Monday, January 24, 2011

Jack LaLanne (1914-2011)

Long before the cable airwaves were flooded with fitness programs, Jack LaLanne was teaching people how to keep fit. Today, we're mourning the passing of LaLanne at 96.

Today's audience is more familiar with the frequent airings of LaLanne pushing his fruit juicers in informercials that air on some of the same cable channels that have or still run fitness programs, usually in the morning, save for the 24 hour exercise channels which speak for themselves. A lot of those same viewers would probably put more trust in LaLanne to keep them healthy than, say, Richard Simmons, who was to the 80's & 90's what LaLanne was in the 50's, 60's, & 70's, a pre-eminent fitness guru who did all the talk shows. While Simmons has all but become a walking parody, allowing himself to be regularly ridiculed by David Letterman, for example, LaLanne moved from the gym to the kitchen, his mission statement remaining the same. The infomercials will probably continue to run a wee bit longer before being pulled, but if you haven't seen them yet, you might want to at least give it a peek.

Rest in peace, Jack. They're opening a gym in Heaven just for you.

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