Arnold Schwarzenegger became an accomplished bodybuilder, film star, and politician during his over five decades tenure in the public eye. He won seven Mr. Olympia titles, made multi-million dollar blockbuster films, and earned the Governorship of California between 2003 and 2011.

But his political career has made headlines for more than just the green deals and policies he implemented. At times, Schwarzenegger would lose his temper when proceedings wouldn’t go his way and say things that landed him in hot water.

Arnold Schwarzenegger on his ‘girlie men’ comment

In 2004, Arnold Schwarzenegger referred to his political opponents as ‘girlie men’ when conflicts in the budgeting process dragged on for longer than he expected. According to the New York Times, he claimed, “I call them girlie men. They should get back to the table, and they should finish the budget.”

In light of his sexual misconduct scandal just a year before this incident, the public didn’t receive his comments in a good light. In 2018, Schwarzenegger sat for an interview with Men’s Health where he was asked whether he regretted using the term. Schwarzenegger replied, “At the time, it felt like the right thing to do. It was in my gut. I improvised it.”

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He also explained the reason he thought the term appropriate for the situation. “I called them girlie men because they weren’t willing to take risks. They were afraid of everything. Politicians, in general, want to do little things so there’s no risk involved,” he said. “But it was shortsighted. In the long term, it’s better to not say that, because you want to work with them.”

What did Schwarzenegger learn from his mistake

Through this experience, Arnold Schwarzenegger learned better ways of conflict resolution and what works when two opposing parties have to work together. “When you can reach out across the aisle and work together, you can get much more accomplished, rather than “girlie men” or “f*ck you” or “it’s my way or the highway,” he stated.

But his regrets and reasoning wouldn’t mollify the activist groups that criticized his comments harshly. His regrets lay in the nature of its use instead of the term itself. ‘Girlie men’ comment garnered backlash from the public against the former governor. 

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In 2003, reports of the bodybuilder’s behavior revealed misconduct claims from six different women. For this behavior, Schwarzenegger apologized profusely, while maintaining that not all accounts were true. “Looking back, I stepped over the line several times, and I was the first one to say sorry. I feel bad about it, and I apologize,” he said. He also claimed that he “always had respect for women.”