One of the secrets to Peloton’s success is the company’s positive and encouraging spin instructors. Classes are led by instructors that help riders push through hard workouts by cheering them on, encouraging positive thinking and generally foster a motivational environment for the community.
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The positive vibe is great if that’s the kind of thing that will get you working hard on the bike, but, as Saturday Night Live pointed out last night, it’s not for everyone.
The Pelotaunt
One of last night’s SNL skits parodied Peloton classes by advertising the “Pelotaunt.”
“What if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t respond to encouragement?” asks the fake ad.
Three riders who “cannot be cheerleaded” (played by Ego Nwodim, Melissa Villasenor and Beck Bennett) ride the Pelotaunt. The bike comes with “personalized, at home, negative reinforcement and relentless criticism.”
The instructors (played by Kate McKinnon, Heidi Gardner and Bowen Yang) use: “Patented passive aggression and a toolkit of emotional manipulation styles guaranteed to get even the laziest cyclist moving.” The Pelotaunt ad also guarantees no corny inspirational speeches, just “withering judgement.”
Pelotaunt instructors use techniques such as: Snotty distain, insincere praise and “an avoidant attachment style that will put you in a complete state of codependence.”
“I hate exercise, but I hate Sarah more,” says one Pelotaunt cyclist, as another rider is forced to watch an elderly women who is “like a thousand times better” than her.
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Peloton’s pump-up ride soundtracks are a big part of its brand, but the Pelotaunt features a “humiliating soundtrack that will make you sound stupid” (the theme song from Curb Your Enthusiasm).
It’s no secret that many athletes think they respond well to negative reinforcement like Pelotaunt’s brand. The fake product already has some fans—most of the current top comments on SNL’s Instagram post are people saying they would actually buy the product.
The post SNL parodies Peloton with a bike for riders who need negative reinforcement appeared first on Canadian Cycling Magazine.