Betty Brosmer, known later in life as Betty Weider, changed the world for women. Some may think that modeling is an easy job, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not all about sitting and looking pretty; models have to bring a spark of life to every photo they pose for. Betty Brosmer was more than just a pretty face and a vapid smile, something all too common in many models today. This gorgeous pin-up model worked hard to attain her career, and as a result, she became an inspiration for women all over the world.
Betty Brosmer was born on August 2nd, 1935, in Pasadena, California. Her parents, Andy and Vendla Brosmer, described her as something of a tomboy in her youth. Who would have guessed she would later go on to be one of the biggest beauty sensations in the country?
When she was ten, Betty and her family moved to Los Angeles. Before she was even a teenager, Betty expressed a strong interest in physical fitness and athleticism.
Sears & Roebuck Catalog
Betty Brosmer began her modeling career at the tender age of 13 when she appeared in an issue of a Sears & Roebuck Catalog. A year later, while visiting New York with her aunt, Betty found herself being photographed in a studio. One of the photos was sold to Emerson Studio, and it became an extremely popular photograph used for advertising. From there, Betty’s career only grew.
Over the years, Betty attained success and fame, and she was recognized as one of the most beautiful women in the country. While her career was at its peak, you’d be hard-pressed to find a magazine that didn’t have her picture in it!
However, modeling isn’t the only thing Betty Brosmer did during her life. In today’s video, we’re going to look at ten amazing facts about Betty Brosmer! Make sure you stick around until the very end, where we’ll reveal what this woman of many talents is up today!
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Facts Verse Presents: Betty Brosmer: The World’s First Supermodel
She Was the World’s First Female Bodybuilder
Did you ever wonder how Betty achieved her gorgeous figure? It certainly wasn’t by accident! Betty Brosmer was a talented athlete in her younger years. Physical health was very important to her, and as a result, she took an interest in bodybuilding when she was quite young.
At the time, however, bodybuilding was an activity that was dominated by men. Betty didn’t let this discourage her, though! She took her physical health very seriously, and she wanted others to do the same. She and her husband, Joe Weider, wrote two books together; The Weider Book of Bodybuilding for Women and The Weider Body Book. Then, she worked with a woman named Joyce Vedral to create a workout specifically designed for women. Also, she donated $1 million to support the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports, which allowed the Stark Center to keep a permanent exhibition. In honor of her donation, it is now known as the Joe and Betty Weider Museum of Physical Culture.
She Was Friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Betty Brosmer became a symbol for female fitness, and many bodybuilding companies wanted her to endorse their products and services.
Meanwhile, bodybuilder extraordinaire Arnold Schwarzenegger was a highly coveted product spokesman. While Betty’s husband, Joe Weider, was also a bodybuilder, his physique was nothing compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. Schwarzenegger was also incredibly famous for his acting career, particularly the movie Terminator.
While there was never any romantic attraction between the two, Betty Brosmer and Arnold Schwarzenegger became a power couple. Any product that these two endorsed was sure to fly off the shelves! As a result, they were often hired together during photo shoots, where they would advertise various gyms, workout regimens, and fitness products.
Her Career Took a Toll on Her
Betty’s life wasn’t all glitz and glamor. Modeling is a tricky career, and it is often exploitative to its workers. Betty was only thirteen when she began her career as a model, and while she was passionate about the job, it certainly took a toll on her. In one interview, she admitted, “When I was 15, I was made up to look like I was 25.”
A huge problem in America is the sexualization of young girls. Betty was treated like an adult, which was wildly inappropriate, considering she was just a child. It’s disconcerting how, even today, young actors and models are viewed as attractive by fully grown adults! Young celebrities are expected to be skinny and attractive before they are even legal adults. While we’ve come a long way since the height of Betty’s modeling career in the 1950s, it is still a toxic industry. If you think the fashion and modeling industries should stop pressuring girls to strive for unrealistic body standards, click the like button!
She Still Prioritized Education
Only a very small percentage of people are lucky enough to have an entire career at the age of thirteen. At that point, most people would be tempted to spend all of their time focusing on that career alone. While Betty had to work hard to maintain her modeling and bodybuilding career, she made sure to balance all aspects of her life. She could have easily dropped out of high school, but she chose to continue her education at George Washington High School in Manhattan, where she moved to build her career. But she didn’t stop there!
After she graduated high school, Betty moved back to Los Angeles, where she attended UCLA. Wanting to expand her horizons, she majored in psychology. Betty Brosmer set a prime example for little girls all over the country, reminding them that education is always important.
She Was Very Mindful of the Jobs She Took
Because of her fame, Betty Brosmer was offered countless job offers and modeling opportunities. However, she was very picky about which jobs she accepted. Once, she was offered a job by Playboy Magazine, which she accepted. During the photoshoot, however, she realized that the magazine wanted her to pose nude. She refused, and the magazine threatened to sue her, claiming she had breached their contract. Thankfully, however, they decided not to pursue charges. They sold the photos to a different magazine.
Throughout her career, Betty held fast to her personal beliefs; she did not want to pose nude or semi-nude. In one interview, she explained “I didn’t think it was immoral, but I just didn’t want to cause problems for others… I thought it would embarrass my future husband and my family.”
Her Rare Measurements Set Unhealthy Body Standards for Other Women
Betty Brosmer was well-known for her highly coveted hourglass figure. Her bust and hips measured 38 and 36 inches respectively, while her waist measured a tiny 18 inches. Sadly, these measurements are highly unrealistic for many other women. Everyone has a different body shape, and no matter how skinny a person is, not everyone can have a waist that only measures 18 inches. Different bone structures and body types result in very different appearances. However, because magazines usually only display women with wide hips and tiny waists, most people accept this body type as the only correct beauty standard. Sadly, this can lead some women to develop eating disorders as they try to attain a physically impossible waist size.
Thankfully, Betty Brosmer has always prioritized fitness and health. She believes in attaining a healthy and realistic body size and shape, which looks different for every individual.
She Won Countless Beauty Contests
When she was young, Betty Brosmer entered many different beauty contests. Judges admired her sunny personality, beautiful face, and fit figure. As a result, she won over 50 beauty contests! By the time she was sixteen, she had earned titles like “Miss TV,” “Miss Figure,” “Miss Blue Eyes,” and countless others.
She Made Sure Her Life Was Filled With Variety
As we mentioned before, Betty Brosmer viewed balance as an important part of her life. Even though she worked hard on her career as a bodybuilder and model, she portioned free time to many other areas of her life. In the 1970s, she took up trading real estate to add some variety to her life. She also wrote and edited magazine columns, mostly on the subjects of health and fitness, and she published multiple books. Furthermore, she worked as a personal fitness trainer for countless clients.
She Had a Long and Loving Marriage
In 1956, a man named Joe Weider included Betty Brosmer in a photoshoot for his fitness magazine, Figure & Beauty. The two worked well together, and Joe Weider worked hard to include her in future photoshoots. Over time, they grew closer and closer. Because they both cared a lot about health and fitness, they had plenty in common. On April 24th, 1961, the two got married. They stayed together for over fifty years and worked on many projects together. Sadly, Joe Weider died in 2013, when he was 93.
She’s Still Active
While her modeling days are long-gone, Betty Brosmer hasn’t given up work. She still appears as a spokeswoman for health and fitness, and even though she’s well into her eighties, she shows no sign of giving up any time soon! Betty has lived a full, rich life, but we’re sure she’ll find many more projects to work on throughout the rest of her life.
Betty Brosmer was an inspiration for many young girls, and she has made great strides in women’s fitness. Were you more impressed by her modeling career, or by her work as a fitness trainer? Let us know in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more.
