U.S.
Peloton Bike Ad Ridiculed and Accused of Being Sexist
Published
1 year agoon
By
Katie Calo
- Peloton, a company that sells indoor bikes, released an advertisement at the end of November that has gone viral.
- The 30-second commercial depicts a husband gifting his wife a Peloton bike. The woman then films herself using the bike over the next year and shows her spouse the compiled clips the following Christmas, thanking him for the present.
- Many have criticized the ad of being sexist and only catering specifically to an affluent audience.
- Others have defended the video and claimed that it was successful as it got people talking about the brand.
Ad Released
Peloton, a cycling brand that sells indoor bikes with internet access and virtual fitness classes, released a new advertisement at the end of November that has come under intense scrutiny.
The 30-second video begins with a man gifting his wife a Peloton bike on Christmas morning. The woman walks downstairs in her pajamas with her eyes covered, holding her daughter’s hand.
“A Peloton?” she says, elated by the sight of the bike.
The ad then switches to a montage of the woman filming herself on her fitness journey, from her first ride to clips of early morning workouts and moments of celebration. The video concludes with a scene from the following Christmas where the woman shows her husband her homemade video diary.
“A year ago, I didn’t realize how much this would change me,” she says in the vlog. “Thank you.”
Widespread Criticism
Since its release almost two weeks ago, the ad has gained much attention. Posted as a YouTube video from Peloton’s channel, the ad has accumulated over 849,000 views. However, the negative feedback far outweighs the positive which is apparent by the over eight times as many dislikes on the video in comparison to likes.
Many have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the video. One criticism of the ad is that it pushes sexist ideologies, as it portrays a husband giving his wife a gift designed for self-improvement as well as a woman seeming to lack confidence in certain scenes.
That ad with the husband who buys his wife a #peloton for XMAS is 100% targeted toward ex-high school jocks with a beer gut. Why improve yourself, when you can make your wife miserable? Anyway, I’m going to listen to my gf and get her something that actually makes her happy.
— Dillon Avnet (@dillon_avnet) December 2, 2019
So sweet. My husband was inspired by the Peloton ad to get me a pair of pants in a child’s medium and a handwritten note that says “Don’t fucking touch me till you can fit into these”
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) December 2, 2019
I'm nervous. I've never ridden a stationary bike. It is the scariest thing I've ever done in my entire life. Even worse than giving birth.
— Doug Black Jr 🦃🦃🦃🦃 (@dougblackjr) December 2, 2019
I'm terrified. Please help me, Peloton. pic.twitter.com/pmIJJSTR9I
Others are ridiculing the commercial because the woman’s physique doesn’t seem to change at all. She is slender at the beginning of the ad and appears to be the same size at the end of her year-long experience using the Peloton bike.
the lady in the peloton ad is already toned and fit in the "before" part, making it very hard to believe she would be nervous about a basic spin class. (tho that's probably the least weird thing about the ad)
— Erin Griffith (@eringriffith) December 2, 2019
[peloton ad meeting]
— Douglas A. Boneparth (@dougboneparth) December 2, 2019
Ad Exec: A weight loss journey.
CMO: Go on…
Ad Exec: But instead of featuring actual customers who’ve transformed their lives, we hire a model already in amazing shape?
CMO: Make it happen.
[twelve hours later] pic.twitter.com/Cx56YNRrRb
Additionally, the video is receiving backlash for portraying seemingly wealthy people in an expensive-looking home, a common thread throughout Peloton ads. The backdrop of the woman’s cycling vlog is her large, well-kept house, the living room window showing a view of an expansive yard.
My favorite thing about peloton ads is they don't shy away from letting you know that its for rich people only
— Bob Kurz (@BKurz12) November 25, 2019
As terrible as this ad is, it might also be a slam dunk for its target demographic.
— Mike Wacker (@m_wacker) December 2, 2019
E.g., it might convince a lot of rich housewives in LA to buy a Peloton bike.
Peloton has been ridiculed in the past for catering to wealthier people, perhaps most notoriously by a popular Twitter thread that emerged in January.
I had my carpenter build a $9,000 finished wood riser for my Peloton bike in my glass-enclosed zen garden/home gym pic.twitter.com/VJSOjctYtO
— Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) January 28, 2019
I have a Peloton at home, at work, and also one placed by the ocean-facing living room windows of our four bedroom beach cottage pic.twitter.com/F21Y1f7eop
— Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) January 28, 2019
The brand’s marketing lead, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, admitted to the Wall Street Journal in 2017 that the company had been catered toward affluent riders in the beginning, but that they hoped to shift their audience to a wider range of consumers. The Peloton bike’s starting cost is $2,245.
