Are We About To See The Old Axl?
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 12:01AM A lot of us have been wondering what happened to Axl Rose over the past year. He seems calm, happy and obviously Guns n' Roses is touring and he's also out with AC/DC. All the crazy hissyfits seemed over. It's like we got a new, gentler Axl.
All is well... except for sending DMCA take down notices to Google to have "Axl fat memes" removed from the Internet. Look, I get it. Axl gained some weight and people poked fun. He didn't (doesn't) like it - but who would? The good news is that Axl has slimmed down, he's back fronting a live band and making a ton of cash. Petty things shouldn't bother him... but alas here we are.
I guess Google hasn't complied with the takedown request because the ownership of the original photo is in question. Click the article below for the full, convulted story. Craziness.
Reader Comments (17)
AXL, fat or skinny, needn't blink... He is The New King of Rock & Roll!
Why? The guy has nailed it from the first song to the last, in both Gn'R AND AC/DC!
He should realize, fat or skinny...
Long Live The King!!! AXL F*ckin'! Rose!!!
Being out of the public eye, I can only imagine that sting of seeing yourself made fun of on account of things like weight. But engaging the "Streisand Effect" button in a bid to nuke the 'net is only going to make things worse. Which it already has.
Fact is, Axl has toned down in recent years. But that doesn't mean he isn't still Axl, with all the foibles and passions that have made him such a divisive figure throughout his career. Taking the bank account metaphor, he has earned quite a few credits in recent months. Hopefully, this debit to his rep (and to his feelings) is but a passing fat, I mean, fad.
And I think Axl needs to just ignore the fat jokes. He is coming across like a cry baby demanding the fat memes get taken down.
While he has slimmed down, the best revenge would be fronting the biggest comeback tour of the year, and AC/DC to boot. Not too shabby.
And he should get ripped and start performing a la Phil Collen with no shirt and new abs. That will shut the haters up. Fat Axl will be no joke then.
And my secret love, Rita, gets it right...
Just bite the bullet, Axl... Lose the weight and get in shape!
Revenge is s dish best served cold!
Just when you think the guy's intelligent, he comes up with this crap!
Here is a copy of my essay required to test for my first degree black belt, and I hope it explains why I don't find the body shaming very funny.
My journey to become a black belt began when I was a fat, awkward ten year old boy growing up in a small town in North Dakota. Some instructors and students from a bigger neighboring town came and gave a demonstration at the school in an effort to expand their student base. I was very excited at the thought of learning martial arts, as I had really enjoyed watching Kung Fu Theater when I was lucky enough to stay at a friend’s house whose family could afford cable. I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to learn. I went home and excitedly told my mom all about it, expecting her to see all the benefits of taking classes. Well, there was not much interest from many of the other kids in town, so we would have to drive forty five miles one way twice per week, and not only was the time commitment prohibitive, so was the cost. My dreams were dashed; I would have to live vicariously through Kung Fu Theater.
Fast forward a few years to college. My suitemate had some basic knowledge regarding martial arts and had actually done some training. SWEET! Now maybe I could train. Neither of us had much extra money, so we bought the gear we could afford, booked some time in the racquetball courts at the campus fitness center, and proceeded to beat and kick the crap out of each other. People walking by must have thought that game had gone horribly wrong. I still hadn’t figured out how to officially train for an approved belt, but it was better than nothing. Then, one semester there was a class called Karate 101 offered. Are you kidding me? That is fantastic. My friend, Skip, and I joined up, and beat the crap out of each other in a sanctioned class. It was only offered one semester, and there was no Karate 102. Guess I’ll need to just keep watching Van Damme movies over and over.
Summer, 1992. I am attending a different college taking summer courses in organic chemistry. I meet a guy named Mitch, who is doing the same thing I am. We both want to be doctors and save the world. We also like to play tennis and drink beer. I find out that Mitch is in Tae Kwon Do, and though his training has been intermittent at best, his friend from grade school on up has his own school in Jamestown, ND, and knows a guy that has a school in Grand Forks, ND, where we would be returning in the fall after our time in Fargo. AWESOME! Now, maybe I can train appropriately.
We get back to school in the fall, and Mitch and I are roommates. I don’t really recall what belt he was, but he was well on his way to Black Belt. We start training with the TKD club, where membership is $10/month for college students, and I love it. (The belt system was a bit different than ours, but still similar.) I progress through the ranks, all while trying to do well in school so I can apply for med school, occasionally having some long gaps in my training, and Mitch doing the same. Mitch tests for his black belt and passes. Part of the test involved breaking a brick with a knife hand; not sure about that, as I want to be a surgeon and don’t want to mess up my hands. Oh well, that is a way off.
