Richard Simmons

[rowyn]

I was doing an architect mission* in City of Heroes with terrycloth last night, and it made fun of Richard Simmons**. It always bothers me a little when people make fun of Richard Simmons, because he's the only exercise guru that -- it seems to me -- really cared about helping people be healthier.

Sure, he's weird. I'm weird. I'm not gonna judge. All I know is that when I was growing up in the 80s, the TV was full of attractive young exercise gurus in perfect shape doing exercise shows surrounded by attractive young people, none of whom ever broke a sweat or missed a move.

Then there was Richard Simmons, with his frizzy 80s hair and a show full of ordinary, overweight people, all doing their best, all being encouraged by this kind, friendly, enthusiastic man. He always seemed to be having a good time.

Simmons defied the traditional belief, that exercise shows were about selling people a fantasy of what they could become, showing people with perfect physiques and claiming "with just ten minutes a day you'll look just like this!" Instead, he showed real people, with an accompanying subtext of: "You can do this, and it will make you healthier."

The message I got from Richard Simmons was this: "You don't have to be embarrassed to exercise. You don't have to feel ashamed because you don't have a perfect physique. Exercise is for everyone, not just the young and thin and beautiful. Whoever you are, whatever shape you are in, you can do something to make yourself fitter and healthier, and that something, even if it's just walking around the block, is worth doing."

Maybe there are other celebrity exercise gurus like that now and I just don't notice it because I'm not paying attention any more.

But it's a good message. It's a good message for life, not just exercise. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for him because of that.

* "Architect missions" are user-created.
** I should note that this particular case of satire didn't strike me as mean-spirited or cruel, the way some jabs at Simmons do. It just happened to make me think about this.

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

What people poke fun at is his manic hyperactivity. It just makes you want to chain him to a giant gerbil-wheel and see how long he can power manhattan.

[rowyn]

Hee, okay, that's funny. :)

The stuff that bugs me is people mocking his demeanor and the way he expresses himself. Or just flat-out insulting him.

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

I like your assessment of him. :-)

[rowyn]

Thanks! :) I know he's a celebrity and it's not like I *know* him, but he always seemed so nice, y'know?

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

I agree. And I remember something he was supposed to have said about how the word "diet" is negative, because the first three letters spell die...that people should focus on *living* healthy, not die-ting.

I like that. :-)

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

There's a giant robot boss in the latest WoW raid instance, XT-002 Deconstructor... It talks in a child's voice as if it were a little spoiled brat in a giant robot body, and the raid is its toys.

But, what ties this into your entry is that it periodically does stretches and exercises in its 'idle' routine (when not engaged).

I'm not making this up, it's a giant robot doing stretches and toe-touches.

[caffeinewabbit.livejournal.com]

They probably got the idea from Mr. Burns's "Robotic Richard Simmons" from The Simpsons.

[rowyn]

Ooo-kay. O_O

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

I believe it was The New Yorker that printed a long and interesting article on Richard Simmons a few years back. I'll see if I can find it for you. You'd probably enjoy reading it. :)

[rowyn]

Sure, sounds cool. :)

[octantis.livejournal.com]

Eh... honestly, I think raising his flamboyance as a target is part of his strategy, or at least he's aware of the benefit... he has some self-deprecating humor that spurs it along. Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him, and he has embedded himself firmly in the national psyche. When he makes himself a lightning rod for this, I think he expects the bolts to follow. I don't think any earnestness is being abused, even if he hears it. He would probably be much more hurt by someone attacking the root of what he stands for, like his clientelle or the idea of fitness itself. When they're not doing that, I'm sure he's happy to laugh right along from whatever palace he lives in.

Now, taking jabs at the people who work out to Simmons' programs, I would take exception to also. Or anyone else who's earnest and serious about their endeavor and has people trying to tear them down. But a celebrity making himself a target for his own purposes, I don't think it's worth being more bothered about it than he is.

[caffeinewabbit.livejournal.com]

This is very true, actually - he used to go on Conan and Letterman quite often and allow himself to be the butt of the jokes, usually as a parody of himself. He's actually got a very good sense of humor, from what I've seen.