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Gym Influencer Doubles Down and Should Have Regretted It

Jennifer Picone isn't the most abusive gym influencer--far from it--but she may be the most annoying. In a video she posted that went viral, she was working out in a gym when another member appeared in the background by the free weights. The member was minding her own business, not looking in Picone's direction, when Picone got up and told her to move. After filming, Picone edited the video with a note about "Gym etiquette lesson #47" and accused the other gym member of "[doing] that 💩 on purpose." 

Shaming other gym members has gotten to be such a big genre that Joey Swoll has a YouTube channel, with half a million subscribers, dedicated to calling out these content creators. Just for Picone, he took a break from his vacation to tell her to mind her own business.

This may be the first time that Joey Swoll has taken one of his followers to task. The fact that she follows him and still doesn't know better than to treat the gym like her personal studio shows the first reason Picone is so annoying: she's hardheaded. Once Joey Swoll enters the chat, it's probably time to delete your original video and offer an apology. But she did something I see more and more of in real life: doubled down, tripled down, ignored the haters, and did everything but try to see things from an outside perspective.

Seeing things from other people's point of view is absolutely necessary if you're going to give advice on manners. A rude person giving etiquette advice sounds like hypocrisy (another reason she's so annoying), but I think Picone doesn't have any idea how she comes off. 

A stickler for etiquette wouldn't film in a gym--period. A lot of people are uncomfortable being filmed or they're reasonably afraid of ending up in a video like the one Picone posted. Even if someone is filming responsibly--they mind their own business and avoid filming other people--simply recording can make people feel like they have to tiptoe around you or avoid the gym altogether. 

A stickler for etiquette also wouldn't wear booty shorts that ride up and point their bottom at the camera, as a number of exercise videos on Picone's Facebook page show. Young girls might have the excuse that booty shorts are in fashion, but a woman old enough to be mistaken for a grandma, no matter how fit and trim she is, should have less vanity and more dignity--and more common sense. Putting on skimpy clothes and wiggling your bottom for the camera is a young woman's game, and that's what made Picone mad. A cute young woman appeared in her frame and upstaged her without even trying. 

The backlash from angry viewers finally got Picone banned from her gym. There's no getting through to her. But if you feel fatigue from clueless, headstrong busybodies wagging their finger, you're not alone--and if they're at the gym, you may see justice done.

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