Adventures in freakdom.
March 1, 2004
I have a new friend I’d like to introduce you all to.
He’s from Australia. From a city called Geelong, in Victoria.
His name is Frank.
Frank is 36 and is a software engineer. Just like me.
Frank used to be fat, eating things like Tim Tams and Tiny Teddies. Just like me.
Frank lost a lot of weight. Just like me.
Meet Frank. Frank is in this month’s Men’s Health in Australia.
He looks like a nice guy. A bit on the smug side, perhaps, but pretty nice.
I wonder when they’ll learn that when you take the pictures of someone read in most countries in the world and use them without his permission — even when you’re on the other side of the planet and think there’s no way he’ll find out about this — he’s guaranteed to find out about it? Especially when you just MAKE UP a persona to go with them.
Props and thanks to reader Andrew for alerting me to this, and props and thanks to reader Raqual for buying the magazine, scanning it, and mailing us a copy.
If you want to get notified whenever Fred writes a journal entry, this link will do the trick.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Feb | Apr » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
Ooh, that Frank, he’s quite a hunk. Hubba hubba!
So your twin lives in Australia? Maybe you should check to see if you have a triplett in uhh…Germany!? ;~)
I’m sure you have a tracer on this guy, Fred. Good luck.
Bastards, at least you won’t let them get away with it!
I’m really loving your book, but I’m not surprised since I already knew how great you are ;o). But I have a burning question that must be answered, early on in the book when you talked about the brain coming up with an answer - “42″, that has to be a nod to Douglas Adams, right?
Are you going to expect an explanation or compensation from the magazine?
hahaha “parked his arse”
I guess you can take it as a compliment because your story is inspiring. That is totally crappy to rip it off like that.
*gasp*
CRIPES! Hello! I’d be pissed!
Aha! Now I know Robyn’s motives for someone with acess to Australia magazines to email her!
Sorry but I am confused. Is this Men’s Health and the American Men’s Health one and the same? If so what is the deal?
I am a little slow, forgive me. HEH!
BTW.. I think you should post a pic of your new girlfriend LOL!!!
Kay - they’re owned by the same parent company.
G’day Frank, I mean Fred. How are things down under anyways? Say hello to Steve Irwin for me
Sorry I am having spelling difficulties tonight. Acess=Access.
So essientially, they are stealing off themselves? LOL
Why not use the correct information? Maybe they thought it would be more inspiring if it was closer to home?
That is crazzzzy.
My Momma always said we have an identical twin somewheres in the world
Which one is the “Evil Twin”?
Got’s to be the Aussie Bloke “cause we all know and love the nice twin Fred!
that’s unreal! you came to australia and didn’t even tell us!!
:)
AND I sent them an e-mail telling them what I think of them ripping you off!
Fred,
Please do share with us when they offer whatever explanation they have for this. Same parent company…so why don’t they just give you the props, man?
FRED, I GOT SOME GOOD NEWS AND I GOT SOME BAD NEWS FOR YOU…….
FIRST THE GOOD NEWS….YOU SHOULD BE FLATTERED THAT PEOPLE ARE USING YOUR IMAGE FOR THEIR ADVERTISEMENT PURPOSES. YOUR IMAGE FOR THE AFTER PICTURE IN A ADVERTISEMENT.
NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS…..YOUR PHOTO IS USED IN LAST MONTH’S EDITION OF “GAY TIMES” IN THE PHONE SEX HOTLINE IN THE BACK OF THE MAGAZINE.
.
.
.
JUST KIDDING
Heh. Fred, I’m from Geelong in Australia! I didn’t know about this twin of yours!
Lazy journalism at its very best. Or worst.
*L* Oh man, Frank is one fine hunk. That is just too weird. Neat, but weird. *L*
Oh and roflmao at Ricks comment! Maybe your going to be in playgirl next. I’ll keep an eye on that for ya! *L*
I know that Slimming magazine do the same thing - I imagine they have a legal loophole to cover it (bastards).
