it’s a tremendous assumption on the part of one of the most celebrated contest prep gurus to make. Now I understand that perhaps he wasn’t happy with how he reported on certain athletes, maybe even athletes that he coaches, but the reality of the matter is that he is the number one YouTuber for a reason. And if we’re going to talk about fans and we’re going to talk about what Aceto called a disservice or discredit to the event, we have to talk about where most of the fans are watching the shows from. And unfortunately, it’s not from the actual contest. Most fans watch the competitions from either their phones or laptops or maybe even desktop computers. This is why I think that Nick has such a tremendous fanbase and why his content resonates the way that it does. Now is it a better option to watch the show in person? That’s a different question.
There is something to it in the sense that watching a show in real time before your eyes does give you a better appreciation of the physiques and the condition, but how many fans get to do that? I would argue that most of the fans watching the contest do not have as good of a view as do the people watching it on 4K at home on their devices. I would also argue that sometimes even the people that have good seats don’t have that advantage. but if we’re talking about seeing what the people in the pit see, seeing what the judges see, then I would say there is something to it for press. But I still am not totally sold because the picture quality on a state-of-the-art computer or device can show a tremendous amount of detail. As someone in media, I have to be honest when I say, I don’t see the benefit to being there. I just don’t. And I know the purists will hate to hear that.
I would argue that Nick did a phenomenal job covering the contest. I think that a lot of these old school bodybuilding media outlets have an issue with the fact that they cannot compete with these DIY YouTubers even though they have the staff, they have the various studios, but they just can’t match the numbers.
Now Chris does not actually own a media outlet, but he does work for RX and I know that RX at one point looked to be the top dog in terms of bodybuilding coverage. But that didn’t last long against guys like Luimarco, NSP, and other people simply because of the fact that younger generations like receiving their bodybuilding news and contest coverage differently than older fans that perhaps were accustomed to reading about it in the magazines or wanted a more professional touch.
Now even the word professional may have multiple meanings. When I say professional, I don’t mean that the DIY guys aren’t taking it seriously enough. When I say professional I’m talking more about formalities and pleasantries. Basically, your TV studios, your production teams, and all that sort of thing. I can understand where it can be frustrating for what is otherwise a major network having woes when it comes to hitting as many people as somebody talking into their web camera. But I also think that what Nick is doing is more sophisticated than simply talking into a web camera in a basement somewhere. I think that there is some truth to the fact that DIY media outlets are very basic in terms of their equipment and staff, but I would say that they are considerably more than the average YouTuber talking into a phone. (Then again, smart phones take better pictures and videos than most old tv cameras, so go figure!).
So what do you think about the argument about having to be at the contest in order to do the best coverage? Honestly, I still cannot wrap my head around Chris’s comments. I understand that he backtracked at least I think he did. because he started saying one thing but then he switched gears because I think he didn’t want the backlash that comes with taking shots at the biggest YouTuber on the planet. At the end of the day love him or hate him, nobody gets the views that Nick gets. and I think that Chris may have overspoken a little bit and caused some kind of a reaction that perhaps he realized could have some repercussions in terms of the court of public opinion. In fact, many people that watched the clip believed only professional bodybuilders or people that had done something in bodybuilding as competitors should have the ability to commentate on shows like the Arnold Classic. I mistakenly thought that Chris had said that and reported as such but then corrected myself when I realized Chris had not made that comment. As media people, we make mistakes too, but the key is taking accountability and setting the record straight. That said, Chris did lay into NSP. And then some!!
To reiterate Chris Aceto never said you have to be a professional athlete to commentate on professional bodybuilding shows. but a lot of the people that saw his comments about Nick not having the eye, not being able to do good coverage from afar, and the fact that his audience were noobs, did have the opinion that he should not be commentating because he was never a pro bodybuilder. And I think that argument is pretty silly. Nonetheless, I’ve heard often over the years.
In summation, What do you think about Chris’s comments about Nick? Whether the initial comments were what he truly felt or not, do you agree with Chris that Nick doesn’t have the eye? Do you agree with Chris that Nick couldn’t do good coverage from afar and that covering the show in real time over social media did the contest discredit or disservice?
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It is bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
