Peloton released its holiday commercial called "The Gift That Gives Back" in hopes of securing more customers to buy the company's well-crafted spin bike. However, the plan completely fell through after people reacted negatively to the tone-deaf commercial that had more than a handful of things wrong with it. "Nothing says “maybe you should lose a few pounds” like gifting your already rail thin life partner a Peloton," one Twitter user responded.
While the actress in the spot is the shining star, her husband in the commercial (who only had about five seconds of air time) has responded to the backlash, detailing its impact on his personal life and career. "My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face. My friend texted me today declaring that I'm 'a symbol of the patriarchy,'" Sean Hunter told Psychology Today.
"As my face continues to be screen shot online, I wonder what repercussions will come back to me," he added. "I pride myself on being a great teacher and developing actor, and I can only hope that this affects neither."
Sean also sympathized with the female actor who has yet to respond to any of the hate. "I reflect on what my co-actor must be dealing with, as she’s the other 25 seconds of the story," he said.