The game is no laughing matter.

It’s a question that may never be answered. How serious is too serious? In the good old days, back when Arnold was still competing and his rivalry with Lou Ferrigno was more a friendly competition and less about a personal vendetta, there seemed to be a more lighthearted approach to the sport. Professional bodybuilding was always about serious competition, but back in the day things were a little less stark.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great reasons why professional bodybuilding has taken a turn for the more staunch and serious approach. For one, the idea that bodybuilders themselves are taking the sport seriously gives things a more professional sheen that the sport had been missing. The more serious the competitors take things the more the general public will have to take the sport seriously. But in doing so an element of fun is taken away from the proceedings.

Back in Arnold’s day there was a lot of mind games being played and the hunger for victory was just as prevalent. Arnold and Franco Columbu were rivals, but they were also good friends. Even after a competition there seemed to be more of a feeling of brotherhood among the many rivals in the sport. Guys had a chip on their shoulder, but it seemed to come off more like confidence than arrogance. Nowadays it seems to be the complete opposite, but not without reason. The biggest difference between back in the days and now is one all important thing. The payday.

When Arnold was winning Olympia titles, namely his historic 1975 win, he was bringing home paydays of, wait for it, $2500. That’s a whopping number right there, a payday to proud of…riiiiight. Compared to Phil Heath’s $275,000 check at this past years Olympia, Arnold’s payday was chump change. So does this mean that the bigger pay outs make for more fierce rivalries? The correlation certainly can’t be denied.

In truth, the last time we can remember a major rivalry that was just as friendly as it was intense – was Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Sure, Jay had a to play second fiddle to Coleman for four years, but they also got along well. There are plenty of pictures where they are just goofing around (like the one where Coleman gives Cutler a piggyback ride). Now look at today. Look at the film Generation Iron. Everyone is focused and intense – this makes for fantastic competition. But where the athletes were once competitors and unified under one sport, today (for the most part) every bodybuilder feels like their own island unto themselves.

But there are still examples of friendly rivalries in the modern era. Johnnie Jackson and Branch Warren compete in the same competitions, yet they still are good friends. Perhaps training in the same gym has something to do with that. It makes you wonder, if all the pros had to train in the same gym like many competitors did back in the 70’s would we see more friendships these days or would the promise of a big purse be too enticing? We’re not saying the sport these days is all about the money, but it’s definitely a question that gets you thinking.

So do you think the current climate of bodybuilding is too serious? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow the Generation Iron Fitness Network on Facebook and Twitter.