In case you haven’t watched it, the show is based on pairing gigantic steroid-filled men and women against average folks in tests of speed, power and agility. It is hosted by Hulk Hogan…
…and Laila Ali (that would be Muhammad’s daughter).
American Gladiator challenges are named things like, “Gauntlet”, “Assault”, “Hit and Run”, and “The Eliminator”. Sometimes the competitors prevail, but most of the time…well, let’s just say they’re lucky to be wearing helmets.
Just imagine competing against people with names like Titan, Stealth, Militia, Fury and Mayhem. Here are a couple of their bios…
This is a lovely Swede named Hellga. She’s a delicate lady coming in a 6’1”, and weighing 205 lbs. In her spare time she likes to make meatballs from scratch and split wood with her bare hands.
This is Wolf. He thinks he’s, well…a wolf. Really.
The competitors often have snappy comebacks too.
Despite the tough talk, the producers try and throw the contestants off by dressing the men like women. 
Thanks to the writer’s strike, and without new shows to air, NBC has declared American Gladiators a surprise hit. Apparently, the network executives didn’t consider that we just didn’t have anything else to watch.
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Comments
Maria
This is the bullshit that pisses me off. They are probably canceling Journeyman but they have the nerve to renew this crap?
Ridiculous.
Now I’ll be angry for the rest of the day.
Misty
i think of all of the poor people who lost their homes, businesses, etc due to the strike…
And yet, this truly is just a wee bit more tragic…
Kimmylyn
I can’t with Reality TV. I just can’t take it anymore..
makingmyownfun
I’m going to take the risk of being mobbed and lynched to say that I actually like this show. It’s totally and completely cheesy but it brings me back to when I was in high school and we all watched the original. I was on the track team and whenever the race official would yell, “Runners ready!” the crowd would yell back, “Gladiators ready!”
I hate most reality TV but this one is just fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously – those Gladiators are TRYING to be cartoons. Bring on Season Two! (please don’t hurt me, Momo…)
CS
I just shot coffee out of my nose.
Stephen
Ewww! No thanks, I’ll watch the ‘Reba’ marathon on Lifetime. That’s the only other thing on. (My wife and I love that show. :))
A Buns Life
OMG! My son will be thrilled! I just posted about how much he loves this show yesterday….he is all boy that’s for sure.
Amber
Oh my goodness!! I’m loving the photo comments. I vaguely remember watching this in High School- but it sucked pretty bad then- I can’t imagine how much worse it must be now. We’ve not been watching much tv lately.
~JJ!
Love your photo commentary!
Cracked me up!
chefmom
Your photo comments are HIlarious!!! My husabnd watched it the other night, while I was attempting to create a flyer. I couldn’t even stand Hulk Hogan’s voice for 5 minutes. Thank Goodness the strike is over!!
meleah rebeccah
Hellga scares the crap out of me…
Hulk Hogans microphone storage? = HILARIOUS! hahahahhahahaah
A Whole Lot of Nothing
Friggin crappy ass show. My eyes and ears were bleeding when I was forced to watch it last week.
holly
LMAO, MOMO!!! you so funny!
i think helga is misunderstood though. i think secretly she likes kittens and puppies….
for breakfast!
and the wolff – he’s definitely scarier with those fingers coming at me.
i think i love you.
my keyboard, which is now covered with spat-out-tea, hates you. my keyboard is getting uppity, though, and needed to be taken down a peg. BIG time.
Huckdoll
Thanks for the 411. I actually shuddered when I heard this show was coming back on in the first place…and now it’s going to another season. Now, I’m shaking my head AND shuddering.
OHmommy
Hellga is scary looking. Yikes!
Amy
I remember watching this show the first go round. And I liked it, I was young, I didn’t know any better. And now my girls have decided they like this one. They’re young they don’t know any better. Seriously if you want to watch people overcome obstacles and “fight” warriors, you gotta watch MXC on Spike, that show is the bomb!
Jennifer, Le Binky Bitch
Is anyone actually watching that show????
The MomBabe
nice photoshop 😉
leigh
you know, i think this may have been THE original reality tv show.
nice piece.
Becky
Your commentary cracks me up! I watched it when it growing up. I seen commercials for this but just can’t bring myself to watch now.
I am more of a CBS girl!
Mimi aka pz5wjj
You owe me a new laptop.
I just spat my coke in a fit of laughter.
And then cried tears all over it at the saddness of it all….
hottdog
I have to honestly say, that I LOVE this show. It’s so ridiculously corny and awful that’s it’s hard not to watch. It’s like an accident…I just can’t turn my head away!
And serioulsy, where do they FIND the gladiators? Aren’t they the most ridiculous looking people? lol
BuzzeeDad
Thank you for the very enlightening and entertaining primer to this quality show. If only to spawn this post, it was worth them producing it. I knew I should have trademarked Fury’s name! Dammit!!