Exercise Videos: Buns of Flab
Created | Updated Oct 4, 2012
<CENTER><H3>Buns of Flab</H3>
<P><Img src="http://www.easystreet.com/~kfoldes/exercisevid.jpg"></CENTER>
<P><P>You step up to the VCR with a conquering attitude. You pull the innocent looking black plastic video out of its hot-pink cover that displays a sinewy, oiled body in an equally hot-pink Lycra body suit. You take a breath, pop in the tape, and turn on the TV. After the FBI warning and several seconds of black screen, a hot pink background jumps out at you, with a woman in a pink leotard smiling eerily.
<P>
You step cautiously back from the TV as the pealing synthesizer and frisky snare drums blare their jazzy, energizing tune. Why go through all of the hot-pink eye-burning torture? You want to achieve the impossible; you want Buns of Steel. What's so bad about flab? Exercise videos suggest that you'll be perky, pink, and maybe even fit, in no time- the lazy person's dream.
<P>
There are so many options for getting fit, and yet something about the perfectly toned body on the cover of the video attracts you. While watching the video, something in the back of your mind assures you that if you follow in the rhythmic footsteps of your perfectly built counterpart on the screen, you will achieve muscular perfection. It's all so fake- the huge smile, the bright makeup, the music, and the ease with which she demonstrates the exercises that have you doubled over in a heap. The most fake of all is how she constantly shares words of encouragement with you; she assumes that you're "Doin' Great" and that you're "Keepin' it going". But for all she knows, she could be encouraging you while you lie on the couch eating Cheetos, "Just a few more! Almost done!" she shouts.
<P>
The theory behind exercise videos is typical of modern culture. People want to be thin, muscular, beautiful, and friendly- just like the aerobics master in the video. Everyone wants desperately to be perfect or just normal, but unfortunately, most people don't have the will power to achieve these goals. When nobody's watching or monitoring their success, what is the likeliness that people will spend all their energy on seemingly pointless aerobic exercise? The theory is that they do it for themselves; they set a goal, in this case to become fit, and spend time working toward that goal, even if it means torture by hot-pink perkiness. In reality, most won't work that hard; they may set goals, but they look for an easy answer- a quick fix with as little pain and suffering as possible. That's why real exercise doesn't do the trick. By asserting that video aerobics will achieve quick results and easy success, consumers are likely to buy and watch that video. But most people don't have the follow through to work at the exercise program. After a week at most, the video will sit on the shelf, never to be watched again.
<P>
If you want, you can visit the website of the only exercise video that I own (currenly collecting dust).
<a href="http://www.deniseaustin.com/">Click Here to visit the official Denise Austin Site</a>
<P><Img src="http://www.easystreet.com/~kfoldes/exercisevid.jpg"></CENTER>
<P><P>You step up to the VCR with a conquering attitude. You pull the innocent looking black plastic video out of its hot-pink cover that displays a sinewy, oiled body in an equally hot-pink Lycra body suit. You take a breath, pop in the tape, and turn on the TV. After the FBI warning and several seconds of black screen, a hot pink background jumps out at you, with a woman in a pink leotard smiling eerily.
<P>
You step cautiously back from the TV as the pealing synthesizer and frisky snare drums blare their jazzy, energizing tune. Why go through all of the hot-pink eye-burning torture? You want to achieve the impossible; you want Buns of Steel. What's so bad about flab? Exercise videos suggest that you'll be perky, pink, and maybe even fit, in no time- the lazy person's dream.
<P>
There are so many options for getting fit, and yet something about the perfectly toned body on the cover of the video attracts you. While watching the video, something in the back of your mind assures you that if you follow in the rhythmic footsteps of your perfectly built counterpart on the screen, you will achieve muscular perfection. It's all so fake- the huge smile, the bright makeup, the music, and the ease with which she demonstrates the exercises that have you doubled over in a heap. The most fake of all is how she constantly shares words of encouragement with you; she assumes that you're "Doin' Great" and that you're "Keepin' it going". But for all she knows, she could be encouraging you while you lie on the couch eating Cheetos, "Just a few more! Almost done!" she shouts.
<P>
The theory behind exercise videos is typical of modern culture. People want to be thin, muscular, beautiful, and friendly- just like the aerobics master in the video. Everyone wants desperately to be perfect or just normal, but unfortunately, most people don't have the will power to achieve these goals. When nobody's watching or monitoring their success, what is the likeliness that people will spend all their energy on seemingly pointless aerobic exercise? The theory is that they do it for themselves; they set a goal, in this case to become fit, and spend time working toward that goal, even if it means torture by hot-pink perkiness. In reality, most won't work that hard; they may set goals, but they look for an easy answer- a quick fix with as little pain and suffering as possible. That's why real exercise doesn't do the trick. By asserting that video aerobics will achieve quick results and easy success, consumers are likely to buy and watch that video. But most people don't have the follow through to work at the exercise program. After a week at most, the video will sit on the shelf, never to be watched again.
<P>
If you want, you can visit the website of the only exercise video that I own (currenly collecting dust).
<a href="http://www.deniseaustin.com/">Click Here to visit the official Denise Austin Site</a>