At least they could have asked you where you’d like to be supposedly living - Geelong is far from glamorous (sorry Traci)!
Gees, I wonder if Frank has a book, cause I could of saved heaps on shipping to NZ from Aussie
Anyway we won 11 Oscars, not that I like the movies, story line to boring for this blond, but it was awesome they way they filmed it.
GO FRANK
Amazing!!!!!!!
So, did ex-NY Post hack Jayson Blair take a job in Australia?
I think an expenses-paid trip to Australia would be a neat way for Rodale Press to make amends for their inaccuracies.
Crikey!
I wouldn’t know if I should be pissed off or flattered.
Love the Jayson Blair bit–I was thinking more like Stephen Glass.
Fred! You are too popular for your own good. Next thing you know there will be a Men’s Health from Mexico and your name will be Juan Frederico Anderson-Montemayor and you would have lived your life to eat burritos and quesadillas until you saw the light! =P
They regulary rip of the US editorial content to put in their UK magazine — but I would have never thought they would do that to the BOC. I *was* always amused at how they played their British readers by throwing in some slang and calling it British — would the Brits not read a US magazine, or what?
You should check the UK edition to see if you’ve been poached there, too. Trying to think of a good “F” name for Britain…
Is there a Spanish MH? You could be Fernando Anderson…
I’d make them print an apology in the US and the AUS mag.
I’ve got dibs on the triplet in Georgia.
Damnnnnn…
I’d be one pissed Anderson if I were you!
Was the article featured on the cover??
“And now, since there’s nothing else interesting going on around here (except MAYBE something cool about Australia soon, we shall see)”
and here I thought you were planning a trip..perhaps a book circuit…who knew ( besides you!)
Wow…..what an inspiring story….that Frank guy should totally write a book about his weight loss!!
Sonofabitch! He thinks he can get away with that crap? Good luck!
That is SPOOKY! Y’all look just alike.
Hey Pat (from previous post),
After reading some of Fred’s “stories”, I’d be very careful about asking him how things are “down under”…he might just tell you!
wink
Frank looks just like this guy on the front of this book I bought online. From Chunk to Hunk, ever heard of it? heh Hey, I read Robyn religiously, but wanted to share with you that I have lost 24 lbs since starting your book. It did inspire me. I never thought anyone else could “think” themselves thin and healthy or “think” themselves a non-smoker, but I am doing the thinking thin and healthy part and it’s working! Anyway, thank you, Fred…thank you and thanks again.
(p.s. I came across you and Robyn via Kate and Tracy, who I know and love).
…and now the really REALLY bad news? Your reader Rick just confessed to reading the phone sex hotline ad in the back of last month’s edition of the “gay times”. HAHA!
To all of the other commenters and anyone else who cares, I don’t think the bad thing is Men’s Health using the same story in their own magazine without telling Fred (yes he should have been told, regardless) but the fact that they changed his name and personal information (He doesn’t live in Australia) that makes me think it’s fishy. What do they think they’re doing?!
I am from Australia (Sydney fortunately and not Geelong!) and while waiting in the grocery queue decided to pick up Mens Health and read the offending story myself. The before picture I do not think is you Fred (from what I remember), the after certainly is though. The main thing I noticed was the language transfer we say here kilometers or kms definately not kays!! I am lead to believe Slimming Magazine does the same thing. It’s not honest is it? and if they are going to do it they should really ask you first. I certainly intend to email the Australian editor today and register my complaint.
I am stunned…. I am so naieve..I am just stunned that anyone would do this so blatently. Um… hello… everything is world wide baby. How dumb can they be?
I think you should be paid a percentage of every one of those rags they sold. All the other famous people are. OR they sue.
Also , I want to buy your book … where can I get it cheap now?
p.s. excuse all errors… spell check won’t work.
Have you ever had a tim tam? They are very tasty. I am sure that is indeed what people in Oz get fat on. I did read an interesting statistic a while back. Australia has the second highest obesity rate in the world, after the US. Somewhat like the US, where they have a lot of fanatically healthy people, they also have the flip side too.