Video angst

When I worked out at the Y (on treadmill or bike), my choices were to watch Fox news, sports, or a cooking show where people made food that no one who ever saw the inside of a gym was likely to eat. I would not choose to watch any of these.

The treadmills at Aurora Leisure Center look out on the car park, so no bank of TV screens to watch (or avoid watching). However, each machine has its own screen where your choices are to watch a simulation of being on a trail (in Utah, New Zealand, Germany, California) or music videos. After I got tired of my iPod music and the trail videos, I switched to music videos.

The cardio blast soundtrack is right up my ally--a pounding beat that makes your workout seem effortless. HOWEVER, some of the videos qualify as soft porn. As someone who worked on the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, it is shocking to me how far popular culture moved in the wrong direction. While I'm busting a gut trying to maintain my pace on the treadmill, do I really have to watch heavily oiled women in string bikinis shake their booty in my face? The fully clothed male singers look on approvingly as the women drink Vodka straight from the bottle and simulate various acts.

The more-recent "Blurred Lines" and "Don't Stop the Party" by someone named Pitbull are examples of what's on the play list.

In my five minutes of research, I found that the "Don't Stop the Party" video is banned in the U.K. So that makes me feel better. I will mention this to the staff at Aurora. There are a lot of teenagers working out at Aurora and I really don't think this is what their parents want them watching.

But what will I watch? I'm going to have to learn how to assemble playlists and load them on my iPod so I have more control over my workout soundtrack. This is a life skill that I've put off for too long, apparently.