View Full Version : John featured on Swiss T-Online news website


J_W
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 02:16 AM
I stumbled across this (http://www2.t-online.ch/c/10/82/15/70/10821570.html) yesterday and thought I'd share. It's a recent "article" from May 2007. Interestingly, it is categorized as "entertainment."

Der Mensch sollte Faulheit meiden. Steht ja auch in der Bibel unter Todsünden. Fast jeder, der eine Bierwampe vor sich herumträgt, weiss mehr oder minder bewusst, dass es ihm besser ginge, wenn er endlich etwas dagegen unternähme. Dass der Körper unter Bewegungsmangel und Alkoholüberfluss leidet, ist bekannt und offensichtlich. Aber auch die Seele scheint dabei Schaden zu nehmen. Grund genug, Gas zu geben. Aber wenn das Wörtchen wenn nicht wär ...

Täglich Fotos, Tipps und Kommentare
Zwar nicht vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär, dafür aber von der Fettflunder zu seinem Traumkörper arbeitete sich John Stone hoch. Er, der sich vom Anfang seiner Veränderung an täglich fotografierte, änderte seinen Gesichtsausdruck von damals trüb zu aufgestellt fröhlich. Was geschah? Er entschloss sich, etwas zu tun und dokumentiert dies minutiös auf John Stone Fitness. John pocht darauf, dass man sich bilden muss; lernen, was dem Körper gut tut, und dann natürlich sein Wissen auch umsetzt, egal wie man sich gerade fühlt. Ob sein heutiges Muskelpaket allen gefällt? Wohl eher nicht. Aber die Art und Weise, wie er sein Leben in die eigene Hand genommen und sich selber Kraft gegeben hat, mag manchem Verzweifelten ein Vorbild sein. Und ganz nebenbei verdient er mit seiner Webseite auch noch kräftig an Kraftnahrung und Werbung.

Translation:

From Mr. Apathetic to Mr. Fit

People should avoid laziness. After all it says so even in the Bible under "deadly sins." Nearly everyone with a beer gut is more or less aware that it would be better for them if they finally did something to change that. It is obvious that the human body deteriorates under lack of exercise and excessive alcohol consumption. But the mind (soul) appears to suffer as well. Reason enough to get started, but we always seem to find excuses...

Daily pictures, tips and comments

John Stone didn't work his way from from rags to riches but from flab to fab. He captured his progress with pictures from the start and his expression went from formerly joyless to phonily cheerful. What happened? He decided to do something and documents everything meticulously at John Stone Fitness. John insists that one has to educate oneself; learn about what improves the human body and then of course apply that knowledge in practice, regardless of how one feels at the moment. Does everyone find his newly acquired bulk appealing? Unlikely. But the way in which he took his life into his own hands and found strength inside himself might serve as inspiration to those who are desperate. Not to mention that he is now cashing in on advertising and supplement sales via his website.

Justitia
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 02:33 AM
yeah, clearly JSF is a cash cow ;)

J_W
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 02:38 AM
I know. The whole tone of the article makes me roll my eyes. It's infused with a sense that the author is one of those people "always finding excuses" and feels the need to somehow diminish John's achievements by saying his smile is "phony" and that he's profiting from ads and sponsoring when really the money goes toward maintaining the website :rolleyes:.

Incremental
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 05:23 AM
Don't lie to yourelf that all the money really goes into maintaining the website, but to put him down for that's the same as putting someone down for having a job in the first place.

George
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 08:01 AM
Don't lie to yourelf that all the money really goes into maintaining the website, but to put him down for that's the same as putting someone down for having a job in the first place.
Actually, I'm pretty sure all of the money generated by the website goes directly into keeping it aloft. You wouldn't believe how unrealistically expensive running a site/servers of this size would be. As I understand it, this has always been a labor of love for John. :)

KT Monahan
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 08:07 AM
What a ridiculous way to view John's accomplishments.

Hmmm, maybe if I can transform my body and get my health in order I can make a few bucks by allowing advertisers to link to my website. BRILLIANT !!!!!!

Anyone who takes the time to read this website knows that's not how it went down. So strange to mention the advertisers and to say that some may not find John's "bulk" appealing.

Whatever ......

HevyMetal
Sun, June 24th, 2007, 10:29 PM
" might serve as an inspiration to those who are desperate ".

I wasn't desperate when I found this site.

Mine is the love and enjoyment of lifting,working out, and improving the bod through diet and nutrition.

Desperation had nothing to do with it.

I've never come close to desperation physically.


Only those who are too blinkin' lazy to get off their butts would find John's current physique unappealing.
I'm sure these kind of people would find John's former physique totally appealing.

