December 3, 2019

If Peloton was ever a cool brand, this effort at making it a great Christmas gift (I guess because it's expensive) disastrously failed.



I'm seeing that mocked all over the place, but this lovely parody will stand in for all the mockery:


ADDED: In the comments, there's some discussion of the idea of Meade buying me one of these things for Christmas. But if I wanted a Peloton bike, I would have just bought it for myself already. I wouldn't be jumping around like a baby at Christmastime.

What's with the assumption that the woman needs her husband to make a decision behind her back about whether the household money should be spent on something like this?

The commercial makes some sense if we assume he knew she wanted it but she believed it was too expensive. Then the Christmas jumpy-time is happiness about getting something expensive. But if these people have a budget that's strained by a Peloton, why is he leaving her out of the loop about how to spend their shared money?

Are we supposed to assume he's Mr. Moneybags, looking for ways to please his wife (or looking for things to give her that double as gifts that she — the one who has a body and doesn't have money — can craft into a gift for him)?

But the husband in the Peloton ad is young and attractive, and that's why I suspect this isn't an ad for the man at all. It's an ad directed at women. It's women who will buy the thing for themselves, and the handsome, generous husband is merely a fantasy. Imagine pedaling a stationary bike until you get to that place in this world where you have that beautiful house and a child and a wonderful guy and you are thin. You might get all those things if you begin the list in reverse order, which you can do with this thing that's heavily and stubbornly planted on the floor of the apartment you never have to leave. Yes! — says the cheerleader on the little screen clamped onto the handlebars that don't turn — Pedal, pedal, pedal, you can do it, you can get there. Pedal to nowhere, pedal to your dreams.

135 comments:

The Crack Emcee said...

So I'm NOT crazy....

gilbar said...

NOW, we're all going to spend the next 22 days wondering:
Will Meade be SO STUPID, as to get Ann one of these things?

AllenS said...

Once Meade gave Althouse a bike, he made sure it had a little motor on it. Yes?

Chris said...

For fucks sake, maybe the girl in the commercial wanted a Peloton. However they are expensive! Its boutique cycling without the boutique. I don't see the draw. I'm a cycling instructor at gym. To me, it's a lot more fun to be around everyone else in the studio than looking at the screen. Camaraderie an all. But this is nothing new. It's the vacuum of previous generations Christmas presents.

Shouting Thomas said...

How do you advertise these things?

It ain't skinny girls sitting on these stationary bikes at the gym. It girls with huge asses.

Would the ad be more effective if it starred the normal fat ass chick who uses the product?

exhelodrvr1 said...

Meade,
You can probably still get a refund.

Fernandinande said...

Those feisty gals sure are cute!

Peloton Interactive Inc. gained almost 10%, hitting a record of $35.23 per share after KeyBanc said the company was seeing strong traffic on Black Friday.

Terry di Tufo said...

I know a lot of women who would love to get a Peleton for Christmas. What makes the ad so funny is that it is aimed at men (I saw it while watching a football game) and it can’t find the footing between “Honey, you’re fat” and “I am giving myself a present and pretending it is for you”. What would Don Draper do?

Automatic_Wing said...

I was wondering about all the ads with people buying each other $50K SUVs for Christmas. Do people actually do this?

Chris said...

It's a 3000.00 clothing rack!

iowan2 said...

We agreed not to buy big gifts for Christmans, b'days and such when we got married. We have each honored that mostly, for the last 39 years. We have each, strayed a few times when we got an idea that was really good. As adults, we tend to buy the things we want, so finding gifts for us is tough.

Shouting Thomas said...

Love bicycling. Do 15 miles a day during warm weather.

Hate stationary bike, but do it anyway during the winter.

Try to get in reading lyrics while I'm on the stationary bike.

Bob Boyd said...

What d'ya wanna bet that Oklahoma police chief gave Mara's mom an exercise bike for Christmas once, like 15 years ago, and as a result he's now a racist pig who has no business being a cop.

whitney said...

That commercial is the worst, I hate it so much but the parody made it worth it being mad. It had me crying because I was laughing so hard.

Weirdly, I know someone whose husband gave her a Peloton for either her birthday or Christmas and it's what she wanted she loves it. Uses it all the time. And she has a particular male trainer or whatever whose class she uses regularly and her husband is jealous him???. The whole thing's just really bizarre to me

tommyesq said...

My problem with the ad is it looks like it was filmed in a single day. Nothing about the woman changes at all, not even her hairstyle or tan level.

This seems likke it screams for a Laslo post, btw.

rehajm said...

