Deleted
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Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 4:49:02 GMT
www.theguardian.com/media/2019/dec/04/peloton-backlash-sexist-dystopian-exercise-bike-christmas-advert"Almost $1.5bn (£1.1bn) has been wiped off the value of the exercise bike firm Peloton after a backlash against a Christmas advert widely derided as “sexist and dystopian”. The advert, which has been viewed almost 2m times on YouTube, shows a woman receiving an exercise bike from her partner on Christmas morning. The gift inspires her to record a video diary of her exercise sessions, in which she proudly says: “A year ago I didn’t realise how much this would change me.” The 30-second advert – titled “The gift that gives back” – was first released in mid-November, but this week a storm of criticism gathered pace online, and even inspired a series of spoof video remakes."
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Post by tenacious on Dec 5, 2019 4:58:45 GMT
The ad totally creeped me out...but, I still want a Peloton! 😅 I do feel really bad for the actress...not her fault the commercial was garbage!
Erin
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Deleted
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Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 5:01:18 GMT
I had no desire for one before but I certainly don't now! Excersize equipment is not a gift you surprise someone with unless you KNOW for sure they want it and you have a few higher dollar gems to go with it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 5:10:45 GMT
I don't get why she vids herself for a year and then watches w/him. Weird dynamic. Was he gone for the year or something? Why is the kid in the corner opening presents by herself while her mom nervously watches a vid of herself working out while sitting next to the dad?
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Post by krcrafts on Dec 5, 2019 5:26:07 GMT
I would like to know the actress’s name. She looks so familiar, but I just can’t place her.
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Dec 5, 2019 5:57:10 GMT
I've decided the husband in this ad is abusive and the wife is training to fight back a la Jennifer Lopez in "Enough".
I hope the follow up video is her kicking him in the Peletons and leaving to live her best life. 😂
I don't think the ad is sexist so much as it is weird and totally off the mark. This beautiful, already thin woman has "transformed"...into the exact same woman after a year with Peleton.
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Post by ~summer~ on Dec 5, 2019 5:59:56 GMT
I agree the ad is weird, and probably hits a little too close to home for a lot of people...
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Post by AussieMeg on Dec 5, 2019 6:02:45 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? I want a treadmill and would be rapt if DSO bought me one for Christmas, but alas it's not in our budget. I'm sure that (as long as I actually used it!) it would change me too - fitter, healthier etc. I mean, the end of the ad where they're sitting there together watching her video is kinda lame, but I honestly can't see what everyone else seems to be seeing.
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Post by chaosisapony on Dec 5, 2019 6:05:26 GMT
I saw the commercial in passing on tv a couple of weeks ago and I remember thinking it was so odd. I've certainly never met a woman that would be excited at being gifted exercise equipment!
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,736
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Dec 5, 2019 6:13:05 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? I want a treadmill and would be rapt if DSO bought me one for Christmas, but alas it's not in our budget. I'm sure that (as long as I actually used it!) it would change me too - fitter, healthier etc. I mean, the end of the ad where they're sitting there together watching her video is kinda lame, but I honestly can't see what everyone else seems to be seeing. I’m with you. I just watched it and I don’t see any issue?! But maybe it’s because I want one and would love it for Christmas! Lol. Also, I have been working out/adopted a healthy lifestyle for almost a year now and I am proud of my accomplishments and it has “changed me” so I was like I feel ya, girl! Not just my body but my dedication, drive, confidence, strength etc. I thought it was a nice ad and she was showing her Dh how much she loved the gift. I think people will just see what they want to see.