Formerly he was "joyless". Now he's "phonily cheerful".
What are they trying to say:- that he's the best conditioned manic-depressive they ever saw?:eek:

If the writer was of Teutonic descent and over 50.....have mercy....these people love to eat and get fat.

eleonardo
Tue, June 26th, 2007, 09:42 AM
I know. The whole tone of the article makes me roll my eyes. It's infused with a sense that the author is one of those people "always finding excuses" and feels the need to somehow diminish John's achievements by saying his smile is "phony" and that he's profiting from ads and sponsoring when really the money goes toward maintaining the website :rolleyes:.

I didn't see anything wrong with the article TBH, in fact, it's pretty good :tucool:

It's been a while since I read german, so the translation was good for a few peeks :o

akm3
Tue, June 26th, 2007, 11:16 AM
Just spin to make it anti-american and make John sound like a greedy-american bastard.

gazareth
Tue, June 26th, 2007, 11:21 AM
Remember that you're reading a translation. It's quite possible that the original tone of the German hasn't come across correctly in the English version :)

J_W
Tue, June 26th, 2007, 11:25 AM
I translated it myself. The tone is the same ;).

It's not really a negative article per se. There's just a certain snideness to it.

J_W
Tue, June 26th, 2007, 12:15 PM
Just spin to make it anti-american and make John sound like a greedy-american bastard.

I honestly doubt it has anything to do with anti-Americanism. There is nothing in the article that even touches on John's citizenship/nationality. Not everyone in Europe is anti-American, least of all the Swiss (in my experience).

I think it has more to do with what most of us have experienced: envy. People tend to get jealous when they see others doing what they can't/won't do and they feel the need to criticize something. That's all.

iceweaselsarecool
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 03:17 AM
I didn't see anything offensive about the tone or comments in the blurb.

As far as John's "Bulk" we've been over that ground lots of times.

As far as "Cashing in" on advertising and supplements sales, I think it's clear to anyone with reasonable insight that most of the ad revenue goes to running the site. Add that to the fact that there's no JSF brand of anything, as there is with T-nation or At-large Nutrition's forums, and it seems obvious that John's earning his mortgage at his day job, if you know what I mean.

As far as inspiration for the desperate, I think the JSF family includes a broad range of experiences, from "OMG I'm a walking dead man I need to lose 100lbs this year" to "I wish my biceps were a bit bigger." The fact that the particular comment doesn't apply to all of us doesn't make it invalid or offensive to me.

eleonardo
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 04:55 AM
Just spin to make it anti-american and make John sound like a greedy-american bastard.

How did you come to this conclusion?


As far as "Cashing in" on advertising and supplements sales, I think it's clear to anyone with reasonable insight that most of the ad revenue goes to running the site. Add that to the fact that there's no JSF brand of anything, as there is with T-nation or At-large Nutrition's forums, and it seems obvious that John's earning his mortgage at his day job, if you know what I mean.

Well I don't know about that. But even if he is rolling in the cash, so? For all I care he bought his Mercedes with it. The site imo is a great help and inspiration to all, so if he gets any "profit" other than the fact that he's helping people then I applaud it :)

Gordo
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 06:43 AM
I see little wrong with the article myself <shrug>

J_W
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 08:33 AM
I guess this just proves how people interpret things differently. I'm fully prepared to admit that I might be overreacting and reading too much into it. I do think it's cool that John is getting worldwide recognition, even so many years after his initial transformation :).

iceweaselsarecool
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 08:57 AM
But even if he is rolling in the cash, so? For all I care he bought his Mercedes with it. The site imo is a great help and inspiration to all, so if he gets any "profit" other than the fact that he's helping people then I applaud it :)

I agree.

TheRyanator
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 04:06 PM
I love how we are so protective of John :lol: If he keeps this up he could run for president in 2012!

I did not really see the article as disparaging in any way to John, it high lighted his success and the results...though I did find the "phonily cheerful" comment humorous mostly cuz I have never sensed that from John here online. As far as the income he derives from the site, good for him! I would HOPE that he could afford to pay for his car from the revenue, though as mentioned, I doubt it at this point completely covers the cost to keep this place running for all of us.

All press is good press right? :confused::nod:

MannishBoy
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 10:29 PM
Well I don't know about that. But even if he is rolling in the cash, so? For all I care he bought his Mercedes with it. The site imo is a great help and inspiration to all, so if he gets any "profit" other than the fact that he's helping people then I applaud it :)

Exactly. Seeing people act like profit is an evil thing gets on my last nerve. :mad:

SquashGuy
Wed, June 27th, 2007, 11:24 PM
Exactly. Seeing people act like profit is an evil thing gets on my last nerve. :mad:
Second That .