To me, it's a lot more fun to be around everyone else in the studio than looking at the screen

Peloton Girl's personality type borders on shivering Chihuahua. She probably has anxiety of exercising in front of other people. She probably has anxiety changing into her gym clothes at the gym.

mockturtle said...

I thought the original commercial was effective. The parody not so much.

Michael The Magnificent said...

The internet is having fun slamming this commercial. What may not be known is that there are people who love to ride their bicycles, and log thousands of miles a year riding alone, with partners, or in clubs.

And then winter comes, and the riding season ends. And atrophy of the muscles begins, until spring. And then that muscle has to be built up all over again, unless you've been riding a stationary bike all winter long.

When I saw the commercial for the first time, this was my impression - he got the bike for his wife who loves cycling, but can only ride during certain times of the year. The Christmas Day shot even shows snow out their ample windows. And she's taking selfies for her Instagram or Facebook account, which I am told is a thing.

traditionalguy said...

Now that's funny.

rehajm said...

I'll guess spoof video maker Eva is often single.

daskol said...

You can never be too cynical. I wonder how much SoulCycle paid Eva.

J. Farmer said...

The hubby and I have a rule that any gift we purchase for the other has to be something that gets used up and goes away (e.g. food or drink related, tickets to a show or event, a trip, a service, etc.).

Lewis Wetzel said...

Woman quits cycling through the park because she got tired of this creep bicycling behind her & checking out her ass. She gets a Peleton, sets it up in the basement. First time riding it, she looks over her shoulder & there is the creep on his own Peleton, just behind her, checking out her ass.

mockturtle said...

J. Farmer, I like your rule. That was my mother's rule during the latter half of her life. She didn't need--or want--anything [although we kept giving her owls for her already vast collection]. And my kids know I hate accumulating so they know better than to give me anything impractical.

J. Farmer said...

@mockturtle:

And my kids know I hate accumulating so they know better than to give me anything impractical.

My mother is the queen of tchotchkes.

stevew said...

That parody is great.

Fernandinande said...

If Peloton was ever a cool brand, this effort at making it a great Christmas gift (I guess because it's expensive) disastrously failed.

Heh. I just noticed that statement - it's quite the opposite, if you go by sales rather than a couple of dopey videos.

I'll guess spoof video maker Eva is often single.

Her other twitterings feature an imaginary boyfriend.

Anyway, a year ago, when Peloton was half as big, other people were making better fun of Peloton's successful ads.

Birches said...

I don't know why the ad is being mocked so much... perhaps because I know women who look like this and would like a Peleton because everyone has one. To me, this ad is not aimed at men, it's aimed at Instagram addict women. And it will work.

Birches said...

They justify the price by saying it's cheaper than spin classes.

Tank said...

We have a couple of these at my gym. They seem popular. Pretty much always in use. Not for Tank.

Fernandinande said...

To me, this ad is not aimed at men, it's aimed at Instagram addict women. And it will work.

The Peloton ads are very successful.

"Sometimes I’ll move the Peloton bike into our gallery so I can spend time with my half gay husband while he reads Architectural Digest wearing combat boots."

MacMacConnell said...

Peloton is the Bow-Flex of the 21st century. Don't buy one, in a few years you'll be able to pick a free one up on curbs in up scale neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

IMHO, the problem with the commercial is that the woman looks like she is scared the whole time. And I do not mean excited scared look at my new toy sort of thing, but more of a prisoner have no choice vibe.

The video the character makes is more of a "Tell me I am good" rather than a "let me show you how awesome I am".

At the end of the commercial the way she is sitting on the couch, the body language, the chemistry, and the line "A year ago I did not know how much I needed this. Thank you." all make her look desperate.

Chris said...

Not sure how it would be cheaper than spin class. At my club, membership is 29.95 a month. That includes all the spin classes you can handle and no limits to that beyond your own fitness level and preventing injury. Sure Cycle bar is 150.00 per month for unlimited but they also give you a eucalyptus towel at the end of your ride, so there's that. So once you have paid for the peloton bike and the shoes, factor in the internet hookup and electrical hookup isn't there a monthly fee for the broadcasts too? Has to be. Otherwise their business model would be completely broken. After all they have to pay their coaches - probably more than me. The local studio where they do the broadcasts from, the cameras and other associated equipment plus myriad other overhead costs.

Bob Boyd said...

Need to run a charging wire from the Peloton to the Tesla Cyber truck so as your wife's ass gets smaller, so does your power bill.

Sebastian said...

""A year ago I did not know how much I needed this. Thank you." all make her look desperate"

So? A lot of people are desperate. And by people I mean women. Women who need to lose weight and exercise. They know they do, they just can't, just not yet. But Peloton can help!

Curious George said...

