Saturday Magazine

26 May 2025

Saturday, 24th May, 2025: Extreme Online Masculinity Fitness, Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health, UNSW Sydney

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Nevena and Osman talk to Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health, UNSW Sydney, ‘Extreme Online Masculinity and Fitness”

Some of the topics covered are:

• How have figures like the Liver King and ultramarathon runners reshaped young men’s understanding of what it means to be “strong”?
• To what extent do social-media algorithms amplify extreme fitness content, and what impact does that have on viewers’ behaviour and self-image?
• What are the most common physical and mental health risks associated with pursuing “pain as proof” in the name of masculinity?
• How do influencers balance -or hide – their use of performance enhancers, and what should viewers know about the authenticity of these extreme routines?
• What healthier or more sustainable models of strength and resilience might offer young men alternatives to the all-or-nothing “toughness” that today’s fitness influencers promote?

They also discuss Sam’s latest article for The Conversation

“A new Netflix documentary about a shirtless supplement salesman who claimed to be “natural” and was exposed as a fraud might seem like a punchline.

But Untold: The Liver King is more than just a character study of a well-known fitness influencer; it’s a case study of performative masculinity in the world of social media.

Brian Johnson, better known as the Liver King, built a brand on extreme workouts, eating raw organ meat, and evangelising about masculinity. He preached “ancestral living” and radical self-control, all while secretly using steroids.

And his rapid rise to popularity reveals how social media rewards the spectacle of hypermasculinity – especially when it leans into extreme behaviours.

Extreme self-discipline, extreme exercise, extreme eating and extreme “wellness” have all become forms of public performance on social media”

https://theconversation.com/from-the-liver-king-to-ultramarathons-fitness-influencers-are-glorifying-extreme-masculinity-where-pain-is-the-point-256817

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20 Dec 2025

Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Kent Burgess, Interim CEO – Thorne Harbour Health; Update from Thorne Harbour Health

Current Affairs, Health, Interview, Joy, JOY 94.9, Joy 94.9, Joy Media, Joy Media, Media, News & Politics, Podcast, Saturday Magazine, Society & Culture

Macca and Zoe are joined live in the studio by Kent Burgess, Interim CEO - Thorne Harbour Health; Update from ...

20 Dec 2025

Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Rex Patrick, “Transparency Warrior” & Former Federal Senator, High Court Fight on Political Donations

Current Affairs, Interview, Joy, Joy 94.9, Joy Media, Media, News & Politics, Podcast, Pride, Saturday Magazine, Society & Culture

Zoe and Macca are joined live on air by, Rex Patrick, "Transparency Warrior" & Former Federal Senator as they discuss ...

20 Dec 2025

Sat, 20th Dec, 2025: Christopher McDermott, Deputy Chair, Mental Health Victoria

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Zoe and Macca talk to Christopher McDermott, Deputy Chair, Mental Health Victoria. Christopher is a member of the Victorian Bar and ...