When I think of the incredible consumer appeal "exercising" had on the market in the early/mid 80's, there was nothing that compared to the the 20 Minute Workout.
This was an exercise program that began as a "filler" program on the Showtime channel, which is where I first discovered it as a teen.
And as a teen I was as limber and athletic as they came, so this really appealed to me after years of television exercises my parents watched such as with "Jack LaLane". Believe you me, there is nothing wrong with Jack LaLane, but the 80's brought this -- something new and exciting for my generation to put a new face on exercise that made teens and young adults want to include into a 3 day a week routine.
But then there was something -- else with this program.
On the Showtime where this began, there was something more than exercise. These people demonstrating the exercises were...pretty. Very pretty...and thin. Pretty, thin ... and colorful. This was the 80's. they were selling more than exercise. They were selling work out gear you HAD to have. And they were indeed selling "something else". These folks were placed on a 360 degree rotating platform performing exercises and the camera was placed where you could see angles you would NEVER see on your mom or grand-dad's old exercise programs. Yes, this was on the sexual - and later I found out why.
Let me say this first: these little exercise breaks on the Showtime channel blossomed into a syndicated program that was a bit more "athletic" with the best instructor/actress in the world Bess Mota. Plus a few others, but it was Bess who made you WANT to do this, and do with with a smile. And I think that is where most folks were exposed to this program. That and the fact you could buy VHS's by that time.... But I was one of the teen that got hooked before that.
The sexuality of the exercise personnel on the Showtime fillers was on purpose. For those who remember, you are not mistaken if you're thinking: "Hey, is that camera where I think it is?" It was. Strategically was.
And that was due to the cameraman/producer/brainchild of this series. I hope they go back into the vault and show this program again...not starting at the syndicated program, but the Showtime fillers is where you will see a bunch of folks who because awfully familiar throughout the 80's - Male Chippendale hosts/dancers, mainstream actresses, gymnasts, etc. And the cameraman went on to film...you guessed it...more (ahem) adult oriented fare. Looking at this, you'd be a fool to think he wouldn't have progressed in that manner.
There WAS the exercise - which was the thing - and that was more focused through the syndicated programming. Even though you still had lovelies in great make up that sweat through the most treacherous exercises, the exercises were carefully designed to raise your heart rate and cool you down all in 20 Minutes. Bess Mota also taught classes in West Los Angeles in the 80's and she seemed very into this craft. But like everything else, when Jane Fonda got hold of the "exercise" craze, and your parents started to buy into this, the interest died.
I still say I would like to see the re-runs of this program now. I find it bad that the 80's was also when a great deal of school systems dropped P.E., Art and Music..some 20 years later we're looking back at that decision and saw it was a horrible one. Maybe introducing the Syndicated version of the 20 Minute work out into PE programs would get tweens/teen interested in exercise again. Especially when these folks make exercise seem so beautiful.
The Showtime versions... well... let's leave those for the adults to exercise with.
This was an exercise program that began as a "filler" program on the Showtime channel, which is where I first discovered it as a teen.
And as a teen I was as limber and athletic as they came, so this really appealed to me after years of television exercises my parents watched such as with "Jack LaLane". Believe you me, there is nothing wrong with Jack LaLane, but the 80's brought this -- something new and exciting for my generation to put a new face on exercise that made teens and young adults want to include into a 3 day a week routine.
But then there was something -- else with this program.
On the Showtime where this began, there was something more than exercise. These people demonstrating the exercises were...pretty. Very pretty...and thin. Pretty, thin ... and colorful. This was the 80's. they were selling more than exercise. They were selling work out gear you HAD to have. And they were indeed selling "something else". These folks were placed on a 360 degree rotating platform performing exercises and the camera was placed where you could see angles you would NEVER see on your mom or grand-dad's old exercise programs. Yes, this was on the sexual - and later I found out why.
Let me say this first: these little exercise breaks on the Showtime channel blossomed into a syndicated program that was a bit more "athletic" with the best instructor/actress in the world Bess Mota. Plus a few others, but it was Bess who made you WANT to do this, and do with with a smile. And I think that is where most folks were exposed to this program. That and the fact you could buy VHS's by that time.... But I was one of the teen that got hooked before that.
The sexuality of the exercise personnel on the Showtime fillers was on purpose. For those who remember, you are not mistaken if you're thinking: "Hey, is that camera where I think it is?" It was. Strategically was.
And that was due to the cameraman/producer/brainchild of this series. I hope they go back into the vault and show this program again...not starting at the syndicated program, but the Showtime fillers is where you will see a bunch of folks who because awfully familiar throughout the 80's - Male Chippendale hosts/dancers, mainstream actresses, gymnasts, etc. And the cameraman went on to film...you guessed it...more (ahem) adult oriented fare. Looking at this, you'd be a fool to think he wouldn't have progressed in that manner.
There WAS the exercise - which was the thing - and that was more focused through the syndicated programming. Even though you still had lovelies in great make up that sweat through the most treacherous exercises, the exercises were carefully designed to raise your heart rate and cool you down all in 20 Minutes. Bess Mota also taught classes in West Los Angeles in the 80's and she seemed very into this craft. But like everything else, when Jane Fonda got hold of the "exercise" craze, and your parents started to buy into this, the interest died.
I still say I would like to see the re-runs of this program now. I find it bad that the 80's was also when a great deal of school systems dropped P.E., Art and Music..some 20 years later we're looking back at that decision and saw it was a horrible one. Maybe introducing the Syndicated version of the 20 Minute work out into PE programs would get tweens/teen interested in exercise again. Especially when these folks make exercise seem so beautiful.
The Showtime versions... well... let's leave those for the adults to exercise with.