That commercial is aimed at women. And likely created by a woman. So mock it all you want, they now their market.

Birches said...

@daskol

You're right. The over the top reaction to a dumb commercial feels very Covington Catholic, doesn't it?

Bob Boyd said...

Doesn't Gwyneth Paltrow's company offer an after-market steaming seat for the Peloton?
Maybe I dreamed that.

Darrell said...

Toasters and vacuum cleaners are the way to go.

Chris said...

Aimed at women? Most likely. close to 95% of all the Spin classes I am in or teach are women. I'm only 1 of 2 male instructors in our club (multiple locations) the rest are women. So there's something to that.

rehajm said...

isn't there a monthly fee for the broadcasts too? Has to be.

Yep. $39/month. About 20% of the company's revenue stream. The rest is the hardware and apparel. They sell treadmills, too...

Chris said...

"Yep. $39/month. About 20% of the company's revenue stream. The rest is the hardware and apparel. They sell treadmills, too..."

So in no way is it cheaper than spin class.

Meade said...

"Meade,
You can probably still get a refund."

Why would I want a refund for the DEWALT 1-1/8" Length of Stroke, Straight Cut, 20.0V Cordless Reciprocating Saw that I purchased on Black Friday and have carefully gift-wrapped and lovingly placed under the tree? With a festive tag that says "FOR: my darling sexy wife, Althouse"

Susan said...

I thought the ad featured a woman who had been bugging hubby about getting a Peloton. He splurged on it for Christmas and, wonder of wonders she actually USED it! And not to hold laundry. It seemed pretty sweet to me. And aimed at letting guys know that if you splurge, she will be happy and grateful.

The woman in the parody, however, seemed like a real wench who probably was on her way to divorce for reasons other than her hubby getting her the wrong gift. Ungrateful shrew.

Expat(ish) said...

One year for the holidays I told my wife I wanted to cash in almost a million Amex points to take her on a wildlife watching cruise up through Alaska.

I would rather shoot and eat a bird than watch one, but love is.

She said she'd rather have all new appliances in the kitchen, so that's what we got.

-XC

PS - Is it ok to really not like the screeching woman in the "parody" video? I didn't feel like she was acting.

Jeff Brokaw said...

I see lots of such women at the health club, obsessed with aerobic activity. It’s a thing, but okay we can pretend otherwise.

Whatever.

Beasts of England said...

Hope you bought that saw through the Althouse Amazon portal, Meade!!

Eric said...

The first time I saw that commercial I expected her to hit him. When that didn't happen, nothing made sense.

mockturtle said...

PS - Is it ok to really not like the screeching woman in the "parody" video? I didn't feel like she was acting.

No, she wasn't acting. I've known women like her and, if ever I would apply the adjective 'toxic' to anyone, it would be to these harridans.

dbp said...

Okay, I saw the ad and had a couple of conflicting thoughts. The woman may have asked for a Peloton for Christmas. Maybe when she asked, he was skeptical that she would use it and so why not get a $200 version instead of the $3,000 one can spend on the fancy one? In that scenario, I found the commercial inspiring.

But, I knew Peloton would get "owned" on this. Just imagine if they had played the long-game and really did a year-long commercial, where the model starts out fat and is totally fit and hot by the end? It would have been better, but Peloton would have been burned twice as vigorously.

My own wife asked for a good treadmill one year. She likes to walk and run but is not a fan of being out in bad weather. I'm glad she makes good use of it because it cost a mint and was heavy as hell. I would've been pretty steamed if it ended up gathering dust.

Sebastian said...

"The woman in the parody, however, seemed like a real wench"

Correct. Desperate in her way. But not in a way that would sell anything. Could be cleverly crafted, of course, but methinks not.

But while the actual ad worked better, I don't quite get the point of "splurging" in the context of long-married couples: sure, it's nice the partner thought of something nice, but s/he splurged on you with family money, so you're paying for your own gift, not receiving some special act of generosity.

mockturtle said...

It would be awful to receive a diamond bracelet. While acting appropriately pleased, I'd be thinking, "But what can I do with it?" I'd love a Peloton but my late husband can't buy it for me and I won't spend the $$$.

chickelit said...

Meade admits: 1-1/8" Length of Stroke

Eric said...

Another thing, PTON may be the WeWork of 2020.

mockturtle said...

Just imagine if they had played the long-game and really did a year-long commercial, where the model starts out fat and is totally fit and hot by the end?

Makes me think of Bette Midler in Ruthless People.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Naming all sorts of things "Peloton" is also tiring. There's a condo complex nearby called "The Peloton"
UGH.

BamaBadgOR said...

I wonder if George Conway is getting Kellyanne a Pelton this Christmas.

