California News
Big storm over fitness center's ad
By Ulysses Torassa
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF
Tuesday, February 16, 1999
Despite protests from fat activists, a health club is
refusing to budge from its new ad that suggests that
overweight people will be the first to be devoured
by hungry space aliens when the invasion comes.
The ad for 24 Hour Fitness, which has shown up on
a South of Market billboard, depicts an artist's
vision of a space alien and reads, "When they come,
they'll eat the fat ones first."
Fat activists find the ad demeaning and took to the
sidewalk in front of one of the fitness chain's outlets
Monday to show their displeasure.
"Eat me!" the 30-some protesters in front of 24
Hour Fitness at Van Ness Avenue and Post Street
chanted as they held an aerobics class and waved
signs that read, "Bite My Fat Alien Butt," and "I'm
Yummy." Some handed out lollipops.
Passing motorists honked in appreciation.
But the company, apparently unmoved, said it had
no plans to change its advertisement, the opening
piece in a still-unfolding ad campaign with a
humorous, sci-fi theme.
"As we know, obesity is one of the leading causes
of health care costs in our society. It's no laughing
matter at all," said Craig Pepin-Donat, northwest
division president of 24 Hour Fitness, a chain of
284 gyms based in Carlsbad, San Diego County.
He said the club has members of all races, ages and
sizes.
In a separate statement, the company said there
was no intention to offend anyone with its current
ad.
"We all know how hard it is to lose weight.
Sometimes humor helps make things easier, and can
even be motivational," he said.
Protest organizer Marilyn Wann of the National
Association to Advance Fat Acceptance said she
even laughed when she first learned of the ad from a
TV station that called her up last week to ask her
about it.
"And then I got really angry," said Wann, a San
Francisco resident who publishes a "zine" and is
author of a book, both called FAT!SO?, that use
humor and entertainment to promote fat
acceptance. Her motto is: "Life is too short for
self-hatred and celery sticks."
Wann describes herself as weighing "270 cute,
luscious pounds." Like most of the other protesters,
she said she is active and healthy, and resents being
constantly told that there is something wrong with
being heavy.
"I thought, how can I take this and say, "This is not
cool,' and also have fun?" she said, describing how
Monday's protest was hatched. "I thought it would
be great to get a bunch of cool fat people out on a
beautiful day to have fun and hold up signs saying,
"Eat me.' "
Among the three dozen people who showed up for
Monday's protest was Wann's personal trainer,
who specializes in training large women. She
brought a boom box and led an aerobics class on
the sidewalk and, later, on the median strip.
And it wasn't just the protesters who found the ad
objectionable. Several 24 Hour Fitness members
entering and leaving the Van Ness gym said they
thought the ad went too far.
Member Nancy Cook said she was so upset when
she heard about it that she called every one of the
seven locations in The City, and had a sit-down talk
with the manager of the Van Ness gym, who told
her his phone had been ringing off the hook about it.
When she saw the protest, she went back inside the
club, changed into workout clothes and joined the
sidewalk aerobics class for several songs.
"This (club) should be here to support us," said
Cook, who is not slender. "To have a sign like that
is one more slap in the face."
Another member, Ron Pragides of Pacific Heights,
agreed. "It bothers me," he said. "That statement
alone says to people who are of a larger size that
they aren't welcome."
"I think it's pretty insulting," said gym member
Meghan Cast of San Francisco. But her companion,
John Bare, disagreed. "Some people take life too
seriously," he said. "I get short bald jokes all the
time. I have to laugh."
©1999 San Francisco Examiner |