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Post by pjaye on Dec 5, 2019 7:04:06 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? No doubt you are in a healthy relationship with your SO. However if you weren't, if you were a couple of kilos overweight after you'd had a baby, and your husband was constantly criticising you about your weight, or body or fitness and you were already feeling bad about yourself, THEN he gets you an exercise bike for Christmas, and you are expected to use it and video yourself doing so to prove you are using it, and shedding that 2 kilos...I doubt you'd be as thrilled to get that bike under those circumstances. She's already thin & fit looking - but he gives her an exercise bike as a surprise gift. Then she exercises all year long & records it - then she gives the recording of herself exercising back to him. It's titled "the gift that gives back". The undertone is the controlling husband, the wife has to stay thin and fit to keep him happy...she has to record herself using his gift, it's creepy/Stepford wife-y and with a tone of implied fear/domestic violence. The gift "gives back" because he gives her the gift and he "gets back" her staying attractive for him. Her already being thin is part of the problem, a "year long journey" because she was what?...I kilo overweight? I think it's being seen as dystopian because it portrays a world where thin, attractive women are given fitness equipment by their husbands and have to use it and record themselves for a year to stay exactly the way they already are to keep the husband happy/satisfied. That commercial isn't a world I'd want to live in! Sure - lots of people (men as well as women) use exercise equipment to either stay fit (if they already are) or get fit if they aren't. There's many ways they could portray that without making all about a man controlling a women, or a woman doing it to keep her man happy. The fact that they made and put that commercial out there and didn't see anything wrong with it and it didn't ping anyone's radar within the company is also problematic. It shows they still hold these stereotypical (i.e sexist) ideas about men and women and their roles in relationships.
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Deleted
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Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 11:15:06 GMT
I’ve been seeing this ad quite a bit and never thought anything bad about it mainly because I am not interested in the bike and don’t think it is any of those things people are getting mad about. Story wise it is simple and people are just adding in their own background or motivations. It’s a seasonal ad and in a few weeks most people will have forgotten about it.
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sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,577
Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Dec 5, 2019 11:26:55 GMT
I've seen it. She was excited to get it. She records herself for a year. Maybe she was already thin. But getting up early to workout or doing it when she got home was a big deal for her. She made a commitment and stuck to it. So that is a transformation in itself. She showed her husband and was saying thank you. Don't see the big deal.
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Post by Merge on Dec 5, 2019 11:39:59 GMT
I think whether the ad is offensive to you or not depends entirely on your assumptions about the back story. If your version of the back story is that the husband is controlling and she's desperate to please him with her video, then yes, it's creepy as hell. If your version of the back story is that she just really wanted this bike and is incredibly grateful for it, then it's a lame ad, IMO, but not necessarily creepy.
Clearly Peleton is trying to send the message that your spouse will be incredibly grateful if you buy this bike for them - a message that is doomed to failure as I'd say most women emphatically do not want exercise equipment for Christmas. I think most of us would rather see a message about self-empowerment in 2019 - doing something challenging for yourself rather than for someone else.
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Deleted
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Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 11:43:23 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? I want a treadmill and would be rapt if DSO bought me one for Christmas, but alas it's not in our budget. I'm sure that (as long as I actually used it!) it would change me too - fitter, healthier etc. I mean, the end of the ad where they're sitting there together watching her video is kinda lame, but I honestly can't see what everyone else seems to be seeing. I'm another one who seems to be missing something on this ad. Can't see anything sexist about it. She probably wanted an exercise bike to get fit.She might have expressed a wish for one and thought she couldn't afford one and her husband decided to surprise her. Isn't that what gift giving is about, to receive a thoughtful gift that you might not buy yourself? Not all thin people are fit and not all overweight people are unfit. Lack of exercise makes you unfit whatever your weight is. Who's to know that a woman or man for that matter doesn't have time to go to a gym or out running or on a brisk walk on a daily basis but does have 15 min to spare to jump on an exercise bike in her own home at the start of the day.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Dec 5, 2019 11:45:20 GMT
I don’t get the outrage either. In no way did the commercial imply the husband thought she needed to get in shape or lose weight. She’s excited about the gift. If we’re going to start assuming things not shown, I assume she spent all year saying she’d like a Peleton.The ad clearly shows her using it for a year and enjoying her commitment to working out. The contortions to to find offense are what I find strange.
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Post by pierkiss on Dec 5, 2019 11:49:16 GMT
Really? They lost that much money over a stupid ad that isn’t even new? It’s not even that bad.