Curious George said...

In Peloton's defense the music playing She's So High by Tal Bachman (I looked it up)

The lyrics are:

What could a guy like me
Ever really offer
She's perfect as she can be
Why should I even bother
'Cause she's so high
High above me
She's so lovely

Howard said...

It goes without saying that Meade's entire existence is ruled by the Althouse Amazon portal

tim in vermont said...

I just watched a movie Avanti [1972] where Juliet Mills was supposed to be seeing a psychiatrist to understand her weight problem and she was often called out for being fat. She later did a couple of nude scenes and if there was an ounce on her that wasn’t doing its job to please the male gaze, I don’t know where it was.

J. Farmer said...

Makes me think of Bette Midler in Ruthless People.


I've been kidnapped by K-mart!

tim in vermont said...

"I wonder if George Conway is getting Kellyanne a Pelton this Christmas”. LOL

And because she loves him, she is getting him a toy robotic steam shovel with fork and spoon attachments, and a special scoop bucket designed for eating pie.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

The commercial is hilariously bad because the woman has this "help me" anxious look on her face. Like a hostage in a propaganda video trying to signal with her eyes. It looks like the husband is "making" her report to him like a drill sergeant and she'd better be on that BIKE G DAMN IT!!

You need to really know that the person you are giving a questionable gift to, really really wants that. One year my husband gave me a Kitchen Aid standing mixer with attachments. A pretty expensive gift for us at the time. Some of my then feminist friends were appalled at a gift that represented to them demeaning house wifely work. I was thrilled!!! I still use it too. Made cheesecake for Thanksgiving!

It ain't skinny girls sitting on these stationary bikes at the gym. It girls with huge asses.

Not necessarily.

I get the sense that the target market is young to mid aged professionals (men and women) who don't have time to go to travel to a gym after work or dealing with work and while dealing with active children. No time, but the convenience of using a Peleton gives the illusion of being part of a team via the connectivity feature.... and the convenience of exercising at home.

Source: My daughter and husband both have one and love the bikes. Neither of them are fat. Just overwhelmed with jobs and kids and no longer have the ability to participate in sports or run marathons as they used to.

tim in vermont said...

Oh yeah, and a pumper style fire truck that squirts Diet Coke.

MarkW said...

Peloton isn't trying to appeal to all women, just the status-conscious subset willing to burn a lot of money on fitness gadgets. Pretty much the same women advertisers are trying to appeal to with the Christmas luxury car and diamond jewelry ads. These companies really don't care if they turn off people like the parody woman who were never, ever going to buy their products anyway.

My problem with the Peloton isn't the idea of riding a stationary bike while watching cycling videos. It's not a bad way to get winter exercise and minimize the tedium -- I do it myself. But you can have a better system for a tiny fraction of the money. Put your own bike on a trainer and get a nice big flat-screen TV to play free YouTube cycling videos. If you already have the bike and TV, it'll cost you a couple hundred bucks max. The screen's much bigger and the exercise bike is exactly like your own real bike because it is your bike. And when winter's over, you're not stuck with a big machine (trainers can be folded up and tucked in a closet).

Ken B said...

I think I agree with Birches. This isn’t a bad ad, it’s a *targeted* ad aimed at affluent selfie obsessed women who spend time on instagram and Facebook.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"I'll guess spoof video maker Eva is often single."

Parody shouldn't be bitter. Which is why the victim-class isn't good at it.

But, yeah, the original commercial is senseless. She clearly needs a Peleton like a fish needs a bicycle.

John henry said...

I have a stationary bike I bought at Sears 10-12 years back. Paid about $250 for it.

Control box failed and was going to cost $200 to replace.

Looking on Amazon it looks like I can buy a Decent stationary bike for $150—300.(portal!) why would I spend more money on a peloton?

In any event, I rewired the electronics to lock it on #2 resistance which is all my knees can stand. Then I removed the panel,made some brackets, added a piece of plywood and now I have a rideable chair for my computer desk.

Works great and I can go a couple hours at a wack.

(thanks to Neal Stephenson for the idea)

John Henry

Dust Bunny Queen said...

As to the cost. My daughter and her husband did the math. The cost of the Peloton was about the price of an annual gym membership for each person in the (pricey) area that they live in. Because of all the activities with work, kids etc...they rarely use the gym membership.

It was more cost effective* to buy them each a Peloton, which they would use and cancel the gym which they were not using.

*There's my girl! Doing a Cost Benefit Analysis. I'm so proud :-D

Paddy O said...

