REDCON1 has decided to drop sponsorship of the Arnold Classic following comments made by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The 2021 Arnold Classic is set for Sept. 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Just weeks before the event, one of its biggest sponsors, REDCON1 decided to cut ties.
On Monday, REDCON1 announced that it will no longer be a sponsor for the Arnold Classic. This decision came after comments made by Arnold Schwarzenegger regarding anti-maskers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After much deliberation, we have decided at REDCON1 to no longer sponsor the Arnold Classic or any of the Arnold events around the world,” Aaron Singerman, the founder of REDCON1, said in an Instagram post on Monday.
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In a recent interview with CNN’s Bianna Golodryga, Schwarzenegger spoke out against people who do not wear masks during this time. Schwarzenegger referred to the anti-maskers as “schmucks.”
“There is a virus here,” Schwarzenegger said. “It kills people and the only way we prevent it is: get vaccinated, wear masks, do social distancing, washing your hands all the time, and not just to think about, ‘well my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.’ No, screw your freedom.”
These comments did not sit well with REDCON1 and this is why they have decided to make a move.
“Anyone who says “screw your freedoms” is un-American, and REDCON1 is a patriotic pro-freedom brand,” Singerman wrote in his caption on Instagram. “We support freedom of choice.”
This is a decision that will cause many to form an opinion. This includes Patrick Bet-David, who commented on Singerman’s Instagram post.
“Both your position and your approach is far and respectful,” Bet-David wrote. “Sometimes when a person is so distanced from what it meant for them to come to America as an immigrant, they forget the values and principles this great nation offered them. It sounds like that’s what’s happening to Arnold. A man that’s been on the walls of my military barracks and gyms for the last 25 years. Out of touch comment he made.”
Bet-David is referring to Schwarzenegger’s journey from Austria to become a bodybuilding icon who has also made an impact on the movie screen and in politics.
“A guy who had nothing and no advantages, who never made an excuse, and created tremendous success,” Singerman said. “He became an icon based on his work ethic, his charisma, and his grit.”
It will be interesting to see if other sponsors follow suit after the comments made by Schwarzenegger. The Arnold Classic is just five weeks away and it will have a bit of a different feel this year. Singerman finished by saying that they do not feel that Schwarzenegger should be cancelled.
“We don’t want Arnold censored or cancelled. We just can’t support his opinion with our dollars.”
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