April 2, 2016

The treadmill.



The picture comes from the Wikipedia article on treadmills, which I was reading because my son John had done a Facebook post linking to a Forbes article that displayed like this...



... and I thought it was a sad sign of the times that the idea of "relaxing and rejuvenating activities" was illustrated by a person running on a treadmill. A treadmill was once a very clear symbol of drudgery.

I was looking for a video clip from the movie about Oscar Wilde that showed him on the prison treadmill — this kind of treadmill....



... and I didn't find it, but searching for Oscar Wilde + treadmill got me to this:

22 comments:

virgil xenophon said...

"Treadmill to Oblivion" (1954--Fred Allen)

Laslo Spatula said...

I can appreciate a beautiful woman on a treadmill, thighs glistening, tightly-clad buttocks flexing rhythmically, pony-tail swaying back-and-forth.

And all of that to punish themselves for having that Starbucks mocha with low-fat milk.

I am Laslo.

Expat(ish) said...

I have to run on dreadmills when I travel and it's too dangerous to go outside - Bogota, Detroit, ...

-XC

Laslo Spatula said...


(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I shouldn't have had that mocha.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I didn't need that mocha.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I was doing so good until I had that mocha.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I could've just drove by, but no, I was weak.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I must punish the weakness.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

That guy is staring at my butt again.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I work hard for this butt, I occasionally deserve a mocha.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

No, I don't. Don't lie to myself.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

My Life is full of lies.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I'm going to grow old.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I could've had an Americano, no cream.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I knew that when I ordered the mocha.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I knew better. I KNOW better.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

They hired a younger girl in the front office.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

The mocha was her fault. Bitch.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I can't let her win. I'M the sexy one at the Office.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I would kill for some Häagen-Dazs.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I am Laslo.

Fernandinande said...

The Wilde movie is here:
http://veehd.com/video/4575761_Wilde-1997

"One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing."

Michael K said...

Looks like my stress test last month.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

I run on a treadmill because it is easier on the knees and hips than real running and I can watch TV. I find running incredibly boring.

Carol said...

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

tl;dr

RedFred said...

I'm surprised no one mentioned Taylor Swift on the treadmill.

Anonymous said...

I thought the Taylor Swift one was pretty good.

Phil 314 said...

Guys working out on the treadmill. OK, now its time to GO

Jim Howard said...

Conan's Wheel

Laslo Spatula said...

Carol said...
(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

tl;dr


239 words, half of which were an obvious rhythm thing.

Do you really read that slow?


I am Laslo.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Drudgery or not, treadmills work fine for some people, but I got myself back into shape by pushing a bolder up a hill, over and over again.

Laslo Spatula said...

Girl with the Pony Tail on the Treadmill:

I don't get Donald Trump.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I Hate Donald Trump.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

He only gets beautiful women because he is rich.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

That new Bitch in the Front Office would fuck him.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

She would ASS-Fuck him.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

For the Money.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

Rich People always think they can fuck someone in the ass because they have money.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I don't get people who don't support Bernie.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

He's like who I wish my Father was, If my Father was Cool like That.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

Without all that Guilt and Pressure. I get it, Dad: you helped pay for my College. I get it, alright?

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

If Bernie got rid of my college debts I could afford a new car.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

A NICE new car. Like a Volkswagen or maybe an Audi.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

If Bernie got rid of my college debts I could live a better life.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I wouldn't have to have a room-mate.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I Hate my room-mate.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

Fucking Bitch.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

If Bernie got rid of my college debts I could live a better life.

(pony-tail swish, pony-tail swish)

I am Laslo.

Rusty said...

Again. Laslo saves the thread.

Lewis Wetzel said...

If you hooked one o' them prison treadmills up to guillotine or an electric chair you could have a really efficient prison.

tim in vermont said...

If there were only a pill that could do for you what a treadmill can. Headphones, spotify, or a book on tape. With so many choices now, I can't even watch TV anymore.

tim in vermont said...

TV is just too slow, bandwidth too low in terms of ideas. Movies still manage it as long as you are really choosy.

SeanF said...

Anybody else read the final "I am Laslo" in his posts as being just another thing the pony-tail girl thinks?

kjbe said...

If it's a sad sign for you, then you're naive as to why people find the need to use them.

SE Flores said...

As a person who uses a treadmill I like them just fine. Forces one to maintain a pace, you can do hill training - some even have TV's. The people who invented books on tape, podcasts and other media that can be consumed while doing something else must have been treadmill users.
Purposeful Treadmilling:
Threshing Treadmill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brNox6WOTUw