So, I got a fitdesk bike about 5 years ago. Used it intermittently. My wife was feeling out of shape and overweight after having 2 kids in 4 years. For various reasons she doesn't like running and other exercise was frustrating. Nothing grabbed her attention. Introverted so doesn't like the gym and the social aspect of classes.

She started using the fitbike. Loved it. Everyday for months and months, switching to outdoor biking when the weather was good. Then back to the fitbike.

Without me prompting or adding input she was thrilled with the weight loss. We have friends who do multi-level marketing weight loss/health stuff who are always posting, but not showing much benefits. My wife was thrilled with progress and started sharing, there's a whole world of instagram fitness and health folks out there, inspiring each other to feel better and be more fit in ways that actually work and help attitude.

Which is to say, I didn't find the ad disturbing because that's the kind of response my wife had, excited about losing weight and health when everything else she tried before that wasn't clicking.

I'm not getting a Peloton, but I get the ad.

Static Ping said...

I dunno. It's "creepy" in the sense that she seems to have low self-esteem despite being quite lovely to begin with. I see the commercial as less of improving her health, which appeared to be fine from the beginning, and more about improving her self-esteem, which does improve tremendously. Perhaps I have gotten a little too comfortable with social media culture with women who are solid "9s" thinking they are crap because they are not "10s" and/or failed to get selfies at least a dozen major landmarks in the past month.

There's also the matter that while she's not fat, not being fat is not the same as being in shape.

My first reaction to the commercial was I think she is overreacting to this whole thing, but I'm glad she is happy doing something that will improve her life.

Howard said...

George is getting Kellyanne a 5-gallon bucket of light pink spackle

Maillard Reactionary said...

mockturtle (re: diamond bracelet): "But what can I do with it?"

Well, diamonds are very hard. The hardest natural substance, actually. So you could use it to scrub the corrosion off the chrome on your pickup truck, clean the cooking surface of the grill, get the barnacles off the bottom of your boat, etc.

1001 uses in home, office, and shop. All you need is a little creativity to find a way to attach it to your cordless drill.

bagoh20 said...

There are faster cheaper ways to get your wife to leave you.

Robert Cook said...

"I was wondering about all the ads with people buying each other $50K SUVs for Christmas. Do people actually do this?"

Rich people do.

tcrosse said...

"I was wondering about all the ads with people buying each other $50K SUVs for Christmas. Do people actually do this?"

Well, if $50k SUVs are what you sell, then you would show people buying them and feeling good about it. No mention of long term debt.

tim in vermont said...

"Rich people do”

Rich people let their spouse pick out and buy the car they want.

Francisco D said...

But if I wanted a Peloton bike, I would have just bought it for myself already. I wouldn't be jumping around like a baby at Christmastime.

LOL!

I am sort of grinch because that is my attitude about expensive Christmas gifts.

We make joint decisions about big expenditures. The idea of buying my wife a car or a Peloton or a fancy diamond bracelet (as we constantly see in ads) is ridiculous. Guys who cheat on their wives are more likely to do that.

buwaya said...

The handsome, generous husband is no fantasy.

As "Camelot" had it,

C'est moi! C'est moi, I'm forced to admit.
'Tis I, I humbly reply.

I exist, we exist, we are no fantasy.
Well, the "handsome" part passes over time, but still.
I have no end of sorrow for all the women who cannot find such a husband, surrounded as they are, probably, with just such fellows.

Matt said...

Peloton Girl's personality type borders on shivering Chihuahua. She probably has anxiety of exercising in front of other people. She probably has anxiety changing into her gym clothes at the gym.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cuz there's a dude in a wig with this schwanz hanging out next to her?

The Crack Emcee said...

A lesson on bikes and blackness:

Walmart has a layaway program this year, so (since I hadn't even seen a layaway sign since I was a kid) I thought "I'm going to buy a bike on layaway, that way, it'll be a painless purchase, and I can cruise all around my new small town next year in style." $30.00 a month X 5 months - it's a no-brainer.

So I pick-up the Cruiser a few days ago - a beautiful champagne colored thing - but, as I'm leaving the store, I notice the air in the tires are low. No biggie, and I don't wanna be a bother, so I go straight to a gas station and fill them, and then to my friend's house, to show off the thing. Unfortunately, by the time I arrive, the tires are empty again.

Now I have to walk the bike back home, get the receipt, and then go back to Walmart. I go to Customer Service and politely explain what happened, speculate the bike may have been sitting a while, and ask them to replace the inner tubes. Here's where it becomes "fun":

What I get in reply is, first, a sketchy look - I'll have to talk to a manager - though Walmart has a (pretty clear) return policy. Then a white guy comes out and not only starts inspecting the bike like I'm in an episode of "Dragnet" but speculating aloud on what I might have done to damage the tires. I remind him it was just purchased - on layaway - and ask him what possible scam I, a man with grey in his hair, could be trying to run for new inner tubes as my prize? He says he's "just doing my job." He makes everything more difficult by the minute until I've had enough: I'm not a criminal.