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kibblesandbits
Pearl Clutcher
At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
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Aug 13, 2016 13:47:39 GMT
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Post by kibblesandbits on Dec 5, 2019 11:53:33 GMT
We live in a crazy world. I have been following this "controversy" as I am a player in the stock market and watched the Peloton IPO. I can see some of the issues with the commercial, but they are subtle enough that the average Joe isn't necessarily akin to it - but leave it to TWITTER and the ability to crush anything on a whim.
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iluvpink
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Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Dec 5, 2019 11:57:32 GMT
I guess I haven't watched it well enough, just glanced at it. It seemed kind of stupid to me but I didn't see anything sexist and I didn't notice them watching a video of her working out later. I just thought it lame as she didn't seem any different or more fit after a year and when I looked up how much it cost, well wow. That's a crazy amount to me. But obviously people have different budgets and willingness to spend.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
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Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Dec 5, 2019 11:59:36 GMT
I'm with the I don't get the outrage crowd. I've seen the ad a few times and my reaction was that I'd like one but who can afford one! But I can see how it can be interpreted negatively, I.e. controlling man making woman's appearance the main issue.
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Deleted
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Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 11:59:57 GMT
I think whether the ad is offensive to you or not depends entirely on your assumptions about the back story. If your version of the back story is that the husband is controlling and she's desperate to please him with her video, then yes, it's creepy as hell. If your version of the back story is that she just really wanted this bike and is incredibly grateful for it, then it's a lame ad, IMO, but not necessarily creepy. Clearly Peleton is trying to send the message that your spouse will be incredibly grateful if you buy this bike for them - a message that is doomed to failure as I'd say most women emphatically do not want exercise equipment for Christmas. I think most of us would rather see a message about self-empowerment in 2019 - doing something challenging for yourself rather than for someone else.But she's thanking him for the gift that made it possible for her to attain that self-empowerment Her achievement on that bike when she started and what she can achieve on it now.....speed and her own fitness was brought about by her not him. He just gifted her the means to do it.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Dec 5, 2019 12:07:02 GMT
I would absolutely love to have this bike for Christmas. I wish it was anywhere near our budget to buy one and I would happily accept one from Jeremy. But I know he'd be buying it because I want it. And I know his intention with it.
I think theres no problem with the gift of the bike. I think where it gets creepy is the video. Because my husband would know if I was using it I'd surely not have to show him video. And lastly, it's her weight that is the problem. If she had been 200 lbs to start and then lost weight using it and they left the husband out, we'd all be on peletons side here.
I can see guilt and I can see innocence. I think it was a poor choice. But to lose market share I think is silly. Clearly peleton has a good product. I'm just not seeing they utilized the best way to sell it here.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,835
Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on Dec 5, 2019 12:10:00 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? No doubt you are in a healthy relationship with your SO. However if you weren't, if you were a couple of kilos overweight after you'd had a baby, and your husband was constantly criticising you about your weight, or body or fitness and you were already feeling bad about yourself, THEN he gets you an exercise bike for Christmas, and you are expected to use it and video yourself doing so to prove you are using it, and shedding that 2 kilos...I doubt you'd be as thrilled to get that bike under those circumstances. She's already thin & fit looking - but he gives her an exercise bike as a surprise gift. Then she exercises all year long & records it - then she gives the recording of herself exercising back to him. It's titled "the gift that gives back". The undertone is the controlling husband, the wife has to stay thin and fit to keep him happy...she has to record herself using his gift, it's creepy/Stepford wife-y and with a tone of implied fear/domestic violence. The gift "gives back" because he gives her the gift and he "gets back" her staying attractive for him. Her already being thin is part of the problem, a "year long journey" because she was what?...I kilo overweight?
I think it's being seen as dystopian because it portrays a world where thin, attractive women are given fitness equipment by their husbands and have to use it and record themselves for a year to stay exactly the way they already are to keep the husband happy/satisfied. That commercial isn't a world I'd want to live in! Sure - lots of people (men as well as women) use exercise equipment to either stay fit (if they already are) or get fit if they aren't. There's many ways they could portray that without making all about a man controlling a women, or a woman doing it to keep her man happy. The fact that they made and put that commercial out there and didn't see anything wrong with it and it didn't ping anyone's radar within the company is also problematic. It shows they still hold these stereotypical (i.e sexist) ideas about men and women and their roles in relationships. Seriously? I'm sorry but this is such a stretch! People need to get over being so pc! It is a stupid commercial about a woman who probably wanted the damn bike but didn't like to exercise. So she is thin, so what. Not everyone who doesn't exercise is overweight. The meaning is the bike is giving her her health and feeling great about your accomplishments.