Fall, 1994. I made it into med school. So did Mitch. I am half way to my black belt. This will be no problem. School is a bit harder than undergrad, but I am super smart, so it should be a piece of cake. Midterm exams. Hard, but I think I did fairly well. Oh, shit. I did not do well. I failed my first histology exam (there are only two for the semester) and my first biochemistry exam. Maybe I need to concentrate more on school. TKD training gets dropped. I go on to pass all my classes, but learn that maybe I am not as super smart as I thought, and finally learn how to study.
I graduate from med school and on to residency, where I work from 80-120 hours per week, except for the two years of research, where it’s like a vacation and I only have to work 60-80 hours per week. I decide I want to be a pediatric surgeon, so I do five years of general surgery, a two year research fellowship, a surgical critical care fellowship, and then two years of pediatric surgery. After ten years of post-med school training, I get my first “real” job at nearly age 37. I meet several of the pediatricians and referring docs, and one of the pediatricians does martial arts. SWEET! He asks if I would be interested in an executive black belt self-defense program; tells me it’s a lot of fun. Sure, why not? So I do the P3 system, and have a great time. I get the P3 Black Belt, and I feel a sense of accomplishment. Wish I could do the regular classes, but too many kid activities, trying to get the practice going, always at meetings or having to leave town. Maybe someday.
Fast forward a couple years. Our older daughter is in several activities, our son is a bit older, and our little one is getting bigger. My wife is concerned that I am not happy. I just sit around the house, and she says I seem angry all the time. My two emotions are anger and rage. Maybe Bret and I need a hobby. What about that martial arts place?
So, what barriers do I need to overcome? When we start, I’m 42 years old. My son is 6. I talk with Mr. C and we agree that Bret should try the kid’s class, and it wouldn’t hurt for me to try the adult class. This is great. We both love it. The time commitment of twice per week is a bit much sometimes. When I am not on call, we leave town so I am unable to be called, which happens approximately 70% of the time. I am on call two thirds of my life (my partner has not started yet). I have to worry about sitting through my son’s class and getting called in for an emergency, and whether or not my wife will be able to get there on time to pick him up. After my partner starts, I am still on call half my life. I try to make it to class as often as possible, but have been getting called back more and more frequently. I have concerns about not making the required number of classes to be able to test. I worry about having to test on Saturdays, since I am on call half my life. We still leave town whenever I am not on call, since I cannot seem to relax at home. I fear failure. I don’t have to win, but I cannot stand to lose. If a child I operate on has a complication, I obsess over it. I don’t sleep well; I wake up in the middle of the night, and then my ass is dragging by late afternoon, but I have to keep going since there are people who depend on me. Life doesn’t stop because I am tired or being a pussy. I’m still the fat, awkward ten year old kid. Even if I wake up feeling good in the morning, I have to walk past the mirror and all I see is a fat, disgusting piece of shit. I know I should eat less and exercise more, but I don’t. I feel like dying pretty much every single day, but what kind of example would that be for my kids? I know I should concentrate on all the positives in my life, but it’s not that simple for me.
One of the many reasons I have continued is not just to get the black belt, but because I wish I could be more like the instructors. I also don’t want to raise quitters. I think it is important that Bret sees you don’t give up just because there are challenges. I don’t quit because I’m still that ten year old kid whose parents cannot afford the time or money to travel to classes. I don’t quit because someday my family might need me to protect them. I don’t quit because maybe I am not that super smart, and I don’t have the ability to quit.
Your accomplishments are amazing and there is no more honorable position in this world than caring and saving the lives of children.
As far as weight issues, put me in the Elvis category. I fluctuate anywhere from 30-50 lbs. every couple of years. It's not great to go back and forth, as I'm sure your medical knowledge will attest, but I've done precisely that 4 times in my life and gearing up for my fifth.
That said, there is a way to drop it fairly quickly, which I'm gearing up to do all over again...
Give it a shot... If you need motivation beyond doing it for yourself, do it for your children. Why? Because odds are greatly increased you'll stick around a lot longer so you can see all your kids and grandchildren a lot more!
Here's what I do, having lost 50 lbs. in 2 1/2 months the first time in 2008....
You can lose 20 lbs. in the first 2 weeks just by cutting out bread and booze coupled with a healthier and more portioned diet. To combat carb cravings eat complex cards like brown rice or wild rice with your meals which are comprised of dishes like salads with grilled chicken, fish such as grilled Salmon, if you like Sushi, substitute brown rice or just go for the Sashimi. NO sodas, even diet ones. Lots of water and the occasional sparkling water with lime, etc. NO desserts unless it's fresh fruit.
I also make fresh squeezed juices, my favorite a combo of Carrot, Apple, a little bit of Cucumber and Beet. Also, fresh squeezed OJ or Grapefruit juice are incredible energy boosters. Keep in mind, particularly with the juicing, to only use Organic ingredients. Not only are organic ingredients better for you, they taste better.