I gave him back his fucking bike, and wished him a very Merry Christmas, all for ruining the only gift I'll probably get this year - the one I bought for myself.

Original Mike said...

"What's with the assumption that the woman needs her husband to make a decision behind her back about whether the household money should be spent on something like this?"

Dittos times 10 for the ads where one spouse "gives" the other a car. My response is always, WTF?

whitney said...

Wow this is really become a thing. I feel really bad for that actress. She is not in fact that wealthy woman that can afford a Peloton she is a struggling actress

SGT Ted said...

Nice demonstration of female solipsism. When guys see an ad that they think is ridiculous or odd, they mute it and go get an adult beverage.

Girls, it's not always about what you personally want.

tim in vermont said...

"DEWALT 1-1/8" Length of Stroke, Straight Cut, 20.0V Cordless Reciprocating Saw that I purchased on Black Friday”

Are you going into the catalytic converter boosting business now?

Michael said...

Just imagine if they had played the long-game and really did a year-long commercial, where the model starts out fat and is totally fit and hot by the end?

Imagine the model starting out as an overweight black man and after one year on Peleton morphing into a skinny white chick. THAT would be impressive.

n.n said...

A Peleton for the selfie-ish generation.

Bob Boyd said...

Are you going into the catalytic converter boosting business now?

Human trafficking.

n.n said...

Exercising for a fit body is rational and reasonable.

There was... is another campaign for women and girls to go under the scalpel.

Bob Boyd said...

How about Jabba the Hut gets himself a Peloton and a year later he's got an ass like Princess Leia.
Then he gets conked on the head and the next thing he knows he's in a brass bikini chained to the couch of another morbidly obese intergalactic villain.

gilbar said...

Professor Althouse, I (for One,) was Snarkily suggesting that Meade would get you one. I doubt that Any of us really thought he was stupid enough to fall in THAT pitfall

Daniel said...

Biking while black... give it a rest for f sake. ALL BIKES sold by Walmart have crap tubes that don’t hold air. I’ve bought 6 or 7 of them (they’re cheap and readily available) for my vacation rentals and maybe two have held air. And no, they do not want to replace the tubes. You’ve got to fix them yourself or return them. Walmart treats everyone like a bum. It’s not always about skin color.

Freeman Hunt said...

Peloton should be taught in all the marketing classes. Somehow this company positioned itself to successfully sell $3k stationary bikes. Even my hair guy has one. I am impressed.

tim in vermont said...

"chickelit said...
Meade admits: 1-1/8" Length of Stroke”

Have you ever seen Burn After Reading?

Earnest Prole said...

When a man tells his bone-skinny wife she needs exercise equipment, it’s just his way of saying “I’m gay.”

rehajm said...

But the husband in the Peloton ad is young and attractive...

...and they appear to be a white couple*! I thought Google outlawed white couples?

*...if someone wants to argue she's ethnic, fine. close enough...

Kevin said...

Your added section is spot on, and the best take I’ve seen on the issue. The never ending freak out people never look a molecule below the surface; they are too pleased with their freak out.

Wince said...

Althouse said...
"I wouldn't be jumping around like a baby at Christmastime."

I'm picturing Althouse in a onesie.

dbp said...

I always thought ads where one spouse "gives" the other a car were pure fantasy. But then one day I saw (or heard about later) this happening in the wild.

We were visiting my sister and her family out in Washington. It turned out my brother in law had done the whole, car with a giant bow on Christmas day thing, for my sister. It was one of those luxury, middle sized, sporty SUV things. It's a fine machine and my sis seems to like it a lot. Her husband is pretty smart and very likely took mental notes of what my sister said she likes over some period of time.

My wife was impressed.

mockturtle said...

I gave him back his fucking bike, and wished him a very Merry Christmas, all for ruining the only gift I'll probably get this year - the one I bought for myself.

I'm shocked, Crack! With your winning personality, you should have oodles of generous friends bearing gifts. ;-)

mockturtle said...

Rich people do.

The nouveau riche do. FIFY.

Michael said...

Meade! Good work. I am giving my wife a 28gauge side by side shotgun and a Tarpon rod and reel.

Big Mike said...

... the handsome, generous husband is merely a fantasy.

Hey! Some of us exist!

Big Mike said...

In other words, I might be fantastic, but I am no fantasy.

mockturtle said...

