“Cringe Is Strong Enough to Describe This”: Australian Politician Impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger Makes People Lose Their Minds Online

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a global icon. After migrating to the United States in 1968, the Austrian became a seven-time Mr. Olympia and brought bodybuilding into the mainstream. However, besides bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger also ran a brick-laying business and made it a priority to learn and become fluent in English. While the Austrian Oak had a thick accent, it later became one of his most unique traits in Hollywood. Over the years, the bodybuilding icon’s unique English accent has captured the attention of countless people, many of whom have tried to imitate it.

From fellow actors to politicians to regular people, nearly anyone who is a fan of the former Mr. Olympia has tried to copy his accent. While some impressions might be better than others, there are those whose impression of Arnie’s accent confuses people instead of making them laugh. Such was the case when an Australian politician tried to impersonate Schwarzenegger’s accent.

Taking inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger

Earlier today, Michael Genovese, a reporter for 9 News Perth, posted a clip of Australian politician Mark McGowan. The short clip Genovese posted on Twitter was a snippet from one of McGowan’s speeches. While the reporter didn’t disclose where McGowan gave the speech or when, he uploaded it with the caption, “Mark McGowan quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Mark McGowan is the 30th Premier of Western Australia, serving since March 2017. A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2012, McGown led his party to victory in the 2021 state election. It was the largest election victory in Australian political history. During his speech, the politician shared an inspirational quote by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“The first rule is to find your vision and follow it. If you don’t have a goal, you don’t have a vision, you just drift around, and you’re not gonna be happy,” said McGowan. While he tried to imitate the bodybuilding legend’s accent, people seemed confused. It wasn’t until the Premier said, “That was Arnold Schwarzenegger,” did the people in attendance applaud.

 McGowan’s impression also didn’t impress people online. Twitter users expressed how they felt, in the comments.

Twitter users didn’t have any favorable words for Mark McGowan

Nearly every commenter on the thread sounded unimpressed with Mark McGowan’s Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. Some cracked jokes, while others didn’t sugarcoat how bad they found his impression. 

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One user even tagged the seven-time Mr. Olympia’s official Twitter account and apologized for the politician’s impression.

What did you feel about Mark McGowan’s impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the subsequent ridicule from fans? Let us know in the comments.

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