Defense of the Ad
While many took issue with the advertisement, some people found no problem with it, claiming that it was clear that the woman wanted the bike from the start and it was not forced upon her by her husband.
The Peloton ad is weird, but MAYBE SHE ASKED FOR IT!! Why is Twitter the only place everyone is outraged over nothing? #Peloton
— The Kool-Aid Guy (@SlappyMuppet) December 3, 2019
Why is everyone bashing @onepeloton for their ads? It’s wrong to buy women exercise equipment for Christmas? I’m so confused. If a wife bought her husband exercise equipment no one would say ANYTHING. This guy buys his wife a $2,500 Peloton which she CLEARLY WANTED.
— Antoinette Lopes (@AntoinetteLopes) December 3, 2019
Some Twitter users were also quick to point out that exercise doesn’t always involve weight loss and that the ad was not wrong to promote a healthy lifestyle without visible changes.
Stop jumping on Peloton for their new bike commercial! Exercise is not just for losing weight it’s for all over body health…heart lungs, bones and also mental health! Talk about body shaming! Body shaming isn’t just one sided….This is not ok, do better! #TODAYSHOW #pelotonad
— Leslie Varner (@VarnerLeslie) December 3, 2019
I have no issue with the @onepeloton ad. For some people working out is not just about losing weight but about endurance, strength or just feeling good. #pelotonad #selfcare pic.twitter.com/NCQOKIf7UN
— Dr. Stephanie Young Moss (@DrStephanieYoMo) December 3, 2019
Others even praised the Peloton advertisement, for despite some negative feedback it did successfully generate a lot of talk about the brand.
Genius ad campaign. Anything that gets people talking about your brand, and which puts eyeballs on your expensive ad, is a win. #peloton
— a brutal ruin (@ColdMou18809692) December 3, 2019
Everyone hates the Peloton ad (and it is SO cringey), but now because of it "Peloton" is a top trend on Twitter. Someone in that marketing department did their job.
— Daniel Savickas (@DanielSavickas) December 2, 2019
See what others are saying: (CNBC) (Vice) (CNN)
U.S.
Catholic School Expels Students After Discovering Mother’s OnlyFans Account
Published
4 days agoon
February 26, 2021
- Crystal Jackson, a California mother of three, said her boys were expelled from their Catholic school after other parents notified administrators of her OnlyFans account.
- Jackson, who started the account to boost her confidence and rekindle her relationship with her husband, said she only posts pinup-style photos in lingerie, not pornography.
- Now, she’s speaking out against the intense harassment she’s faced from parents in her community and has criticized the school’s decision to punish her children.
- She also said the school is working to update its handbook to include a rule that “any parent who is involved in a site or blog that goes against teachings of the church and school philosophy must be removed.”
Mother’s OnlyFans Account Draws Criticism
A mother in Sacramento, California says her three boys were expelled from their Catholic school after administrators discovered her OnlyFans account.
That mother is Crystal Jackson, who joined the site in 2019 to spice up her struggling relationship with her husband of 14 years, Chris.
Jackson says she does not post pornography on her account. Instead, she posts pinup-style photos in lingerie and includes “sexy stories” that play up the image of what she and Chris call “the mom next door.”
The account started as a secret between the two of them, but it has since become a huge success, bringing in over $150,000 a month along with hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
While the new venture has also brought her a boost of joy and self-confidence, her growing popularity on the platform eventually caught the attention of parents at Sacred Heart Parish School.
According to several interviews Crystal has given to media outlets, parents were relentlessly urging that her sons be kicked out of school.
They began harassing her with texts and voicemails bullying her and insulting her family. At one point, she says a group of mothers even printed out her OnlyFans photos and sent them anonymously in a packet to the school principal.
Some also reported her to their local priest and bishop and created a Facebook group to gossip about her family.
School Expels Mother’s Three Sons
She was eventually removed as 2nd-grade ‘room mother’ due to the complaints. After growing tired of the treatment, she eventually gave an interview to The Sun about all the harassment.
But the issue escalated Sunday when the school sent her a letter notifying her of its decision.
“Your apparent quest for high-profile controversy in support of your adult website is in direct conflict with what we hope to impart to our students and is directly opposed to the policies laid out in our Parent/Student Handbook,” it read.
“We therefore require that you find another school for your children and have no further association with ours.”
Now, she says the school is working to update their handbook to include a rule that says: “Any parent who is involved in a site or blog that goes against teachings of the church and school philosophy must be removed.”