My late husband was both handsome and generous. Lucky for him, my tastes didn't run toward jewelry, fur coats or expensive cars. So he could afford to be generous. ;-)

Rick.T. said...

chickelit said...
Meade admits: 1-1/8" Length of Stroke

A pro like Meade knows it's more about the reciprocations per minute (rpms) than length of stroke.

Skippy Tisdale said...

"Peloton, why is he leaving her out of the loop about how to spend their shared money?"

Not every couple is limited to one joint bank account. Especially two career couples making good money. They each have separate accounts plus a joint account that both contribute to, which is used for joint expenses such as the mortgage, the utilities and to jointly save money for capital expenditures. One of the most contentious arguments for some couples is over money. Couples who utilize this three accounts systems have a lot less financial tension. Many marriage counselors support this financial model.

mccullough said...

I hate Wal-Mart. And I hate the Waltons.

That Greeter bullshit where they basically act like the guy working the velvet rope line at Studio 54 unless you're a Regular.

Whenever I go there and they ask Can I Help You, I ask them, where is the aisle with the stuff Made in America?

mockturtle said...

A pro like Meade knows it's more about the reciprocations per minute (rpms) than length of stroke.

Sorry to interrupt the metaphor, but I'd say you were wrong. Girth>Length>RPM. JMHO, of course...

Megthered said...

It's a Christmas commercial FFS! No different than any other commercial on television at any other time. If you don't want a Peleton, don't buy one. Better yet turn off the tv and go outside and ride a real bike.

J. Farmer said...

Sorry to interrupt the metaphor, but I'd say you were wrong. Girth>Length>RPM. JMHO, of course...

Well, you mean, "It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean" is a lie? Clutch my pearls!

mockturtle said...

What is your take, Farmer?

SGT Ted said...

There's a TV ad out that depicts a person actually enjoying the product they are trying to sell? That NEVER happens! Lets get outraged!

Lots of unproven assumptions about the lives of the fake family in the ad have to be made in order for people to gin up their own and others outrage over it. The foremost being that the female in the ad is powerless and being controlled by her spouse. That her likes and life are not her own, but are what they think they should be.

What the ad reveals is simply yet another branch of outrage culture that is fed by the need of females to get emotional drug hits due to the lack of drama in their own lives. It also reveals female herding culture using emotional abuse directed at the target.

The people outraged over the ad need to step back and examine their own selves. They alone are responsible for their over the top reactions to a fake TV ad family.

mockturtle said...

What is your take, Farmer?

Or perhaps you're not in a 'position' to judge? ;-)

Rick.T. said...

mockturtle said...
A pro like Meade knows it's more about the reciprocations per minute (rpms) than length of stroke.

Sorry to interrupt the metaphor, but I'd say you were wrong. Girth>Length>RPM. JMHO, of course...

What's the old saying? Different strokes for different folks?

mockturtle said...

RickT: I do wish you would arrange your quotes properly.

Kherman said...

My 13 year old daughter thought it was creepy how the woman in the ad makes her husband watch a year's worth of her peddling away. Maybe we missed something but we both agreed the boredom of having to watch a year's long selfie would make neither of us want to biy a peloton.

Kherman said...

Maybe Peloton woman married this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c23WqdkkJx4
Explains a lot.

The Crack Emcee said...

mockturtle said...

"I'm shocked, Crack! With your winning personality, you should have oodles of generous friends bearing gifts. ;-)"

The Trump Haters, NewAgers, etc.? Damn, you can be stupid sometimes. I know how badly you want to blame me for other's failures but, as you can see, just like with Trump, smart people fail too easily in my case. You can't seem to get it. YOU are my problem.

You're the second person today (Shouting Thomas being the first) to mention what my personality has become - become - AFTER I'd explained how people fucked-things up when I was acting nicely and in good faith. It wears on you, as does the constant attacks, like you just did.

It's like you don't get it, you don't want to get it, and you always desire to make it worse, making sure to take your pound of flesh along with everybody else - and all at the same time - and then loudly claiming I should be nicer about the whole thing.

Fuck you.

I'm a foster child. I've gotten socks for Christmas for as long as I can remember. I didn't invent adultery, betrayal, deceit, or any of the other shit I've become familiar with, that the rest of y'all indulge in, producing a person like me. Or a society like this. I was raised by administrators, who gave me lectures like you guys only got from teachers in school, not parents who loved me if I fucked-up anyway. Oh - fuck off. I don't owe any of you explanations for anything. You're wrong. You'll always be wrong, and I don't expect more from you.

I've given you enough already.

The Crack Emcee said...

Daniel said...

"It’s not always about skin color."

In America, how do you know? Sometimes it is - that's a fact - now what?

