Jay Cutler talks about the delicate balance between negative trash talk and the power of hyping up a competition.
As a 4x Mr. Olympia champion, Jay Cutler understands the pressure and spotlight that is put on the top competitor in the sport. Not only is every athlete gunning to take you down, but you are also a sort of spokesperson for the sport. You are, in some ways, responsible for promoting the biggest event of the year. In the new internet era, this can often take the form of online rivalries and trash talk. But has the constant barrage of online comments become too negative? In our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview, Jay Cutler weighs in about trash talk vs hype in bodybuilding.
Jay Cutler was Mr. Olympia champion just before the social media era hit the internet. Given that, he didn’t have to contend with having an online presence while he was preparing and competing at each Mr. Olympia. Today, all pro bodybuilders have a direct outlet to not only fans but fellow athletes. This can be used to help build up hype leading up to shows. Sometimes, this takes the form of online trash talk and bitter rivalries.
A recent example of this was Blessing Awodibu verbally battling it out with Nick Walker leading up to the New York Pro 2021. Some fans and fellow athletes felt the trash talk went too far. Egos were being hurt and negativity stood a top of it all. So what does Jay Cutler think about this new era of online bodybuilding and the trash talk that comes with it.
While we haven’t had an opportunity to reconnect with Jay Cutler recently, we pulled some archival footage from the cutting room floor of Generation Iron 3. In it, we asked Cutler his thoughts on trash talk and whether or not it’s gotten worse in the social media online era.
“I think the internet has given people a voice that shouldn’t really have a voice,” Jay Cutler states in our interview. He continues:
“And that’s the difference between the Ronnie era and now. We were talking through magazines and the magazines tend to make everyone look like a champ… Now a days the guys who are 10th or 11th are talking trash to the guys who are first or second because they are given more – they can go on social media and say whatever they want. There’s no restrictions on that. And it’s really hurt a lot of things.”
Jay Cutler later goes even further specifically about the balance between trash talk and hype. While he finds trash talk to be negative for the sport – he also thinks silence and no hype is even worse.
“Trash talk is okay but there’s a time and a place for it. Not hidden in your basement miles away from what’s going on… I’m not for trash talk. I never was. I think it’s a little outrageous. But listen everyone has a platform to speak on… and some guys that’s what they are known for. I mean, if they want to create chaos and they want to create drama and hype the show a little bit – that’s always decent too. I mean, you gotta have some hype to the show. If no one says anything that’s really bad.”
You can watch Jay Cutler go into full detail about the internet era of bodybuilding, trash talk, and hyping bodybuilding competitions in our latest GI Exclusive Vault interview segment above! You an also see Jay Cutler in Generation Iron 3 – available now on digital.