3 ms·

Peloton exercise bike ad mocked as being 'sexist' and 'dystopian'

4 points by herodotus 7y ago

Bostonian 7y ago
Why the outrage? Of course one reason people exercise is to increase their attractiveness to the opposite sex.
uberman 7y ago
I also don't get the "outrage". My wife has suggested several times that she would like to get an exercise bike or treadmill. If I got her one for the holidays am I a bad person? The outrage mob certainly suggests as much. We can't really afford a Peloton, but this ad certainly calls me to consider it. # but but "She is already thin!" This is a commercial, not a testimonial. Are we really expected to believe that an exercise company should hire a fat actor and then train them for a year? Even if they did, would those who are "outraged" really feel any differently? I feel that critics would be just as outraged if the actor had been fat. Then Peloton would be guilty of body shaming the fat actor. Using a thin actor here is like using white men to portray criminals in commercials. It is the safe thing to do. Thin people can also be out of shape. At the moment, critics are basically saying "How dare she exercise when she is thin!" # but but "She is afraid!" Many people are intimidated by big purchases particularly when they involve "equipment". Fear is probably one of the main hurtles for gyms and exercise equipment companies to overcome (price being the other). Showing the actor with reservations instantly connects us with her as we likely also have reservations. Seeing her joy after several seasons allows us to imagine how much we might change. This is not a problem, it is the most powerful aspect of the commercial. # but but "Male Gaze!" The guy is the object here. He is rarely in focus or on camera, never the subject. He has no agency. He never suggests she is fat nor suggests she needs to work out. These are things critics see because they want/hope to see them. The woman has all the agency, all the action, all the dialogue. It is far more likely that she (like my wife) wants an exercise bike and got "the best" than she is affronted or insulted. As an audience we empathize with her, we connect with her. His only purpose is to allow them to implicitly say "Hey rich idiot, get this for your partner if you don't know what to get!" # but but "They live is a mansion!" Well, Peloton sells an upscale product. A luxury item (personal exercise equipment) that is also a premium item (online with a monitor). Linking their product with affluence (many products do) says if you are rich this product is for you and if you are middle class, perhaps you can aspire to better yourself with this product. This is marketing 101. Where is the similar outrage over BMW and Lexus? In the end though, I believe the real issue is that Peloton has found itself in the cross-hairs of an outrage mob and news cycle seeking to cash in on a retweet storm. Critics have labeled the ad as "dystopian". Ironically, the truly dystopian part of this is that virtue signalling strangers on social media will convince some of the 70% of Americans who are fat that aspiring to improve their health with exercise is something to be critical of.

4 points by herodotus 7y ago

Why the outrage? Of course one reason people exercise is to increase their attractiveness to the opposite sex.

I also don't get the "outrage". My wife has suggested several times that she would like to get an exercise bike or treadmill. If I got her one for the holidays am I a bad person? The outrage mob certainly suggests as much. We can't really afford a Peloton, but this ad certainly calls me to consider it. # but but "She is already thin!" This is a commercial, not a testimonial. Are we really expected to believe that an exercise company should hire a fat actor and then train them for a year? Even if they did, would those who are "outraged" really feel any differently? I feel that critics would be just as outraged if the actor had been fat. Then Peloton would be guilty of body shaming the fat actor. Using a thin actor here is like using white men to portray criminals in commercials. It is the safe thing to do. Thin people can also be out of shape. At the moment, critics are basically saying "How dare she exercise when she is thin!" # but but "She is afraid!" Many people are intimidated by big purchases particularly when they involve "equipment". Fear is probably one of the main hurtles for gyms and exercise equipment companies to overcome (price being the other). Showing the actor with reservations instantly connects us with her as we likely also have reservations. Seeing her joy after several seasons allows us to imagine how much we might change. This is not a problem, it is the most powerful aspect of the commercial. # but but "Male Gaze!" The guy is the object here. He is rarely in focus or on camera, never the subject. He has no agency. He never suggests she is fat nor suggests she needs to work out. These are things critics see because they want/hope to see them. The woman has all the agency, all the action, all the dialogue. It is far more likely that she (like my wife) wants an exercise bike and got "the best" than she is affronted or insulted. As an audience we empathize with her, we connect with her. His only purpose is to allow them to implicitly say "Hey rich idiot, get this for your partner if you don't know what to get!" # but but "They live is a mansion!" Well, Peloton sells an upscale product. A luxury item (personal exercise equipment) that is also a premium item (online with a monitor). Linking their product with affluence (many products do) says if you are rich this product is for you and if you are middle class, perhaps you can aspire to better yourself with this product. This is marketing 101. Where is the similar outrage over BMW and Lexus? In the end though, I believe the real issue is that Peloton has found itself in the cross-hairs of an outrage mob and news cycle seeking to cash in on a retweet storm. Critics have labeled the ad as "dystopian". Ironically, the truly dystopian part of this is that virtue signalling strangers on social media will convince some of the 70% of Americans who are fat that aspiring to improve their health with exercise is something to be critical of.