You guys need to shut-the-fuck-up. Trying to diss even honest blacks wins you no converts.

The Crack Emcee said...

mccullough said...

"I hate Wal-Mart."

I can't believe I spent as long as I did trying to figure out what "scam" they could've possibly thought I was trying to run. It was maddening.

And it's a way of life.

Freeman Hunt said...

Crack, it is absurd that they didn't just replace the tubes.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"When a man tells his bone-skinny wife she needs exercise equipment, it’s just his way of saying “I’m gay.”

The first explanation I've read that makes sense.
Crack's story reminds me of one from my own childhood. When I was probably about nine I bought a defective inner tube from a Western Auto. When I tried to return it, the smarmy little shit of a clerk blew me off. Came back with my Mom and, for the one and only time that I know of in her life, this gracious lady ripped him a new one. It was glorious. He couldn't make it right fast enough.

The Crack Emcee said...

Freeman Hunt said...

"Crack, it is absurd that they didn't just replace the tubes."

Thank you. I thought the same. Merry Christmas.

New adventure: I wrote a song about San Francisco that has people speculating I'm gay.

I'm good is what I am...

gerry said...

For fucks sake, maybe the girl in the commercial wanted a Peloton.

Yeah. After all, she had a few ounces of water to lose.

JaimeRoberto said...

Walmart bikes suck. They probably didn't deburr the hole in the rims for the valve stem and the sharp edge is puncturing the tube.

As for the Peloton lady, she's hot, but her insecurity is a total turn off. All you are doing is riding a stationary bike. No need to get stressed.

mockturtle said...

One of my younger daughter's HS friends was ridiculously thin--I thought she might have an eating disorder. So of course she turned out for--wait for it--marathon running! So I can well imagine someone who probably least needs such equipment to want it. Just as running is addictive, so can exercise biking. People who are really into fitness often can't get enough.

rehajm said...

I abhor going to Wal-Mart but over Thanksgiving I upgraded the MIL with some new video hardware so she could start streaming cable TV and cut her cable bill in half. I bought one of those Ooma thingies so she could keep her landline phone but after some discussion she decided she could use just a cell phone and pocket the savings. Back to Wal-Mart customer service I go, where three employees had to rip open the unopened box to make sure I was retuning what I said I was. It sucks, but I suppose they do have to look out for scammers. One of them told me story of the retired Marine grandpa returning a game console for his grandson only to find he was returning a brick in a box when they opened it up to check. (You tried this with your grandpa the Marine, son?)

I have no idea what scam they thought you were pulling Crack...

Dust Bunny Queen said...

The people outraged over the ad need to step back and examine their own selves. They alone are responsible for their over the top reactions to a fake TV ad family.

I'm not in the least bit outraged over the ad.

It is just hilariously bad acting and bad writing. The girl doesn't "look" happy. She looks worried and afraid. The advertisement doesn't do what they thought it was going to do. In fact it makes the woman who is in the ad look pathetic and her husband looks like a controlling asshole. Bad marketing. IF I were a stockholder in the firm, I WOULD be outraged about the ad because they might be costing ME money.

The Peloton Bike isn't just a stationary bike.

The biggest feature is the live or streamed "classes". Live classes give you the experience of being in a current grouping with other people and with a live instructor who give feedback to the class. The streamed classes are a higher tech version of the old exercise shows on TV or on DVD.

Some people can be really self motivating and loners who don't need such structure. Others need or enjoy the structured environment.

I don't care how people want to spend their money. I may think it is foolish or too expensive, but....guess what....not my choice. Not my money. Not my circus.

svlc said...

I just checked the price for Pelaton. The full package is about twice the amount I paid for my carbon-fibre race bike. I realize that my bike is not internet accessible and doesn't come with a video screen (I just look around at the scenery while I pedal), but I can do without that.

William said...

I never heard of Peloton or Billie Ellish. Now I'm up to date on these subjects. It's important to stay current on these things. Nobody is going to "okay, boomer" me.....When I go to the gym, I use the recumbent bike. When exercising, it's important to burn as few calories as possible. You owe it to the environment. You should work out in a way that doesn't increase your carbon footprint.....She's kind of hot. The skinniness enhances her intensity. She could stand to lose another five or ten ounces.....If you gift women for some hidden purpose other than their fitness and conditioning, jewelry is probably the better gift to advance such designs.

Kirk Parker said...

"Girth > Length"

That is one oddly-shaped member!

mockturtle said...

That is one oddly-shaped member!

LOL! Yes, I know, Kirk. Of course, as you probably inferred, I was referring to relative importance.

Rocketplumber said...

https://speacareers.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/dreams-hopes-poster-rhino-treadmill-unicorn.gif