I Wasn’t Offended By The Peloton Ad

I recently polled my IG followers and asked if people were offended by the recent Peloton ad, and the vast majority of people weren’t.  And I definitely consider myself to be part of that group.  I watched the ad twice, read a few online articles, etc., and I still just didn’t get it.  I truly didn’t see anything really wrong with it from a content perspective.

Do I think it was the greatest ad ever?  No.  Do I think there were probably a few different ways to showcase the bike and the point they were trying to make?  Yes.  Do I think a $3000 bike even needs an ad?  Hmm…not so sure!  Do I think the internet overreacted and should show this kind of passion toward things that really matter?  Absolutely.

So that last point is really where I’m at.  We, as a society, get so worked up over things like Peloton bike ads but not so worked up over the atrocities that are happening in our own country and around the world.  Like, really?  Priorities, people!

Ok, so I think hit that point on the head enough.

One of my IG friends shared a different perspective on the ad and all of the controversy, and I really appreciated her thoughtfulness.  I love hearing the ‘other’ side of things, and we had a really great discussion… 

We’re at a point in society where women still have to fight for equality on every front.  And any little form of patriarchy, in a culture where women are already held to such unrealistic standards, doesn’t help the cause.  She also talked about how this uproar really speaks to how we have a lot of emotionally, mentally, and physically scarred women out there for which this ad triggers something very personal.

But isn’t there something about her husband gifting her something he knows she’ll appreciate and love.  If Vishnu gifted me a Peloton, I wouldn’t be mad about it!

I totally get all of that, and some of the other perspectives that were provided.  And trust me, as someone who’s had her fair share of body issues over the last 20 or so years, I can see how something like this can trigger people. 

With all that being said, one of the internet arguments was that an already fit person shouldn’t be highlighted in the ad as a Peloton user.  So what? Are fit people not supposed to work out?  If the ad had featured someone a little heavier set, people would have shouted about ‘fat shaming.’  You literally can’t win!

Also, there’s the argument about how this ad only speaks to a very specific demographic.  Well, that’s what I would expect with such an expensive piece of exercise equipment!  Also, don’t get me started on this only being targeted to Caucasian people.  I’m pretty sure I’ve read about all kinds of people owning/loving Peloton equipment.  I think we need to stop thinking of everything as a race issue, especially when it doesn’t need to.  Again, this is one of those things where I would ask about why we don’t see so much uproar with actual race/inequality issues.   

This post is a lot all over the place, and that’s because I found the controversy a little all over the place.

Regardless of what side you’re on, watch this and tell me it didn’t, at the very least, make you smile!

And that’s all she wrote, guys.  Like I said, the first thought that pops up in my mind when I hear about the internet going crazy over something like this is, “Seriously?  Where is this level of intensity with the ‘real’ stuff happening around the world?”

Anyways, this is of course my two cents.  I get that there are two (or more) sides to things like this.  This is me sharing my perspective. 

What are your thoughts on this whole thing?