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Peloton’s Ad Is Not the Problem, We Are
Misconceptions about health lead to confusion over the definition of being well
Peloton released a holiday ad for their luxury stationary bike in November. Just like past holiday seasons, there was backlash towards it, but just this past week it went viral and was hate-tweeted. It was a trending topic on Twitter.
In the Peloton video, we see a wife who begins to exercise with a stationary bike that her husband bought for Christmas. She chronicles her journey for a year using the bike and shows the video to her family the next Christmas. We see her at first grudgingly accept the challenge of using it each day, but by the end of the year it has become a part of her routine.
Many of the criticisms found online highlight the fact that the actress in the video is in good shape and has no need for an exercise bike because of her appearance. Others point out that her husband buying it for her must mean that he thinks she could lose a few pounds or isn’t in great shape. Stereotypes about body shapes in America are…