If ya gotta cheat a little, eat low fat snacks such as Pirates Booty or similar products. Just keep it to an extreme minimum. Make it a game to see how long you can go without caving and substitute salt free nuts like raw organic almonds, a much better alternative.
Once you get used to the diet and start seeing AND feeling results, start to focus on exercise. That's also easier to do because now all your energy will be devoted to doing things instead of digestion, as a healthy diet is way easier to digest.
I started exercizing after sitting on my a*s for 2 years behind a computer. What motivated me to get up was an article with content similar to what I am describing here. Now that you will have gotten used to (AND loving) your diet as not only will you start to feel much better AND begin to look better, you'll have more energy which can be put to exercise...
I began exercising by getting up from the computer and taking a one mile walk on the beach EVERY day. Since you'll have more energy, maybe you can find the time to do it even though your schedule is obviously very demanding. If you can't get to the beach maybe just walking around the neighborhood will work. Or get a treadmill. If you already have one, the great thing about your diet, again, is that it provides you more energy so you'll be much more readily inclined to climb on it than ever before!
After a week or so of walking, now you'll feel like jogging and after awhile, you'll feel like running. After you've been running, you can extend the amount of time and distance according to how you feel. I got up to 8 miles, but never straight running but with walking and jogging mixed in so as not to really put too much stress on my body. After awhile though, you'll find your stamina improve where your running duration will far exceed your walking completely and you'll be mixing in some jogging to give yourself a break. It all happens naturally during the run depending on how you're feeling that day.
Since you are in the medical field, you may know dietitians and physical therapists. Seek their guidance, as I'm sure they would be more than willing to help. I for one had a personal trainer for one Summer. It was an extravagance but the pay off was way more than the considerable expense.
As you practice medicine, you've probably heard all of this before and have probably even preached parts or all of it. But I'm hoping that by sharing with you how I did it, it won't seem like such a mountain to climb. Speaking of which, even the act of climbing out of bed becomes a lot more effortless, not just because you're inspired but because you'll be a lot lighter!
If you don't drink much or at all, you'll still see results rather quickly.
Once you lose 50 lbs., have a Martini. But just one, hahaha!!!
p.s. As far as Axl goes, he should just just print out that fat pic (which was stretched in Photoshop, btw) and pin it up on the wall wherever he travels with an exercise bike or treadmill in front of it. And you and I should do the same!
I don't begrudge Axl for wanting those meme's taken down. I'll admit that I have (privately) laughed at some of them, but haven't "shared" them or clicked the 'like' button.
I've shared this story a few times (even here once or twice), so I am not wallowing in pity or asking for sympathy (and I am not afraid to repeat it as it happened to me), but when I was in 9th grade, I took my first "community shower" at school which was a private, all boys, catholic school. My upbringing was pretty conservative and reserved.
Anyway, I followed the other kids into the shower stall and while showering, I got an erection. The humiliation I felt, coupled with the three years of bullying was/is unbelievable. I think that perhaps the worst part was the school guidance counselor recommended that I enter therapy in order to stay at their school (and my mom took me every week for three years)- never knowing that I was being physically and verbally assaulted on a daily basis.
I know some people reading this know who I am. So what. There are kids today who are being just as bullied as I and, perhaps you, were. Hopefully, they can relate to our stories and know that sometimes, the sun shines through the rain.
Then, after a week, it was up and back plus one up again, or 3 laps (am I counting this right, guys?) and I did that for a week, and so on, continuing to add, until I am able to go 12 laps. It's the best form of exercise as it uses every bone in your body!!! Also, it's less abusive on your body than running as it doesn't destroy your knees, etc., as running does, though, that's less so if you're running down the beach.
Oh, real quick -- a little more the running... Because of what I've mentioned above about it's abusive nature on the body, another thing I actually do more of is bike riding. So, the same principle applies... Don't immediately go biking for 20 miles. Just start tooling around the neighborhood and go for a short swim. Then build up over time (fairly quickly) the stamina to ride 10 miles and swim 10 miles. After awhile you'll be able to do more and more!
Hopefully, you'll find this of some value, Oper8n!
p.s. Just to Bring Back Glam! onto the topic, let us not forget, just as you like "jammin'" in the operating room, Oper8n, obviously the same holds true when exercising. Imagine the playlists you can create for this!!! "Runnin' With The Devil!", anyone?!
Fletch, thank you for sharing your story. I really appreciate it. Sometimes being a kid/young adult really sucks. I know there are some people I wish I would have been more kind to when I was younger.
Shawn, we'll be on Beaver Lake this weekend. If you hear some Poison coming from a blue and white cobalt, come on over and say hello.
My workout playlist has glam, dance, and hard rock on it. Maybe I need to revise it to help get pumped back up.
Have a rockin' weekend, everyone.
Coke Zero is my one vice of which I dream in waterfalls and streams when I am on my health kick journey. Trust me, when you do quit the Dr. Pepper, your body will feel SO much better AND thank you for it!