Race this lowly web developer!

June 22, 2006 12:22 PM

Are you a fast sprinter? Do you live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota? You've probably seen the crazy ads on your local channels for Dick Enrico's 2nd Wind Exercise and always wondered, "What's that guy like in real life?" Now's your chance to find out by signing up to race his web developer Jerry Holland, a geek out to prove that he's not just a desk monkey. They've even got a championship belt! (I don't have the guts to sign up, has anyone out there done this/willing to do this?)
posted by rez (10 comments total)

I'm just so proud that I introduced MeFi to the wonders of Dick Enrico.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:42 PM on June 22, 2006

I was just in a 2nd Wind store. My wife asked one of the guys there "Does Dick ever use his own equipment"? The saleman laughed. Apparently Dick does exercise but his love of food overcomes the amount of calories he burns.
posted by Ber at 1:04 PM on June 22, 2006

I wish that I could say that I wasn't like that. :/

Did you see the bobbleheads? They had Dick bobbleheads "made from 100% recycled thighmasters." Ha!
posted by rez at 1:09 PM on June 22, 2006

I take it he's won all of the races thus far? I watched one, but the video was too small and grainy for me to really get the results.
posted by graventy at 1:18 PM on June 22, 2006

Wasn't Dick Enrico in a hot tub scandal in the past few years? Or does he just look like he should've been in a hot tub scandal?
posted by COBRA! at 1:29 PM on June 22, 2006

He looks like he should be selling used cars on late-night TV in Philadelphia.
posted by blucevalo at 1:31 PM on June 22, 2006

Wasn't Dick Enrico in a hot tub scandal in the past few years?

Yeah, him and the chick from the Watson's commercials...
posted by Demogorgon at 3:13 PM on June 22, 2006

68 stores selling fitness equipment?
Wow.
posted by madajb at 3:25 PM on June 22, 2006

Dick Enrico doesn't sleep. He waits.
posted by cellphone at 4:09 PM on June 22, 2006

Those ads are somewhere between deeply disturbing and haha funny. A skeleton with a goofy mustache is supposed to make me want to buy exercise equipment? Putting the same goofy mustache on a baby makes me sad for the baby (or the person who had to do the Photoshopping), not at all interested in buying exercise equipment. But I guess no press is bad press?

I seriously wonder about that. Apparently, the idea is that ads make us think about certain brands and so, when we decide to buy something, we'll think of that brand regardless of what the content of the ad was. But doesn't it happen that you think of the brand in question, then think "Hahh, yeah right, those idiots? No way!" and then go to the next one on the list? Have they done studies that show that the content of ads don't actually have a negative effect on people's impressions? I know there have been ads I've thought were hilarious and then decided firmly never to buy from anyone who'd advertise that way. Dick Enrico is one such.
posted by jiawen at 4:41 PM on June 22, 2006