Crystal has continued to speak out against the school’s decision, telling People Magazine that her 8, 10, and 12 years old are good kids who are only being hurt by the school’s actions.
“Take me down, that’s fine, but leave my kids out of this,” she said.
“I didn’t want to be put out there, but at some point, I have to stand up and say I can’t take it anymore because this behavior is horrible,” she added.
Crystal noted that she was hoping to put her kids back in Catholic school but says she and her husband will likely have to put them in public school.
“They won’t allow them in this diocese, and is this really the place for them to be?” she said. “It’s clear that they said we don’t want you.”
“In the year 2021, here we are, trying to bring a woman down for her choices and what she does with her husband,” Crystal added. “It’s body shaming and bullying all encompassed into one and it’s such a double standard and disturbing.”
For now, she’s just hoping the judgment and harassment in her community will stop. “I’m still the same Crystal I was, like, two years ago, a year ago, when we had coffee, before you knew this.“
See what others are saying: (People) (NBC News) (The Sun)
U.S.
Nearly 9 Million Are Without Water in Texas, Some Face Electric Bills up To $17,000
Published
1 week agoon
February 22, 2021By
Cory Ray
- More than 8.8 million people in Texas remained under boil water notices Monday, and over 120,000 had no water service at all.
- Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Sunday that the state has distributed around 3.5 million bottles of water, though many of the lines to receive that water were plagued with hours-long waits.
- Meanwhile, power outages in the state have fallen below 20,000, but many Texans are also beginning to receive astronomical electric bills of as much as $17,000.
- Both Abbott and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) said those prices are not the fault of customers. While some form of forgiveness is likely, no immediate plan has been outlined yet.
Millions Without Water
As of Monday morning, nearly 8.8 million people in Texas are still under boil water notices following last week’s snowstorm. That’s about one out of every three Texans.
Despite being a giant chunk of the state’s population, that figure is actually an improvement from 10 million people on Sunday.
Another 120,000 Texans are still without water service at all.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Sunday almost 3.5 million bottles of water have been distributed across Texas by helicopter, airplane, and truck.
The need for water has been extremely visible. An Austin City Council member shared a video on Twitter Sunday showing a massive line of vehicles waiting for clean water. Some waited for more than an hour before the distribution event began. At another site, she said cars began lining up more than five hours before the event.
Our neighbors in need are lining up at our D2 water site. More than an hour before we start.
— Vanessa Fuentes 💃🏽 (@VanessaForATX) February 21, 2021
The impact from this devastating crisis will be felt for days. We need to do more for our community. Count on me to continue to insist & coordinate more resources and support. https://t.co/fp6KebQTq0 pic.twitter.com/SUy2BJY1TA
📍Food & Water Distribution at Circuit of the Americas
— Vanessa Fuentes 💃🏽 (@VanessaForATX) February 21, 2021
We had cars line up starting at 11am for a distribution that started at 4 pm pic.twitter.com/zm3kdZslYH
Abbott said the state is bringing in more plumbers to increase repair efforts for damaged water systems. Additionally, Abbott said homeowners without insurance could qualify for emergency reimbursement from FEMA.
Meanwhile, one large-scale effort from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY.) has now raised more than $5 million since first being launched on Thursday. That money will go to several organizations, including the Houston Food Bank, Family Eldercare, Feeding Texas, and the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center.
One last update (I think!): We just hit $5 million raised for Texans across the state.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 22, 2021
Thank you ALL for your collective action when people need it most.
Charity can’t replace policy, but solidarity is how we’ll face climate change and build a better world. 💪🏽🌎
Thank you 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/RzdgXllXoS
Texas Electric Bills Soar as High as $17K
All but just under 20,000 Texas homes and businesses have now had their power restored as of Monday morning.
That’s a stark contrast from the more than 4 million that were out of power at one point last week.
While that’s largely good news, many Texans are now beginning to receive sky-high electric bills. That’s especially evident for those whose power stayed on during the storm. In fact, some people have now told multiple media outlets they’re facing bills as high as $17,000.
One 63-year-old Army vet, who was charged $16,752, told The New York Times that his bill was about 70 times higher than normal.
“My savings is gone,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about it, but it’s broken me.”
As far as why his and others’ eclectic bills are so high, many people in Texas have plans that are directly tied to the wholesale price of electricity. Usually, that helps keep their costs low, but as demand for power surged during last week’s snowstorm, those prices hit astronomical highs.
