Sweating with the Enemy

[pegkerr]

Here is an interesting article from the Boston Globe on the question some have struggled with over the question of whether Curves should be boycotted because the founder donates money to anti-abortion causes.

If getting fit also means enriching a millionaire who donates to antiabortion groups, why is Curves sweeping across New England with the force of a blizzard? Thousands of Massachusetts women are facing the question of health versus choice. How will they reconcile the personal with the political?

I'm not interested in starting a flame war about abortion in this journal, heaven knows (really, please don't post your rants pro or against about the subject here; I'm still recovering from the last kerfluffle over gay marriage. Don't make me resort to the delete key). But I'm thinking instead about the larger issue, in general, of how we choose to spend our consumer dollars can have an unlooked-for political impact. The article points out that NOW considered whether to start a boycott against Curves but decided that in the end, it would hurt franchise owners (many women who were just getting into business for themselves) rather than Heavin. I remember the Domino's controversy; I read a story about one hapless Domino's franchise owner who went broke because of the boycott; he was pro-choice himself, and he wondered, I'm just trying to sell pizza. How is driving me out of business helping choice causes?

I note from the article that some Curvers are solving the dilemma by increasing their prochoice contributions; see reference to the website curversforchoice.com. This seems to be at least a partial solution. The article also points out that unlike in the case of Dominos, where you could simply choose another pizza brand, there really isn't any business providing an alternative to the type of niche Curves fills.

My mom uses Curves. I've always exercised on my own, using videos and DVDs.

In a related story, I see the Southern Baptists announced they are ending the Disney boycott.

Comments

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Curves is not the only company selling beginner workouts to out-of-shape women in a non-intimidating way. They may be the only national chain in the business, and they may be the only one with such extreme standardization. Those are good for marketing, but I don't think they're good for customers.

There's a storefront women's fitness place on Mass Ave in Cambridge that looks to be competing with Curves rather than Healthworks. (The name of the place escapes me, but I know just where it is.) The sign in the window advertises their low prices. Their hours are almost as limited as Curves, which is not open evenings or weekends at all, nor early mornings. I think Healthworks is open from 5-6am until 10-11pm. Curves only allows for one workout. That's all. As people have said above, it's intended for mild general conditioning, but it's extremely regimented. Someone who can't do the standard workout because of injury or somesuch needs to go to another gym to exercise other parts of the body. And someone who becomes fit enough that the standard workout isn't challenging needs to go to another gym to get an actual workout.)

One thing that makes me uncomfortable about Curves is the focus on weight loss. There are a lot of women who are out of shape and in need of a beginner workout that is presented in a non-intimidating way, in a supportive atmosphere. (Including a lot of people who can't afford a Healthworks membership fee.) The Curves-competitor had signs in their window about getting fit, about strength and stamina and health. Curves pushes fitness progress in terms of losing weight, and I don't like the connotations of that.