Nothing more.
Honestly, commercial would have been better with an overweight person (be it a man OR a woman) and how spinning every single day will change your body and your health for the better.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,835
Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on Dec 5, 2019 12:10:40 GMT
I think whether the ad is offensive to you or not depends entirely on your assumptions about the back story. If your version of the back story is that the husband is controlling and she's desperate to please him with her video, then yes, it's creepy as hell. If your version of the back story is that she just really wanted this bike and is incredibly grateful for it, then it's a lame ad, IMO, but not necessarily creepy. Clearly Peleton is trying to send the message that your spouse will be incredibly grateful if you buy this bike for them - a message that is doomed to failure as I'd say most women emphatically do not want exercise equipment for Christmas. I think most of us would rather see a message about self-empowerment in 2019 - doing something challenging for yourself rather than for someone else.But she's thanking him for the gift that made it possible for her to attain that self-empowerment Her achievement on that bike when she started and what she can achieve on it now.....speed and her own fitness was brought about by her not him. He just gifted her the means to do it. THIS!!!!
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Post by lisacharlotte on Dec 5, 2019 12:15:48 GMT
It’s not only fat people who need to exercise and exercise isn’t only about losing weight.
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YooHoot
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 3:11:50 GMT
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Post by YooHoot on Dec 5, 2019 12:18:28 GMT
What am I missing? What's the big deal? Where's the sexism? I want a treadmill and would be rapt if DSO bought me one for Christmas, but alas it's not in our budget. I'm sure that (as long as I actually used it!) it would change me too - fitter, healthier etc. I mean, the end of the ad where they're sitting there together watching her video is kinda lame, but I honestly can't see what everyone else seems to be seeing. I watched it too and I didn't see what the big deal was. I think people look to be offended in anyway possible.
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
Jun 28, 2014 0:26:58 GMT
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Post by schizo319 on Dec 5, 2019 12:36:59 GMT
meh, I didn't care about the commercial one way or the other, but a couple weeks ago my DH pointed out the ridiculousness of it (He thought 1. most women don't want exercise equipment as a gift 2. her "transformation" wasn't evident 3. The video diary was stupid 4. Who the hell can afford a $2K exercise bike for Christmas) I was actually pretty impressed that *he* was the one who noticed all of that.
I think the commercial actually could have worked had they made some reference to the bike being something the wife had actually *wanted* and they could have done a mini make-under with the actress at the beginning of the commercial (dull skin/hair, looser fitting clothes, etc) to make the "transformation" actually look like one.
I'm frankly shocked the company lost money over it though, they talked about this commercial on NPR the other afternoon and implied that this publicity would actually be good for the company (no such thing as bad publicity), guess they were mistaken.
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Post by *sprout* on Dec 5, 2019 12:39:41 GMT
Add me to the list of those who don't get the outrage.
Part of the outrage people keep pointing out that she's already thin so she doesn't need the Peleton. I'd be willing to bet that if they made the commercial so she were overweight and lost weight using the peleton people would still be up in arms.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 19, 2024 6:43:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 12:42:49 GMT
I think in order to get our attention commercials purposely put in quirky weird or potentially disturbing subtexts. And it is working! I am sure they study a lot of psychology!
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,579
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Dec 5, 2019 12:50:26 GMT
I love my Peloton - but I do think it's a terrible ad. And for me, it has more to do with the husband giving her the Peloton as a gift. As much as I love my bike, unless I asked for it (my dh and I bought it together) don't give me exercise equipment. And perhaps that's why they chose a skinny actress (now that I think more about it) - if she'd been heavy set, people really would've been "how could he give her an exercise bike! What an oaf!"
I am surprised this made it through the commercial advertising process without one person asking "do you think this works?" If they are trying to sell more of these bikes, hammering home the message that they are just for the skinny and rich is probably not the way to do it.
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