ABSTRACT

Peloton created an ad a year ago, about a woman who received a Peloton Bike for Christmas. This ad created a lot of backlash and some called it sexist. This comes from the word sexism, which Merriam Webster dictionary defines as, “prejudice or discrimination based on sex especially: discrimination against women.” The ad shows a woman who wakes up on Christmas morning and receives a Pelton bike. The ad shows the woman documenting her progress so she can show her husband how grateful she is for the gift. There was backlash about the ad. An article by Scott Mautz in INC.com states, “The husband wants his wife to get in shape and so he gives her a Peloton and then looks satisfied as she thanks him for the gift and the transformation. Actually, that part of the backlash seems to me that we're just oversensitive” (Maultz, 2019). The article from Inc also points out that the woman in the ad is portrayed as “unsure, timid, fearful, and needing approval” (Maultz, 2019). The ad drew so much attention that the actor who played the husband said in an interview with Good Morning America that he was stunned by the reaction on social media calling him a controlling, abusive, and misogynistic husband (ABC News, 2019). Another article from the Guardian stated that critics “called it “offensive” and “dumb”, pointing out that the woman was already slim at the start and the implication that her partner thinks she needs to get fitter and lose weight was patronizing and damaging” (Belam, & Partridge, J. 2019). The TARES Test, a 5-step method for analyzing persuasive messages, will be used to determine if this ad is ethical. Kant’s categorical imperative will be used to support the analysis.