In a statement on Saturday, Abbott said Texas lawmakers “have a responsibility to protect Texans from spikes in their energy bills that are a result of the severe winter weather and power outages,”
He added that the state Legislature is working “on solutions to help Texas families and ensure they do not get stuck with skyrocketing energy bills.”
In a similar tone, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) said in an interview with CBS on Sunday, “It’s not the consumers who should assume [these] costs. They are not at fault for what happened this week.”
That said, Turner also laid blame at the feet of the Legislature, calling the current crisis “foreseeable” on the part of lawmakers because a similar snowstorm and outages struck Texas in 2011.
Turner added that, at the time, he was part of the Texas legislature and had filed a bill that would have required the agency overseeing Texas’ grid to “ensure that there was an adequate reserve to prevent blackouts.”
“The leadership in Austin did not give it a hearing,” he said.
While no aid has been fully guaranteed yet, Texas has prevented electric companies from being able to shut off power for people who don’t pay their bills on time.
See what others are saying: (NBC News) (The New York Times) (CNN)
U.S.
Texans Still Face Broken Pipes, Flooding, and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning as Million Regain Power
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 18, 2021By
Cory Ray
- The number of Texans without power fell from 3.3 million on Wednesday to below 500,000 by Thursday.
- Still, millions are currently under a boil advisory, pipes have burst as they begin to thaw, and some individuals have died or been hospitalized because of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday that it has sent generators, water, and blankets to Texas, adding that it’s working to send additional diesel for generators.
- Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden have also reportedly discussed the possibility of extra funding for people’s electricity bills, as well as for burst pipes.
Power May Be Back but Problems Persist
Power outages in Texas Thursday morning fell to under 500,000 — down from 3.3 million Wednesday morning.
According to the state’s main grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the remaining outages are largely weather-related and not connected to problems related to forced outages.
While that return of power to millions is significant, Texans are still facing a host of other problems.
For example, there have been numerous reports of carbon monoxide poisoning as people still without power try to keep warm in their cars or through other means. An adult and a child were found dead Tuesday after running their car inside of a garage, prompting Houston police to issue a statement warning that “cars, grills and generators should not be used in or near a building.”
Six children and four adults were rushed to the hospital Wednesday night for carbon monoxide poisoning after setting up grills inside their homes.
Even for those now with power, water has become a major issue. On Wednesday, 7 million Texans were placed on a boil advisory and about 263,000 were without functioning water providers.
One reporter tweeted out a video of people lining up at a park to fill up buckets of water.
“This is not a third world country,” she said. “This is Houston, Texas.”
This is not a third world country. This is Houston, Texas. I spotted a line of people filing up buckets of water from a spicket at Haden Park. Why? Millions either have no water or are under a Boil Water Advisory. pic.twitter.com/VHYH5Hbqjj
— Erica Simon (@EricaOnABC13) February 18, 2021
The Food and Drug Administration and the National Weather Service have even cited melting and boiling snow as an emergency option if people can’t find water elsewhere, an option many have already turned to.
For some, all these problems only seemed to compound in the form of burst pipes. One viral video shows water gushing out of a third-story apartment. Others posted images of their broken pipes and the damage they have caused.
This is what Joel Pares’ apartment looks like at Camden Victory Park after a pipe burst, with rushing water everywhere @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/C3DzlbKd0T
— Lynnanne Nguyen (@LynnanneFOX4) February 17, 2021
As a result, a number of local media outlets have begun to outline steps people can take once their pipes start to thaw or if they break.
Amid Problems, Aid is Being Distributed
Alongside the overwhelming amount of problems, there has also been a large aid response.
A FEMA spokesperson said Wednesday that the agency has sent 60 “very large” generators to help keep hospitals and other critical infrastructure open.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added that FEMA is preparing to move diesel into Texas to keep that backup power going.
So far, FEMA said it has sent “millions of liters of water” and “tens of thousands” of blankets.
Governor Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden have also reportedly discussed the possibility of extra funding for people’s electricity bills, as well as for burst pipes. That’s because as the storm first hit, electrical demand surged. Since many Texans have plans connected to the wholesale price of electricity, they’re potentially set to be hit with sky-high bills.
Among other issues plaguing Texans is food spoilage; however, that can potentially be reimbursed through renters’ and homeowners’ insurance.
According to an official from the Insurance Council of Texas, “Food coverage is often related to personal property.”
Notably, there are some stipulations depending on individual circumstances and policy. To learn more about how insurance providers accept food spoilage claims, click here.
See what others are saying: (KTRK) (The New York Times) (Houston Chronicle)

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