Luddites in all things

Fetish. from French fétiche < Portuguese feitiço < Latin factīcius (“‘artificial’”)

1. Something which is believed to possess, contain, or cause spiritual or magical powers; an amulet or a talisman.
2. An irrational, or abnormal, fixation or preoccupation.

If you think clothing is a fad - worse, a sign of the decaying moral fiber (heh) in our society - then you'll love this.

Otherwise, you might think it's silly, festishistic* exer-porn*.

I was standing in my living room with co-owners of my former company when a Bowflex commercial came on TV. One of the guys in the room turns and says, "Oh, that's so-and-so. I want to college with him." Another asks, "So that Bowflex really works, huh?" The first guy replied, "Dunno. He worked out with weights all the time and looked just like that back then."

Think the Steve Reeves-wannabe in the video was a pudgy couch potato until he shed his clothes and began running through the jungle?

Me neither.

There's a weird, cultish phenomenon occurring in the exercise world. The strive towards simplicity and away from glittery appearance has given birth to Paleo-culture then extreme Paleo-nicity.

"What would Grok do?" is their mantra.

But truthfully, what would Grok do? He'd die. Early and often. In a great deal of pain and from all manner of disease, accident, and violent incidents.

Heard the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention"?

Wouldn't be an aphorism if "Grok" had decided barefeet was preferable to shoes. Why did the Greeks and Romans favor zaftig figures? Because it was a sign of status and success. So, truly, if you're going to take simplicity to its purist (and seemingly idolatrous) extremity, you must know you're training to be a slave.


*yes, I made those words up.