Arnold & Her

Barbara Outland Baker, Schwarzenegger's first real love, has written a book about their relationship in the '70s. Baker now teaches English at Moorpark College, but back then she had a wild, rollicking ride with the Austrian Oak.

In her memoir, recently published by AuthorHouse, she includes letters and recollections about Schwarzenegger that collectively form a sort of unrequited love letter to Arnold. In an introduction, he says he didn't realize how painful their breakup was to her until he read the book and discovered that she had been watching him "from the outside."

Outland Baker doesn't offer much to embarrass Schwarzenegger, but they clearly lived in a ribald world back then. She describes how enraged he became after being tricked into allowing footage of his posing routine to be inserted into gay porn.

Like many people who have written about Schwarzenegger, Outland Baker describes his unique ability to psych out people. He clearly tried to use the same techniques on lawmakers — calling them girlie men, threatening a part-time Legislature. But now, when he deals with Democrats, he's much more like the Schwarzenegger who seduced bodybuilding judges.

She writes about him on the stage:

"He'd developed an obsessive desire for public acclaim, well aware of his personal charm and mesmerizing self-confidence.... Unlike any former competitor, this twenty-year-old knew how to psyche out all involved. He would befriend all the judges throwing a compliment to each. 'Only you know zie body so perfectly!' He'd tease the bodybuilders into submission. 'Your skin is so pale your muscles don't even show up.'"

Outland Baker would write Schwarzenegger letters. In context, it's very much something a young woman in her 20s might write, only perhaps to cringe at years later.

"Guten morgen, Sweetheart! What a surreal day in Munich (Munchen to you, huh?) First Doreen and I went to Dachau and just freaked over the Nazis killing all those Jews. How could they have done that? Then, after feeling such sadness, we guiltily switched moods and went to the Hofbrau Haus. You are right! We had such fun there — even sneaked out a gargantuan mug for you! Auf Weidersehen! Liebe, Deine Schatzi."

UPDATE: Whoops. The above letter was written by Outland Baker, not Schwarzenegger. Corrected now.

(Photo: AuthorHouse)

Comments

[Douglas Bennett]

Hi, would just note for the record that that letter about Dachau and the Hofbrau Haus was probably written to Gov. Schwarzenegger, not by him. He is the one who would say, "Muenchen" and his former girlfriend is the one who would sign off "Deine Schatzi". Regards

[Bill Bradley]

I was wondering why Arnold would be writing to his girlfriend about running around Europe with anothern woman.