Editorial by Juan Carlos Lopez

Last editorial caused an uproar among a couple of readers and lead to a discussion about professionalism on musclemayhem.com. It seems that one person did not agree with some of the views regarding professionalism and began an intelligent discussion which turned into an attack by another person (not the one who who began the thread) to the point of view of this editorial. I must admit that what I wrote should have been clearer not only for me or a few people but for everyone else who might have misread it. As Spiderman's uncle Ben would say "With great power comes great responsibility". Of course Spiderman's power is much greater than this editorial. It gives me piece of mind when knowing some people actually understood my point of view. A fellow photographer made the same mistake as someone else in the past had done: to try to argue with this editorial's point of view. At some point even trying to tell me I was wrong where the big problem is that editorials are opinions. Once more to that person who tried to challenge an opinion as being wrong I shall present again the definition of editorial:

ed·i·to·ri·al ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-tôr-l, -tr-)
n.

1. An article in a publication expressing the opinion of its editors or publishers.

So that's just the point, an opinion can be debated but it can't be wrong or right. And if debating it's a good idea to keep a level of professionalism which in the past some people haven't kept.

Now shifting gears, our cover model this month is Karen Zaremba new IFBB Figure Pro. Karen not only showcases a great physique but at 41 yrs. young her looks are impressive to the human eye. I knew about Karen before she even competed on stage, she had graced several magazines and was a famous model for those who knew about fit women. Karen also is an excellent example of professionalism, she is responsive, on time and always gives her 100% on the shoots. Her husband Dan is one of the top 3 husbands i've met. His support for Karen goes beyond the call of duty on and off stage. His presence in a shoot makes the shoot even better as we both are taking photos and staring in amazement at Karen's physique. Oh and these two love heavy metal so that makes them even more fun!

Another interesting point I will be covering in an article on its own is the Mexico Figure/Bodybuilding scene and how it differs from the U.S. and Canada scenes. From some of the differences in the gyms, promoters, competitors, judging, and general view of the whole scene. Even when we think we know our neighbor from the south we don't. So it should be interesting to see more in depth what goes on down there.

Before I continue on I must give props to Tara Scotti and Dom for throwing such an amazing party at the Team U show on Saturday night or shall we say Sunday morning... There wasn't a lot of people as it was a private party but everyone was somehow related to the bb scene. Couple ladies who made an impact were of course Tara Scotti, Angela Komis, Grace Rivera, Jen Searles, Zena Collins, Sandra Del Vecchio, Alexis Ellis, Angela Watson, Britt Thorsch, Shelly Pinkerton, Liane Siewald and a couple more.

A lot more interesting things are coming up on Issue #9, even more coverage and excellent articles like this month's article by Sandy Grant. A couple more interviews with other competitors are coming up and finally some interviews with Mexican figure competitors, judges and people in the industry. We also hope to interview some U.S. and Canadian judges even when it becomes a bit hard for them to answer some questions given judging criteria. But this would help a lot of current competitors seeking the perfect physique that will give them a pro card.

JC

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