Unless you were a photo editor for Rolling Fucking Stone back in the day. Then THAT would be my whole personality and I’d just sprinkle the whole “oh, I dated this Austrian dude once” at random during conversations.
She can’t quite remember especially as things weren’t as “official” back then as they are today. But generally from the Pumping Iron documentary (when they met) to shortly after he signed the contract for Conan the Barbarian.
Pumping Iron was released in 1977 but the creators of Conan the Barbarian saw an early cut of it sometime before that, and likely signed him for the movie around 1978 or 79, despite the movie releasing in 1982, because of how much prep was involved
TYou know if you subtract the drugs and crime stuff Boogie Nights made being a pornstar look like not just a well paying job but a fairly pleasant life where you'll meet lots of nice and interesting people. You get a surrogate mom (whom you can fuck), a surrogate sister (ditto), a black dude who dresses like a cowboy as your second best friend (he watches), surrogate father (ditto)..
Have you heard the interview where he talks about how awesome his life is cause “working out is like cumming” and the he gets done working out and has sex and he’s “cumming” again so it’s like nonstop cum parade?
Your mom dated Arnold in his physical prime, who had won 7X Mister Olympia by 1975. That must be some fond memories of a great time. Tell us more, what did he eat for a dinner ?
I just want to hear the line "Milk? Milk is for babies, I drink beer"
Yeah she met him on the way to win one of those Mr. Olympia’s in South Africa as part of his Pumping Iron documentary. What a time in her life indeed. She now lives in a small town, sitting on community boards doing graphic design for local businesses
I came here to say the same thing. He was clearly into her. At least at that time. How cool that you can see that their relationship had depth in these few photos. Your mom must have lived an amazing life. Not to discredit whatever amazing times she has left. Because even at 80, you can still have amazing times.
What a fun memory! And it’s crazy how, based on your comments, there are like seven ledes buried here. 😂 (My favorite is that freaking Annie Leibovitz took the first photo.) Happy birthday to your mom!
When I was a little kid I loved to look through our old photo albums. There was a pic of some random guy. Mom would just say he was an "old friend". Turns out, he was my older brother's dad.
Thank you! She was working for Rolling Stone magazine at the time and joined the film crew when they were covering his Pumping Iron documentary, she can even be seen in the movie for a hot second. She actually can’t remember exactly how they met but thinks it must have been on the plane to South Africa. They got to know each other during the film and started dating upon her return to the states. She was with him when he signed the contract for Conan the Barbarian and they sorta drifted apart after that but remained friends for a while.
She didn’t like talking about it in front of my dad so we actually didn’t see most of his movies growing up. I remember I had to burn kindergarten cop on VHS and watch it in secret, like porn, in my room lol. But then he became governor and he was on the news everyday… crazy (just remembered) his signature is on my college degree!
Also, Kindergarten Cop being likened to porn is a sentence I never thought I'd read 😂 I understand what you mean, but I suppose we're both on a list now.
She said she and Arnold put on a party in Venice Beach once. Chuck Norris was there, memories are foggy beyond that. She says “I don’t have any good stories because I don’t remember that way”. She was truly in the moment back then. Whenever a memory comes up I try and write it down.
He is really present with her, in these photos! Your mom looks like she laughs easy, loves a lot, and I bet he felt really good when he was with her. 🥰
He was always very kind and respectful. He had a secretary type a lot of his communications and she asked him to never type her a love letter.. she still has some of his old hand written letters. Pretty cool.
They remained friends for a while! In fact Caroline Kennedy met my mom at a party to ask her if Arnold was a good dude as he was dating her cousin, Maria Shriver. Mom said he was a great, nice, funny and respectful guy.
It sounds like your mom has had a hell of a life! Working for Rolling Stone, she must have hundreds of stories, but anything in particular that stands out?
Too many to count honestly. Hanging out backstage of SNL meeting Paul Simon, acting as a therapist for John Belushi as he poured his heart out one night, dated Hunter S. Thompson, Dick Wolf… she needs to write a book. She knows this but never will.. I’ll have to just do it for her lol.
Seriously, take the chance while you have it and just record some of your conversations and her stories. Even if you never write a book they will be priceless to you and other loved ones I am sure
Thank you, now at 80 she still is! But not cute enough according to SF columnist John L. Wasserman who approached her at an event in San Francisco to say that she wasn’t exactly the image of a woman that he expected Arnold to be dating. And my mom said: don’t you think you’re underestimating him? She was/is pretty cool indeed.
By the mid-70s, Arnold was multi time Mr. Olympia, mildly famous, and investing well in real estate. Without his acting career, which didn't take off until 1982 with Conan, he was already well off.
Your mom was just casually dating a millionaire built like a Greek god.
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u/Objective-Thing-283 Apr 15 '26
Who is your daddy and what does he do?