I can’t believe they did that to Big.
Neither can Peloton,the exercise equipment company whose surprise cameo killed off one of the show’s most beloved characters. It’s the kind of wild advertising saga you might find dissected onGruen.
Should we run through it again for:a) those who’ve yet to see the scene,and b) giggles?
Totally. In the series’ opening episode,we’re reintroduced to Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mr Big (Chris Noth) in domestic bliss. They cook salmon and asparagus dinners together,dance around to Todd Rundgren,and stare dreamily at each other in moments of absent-minded serenity. But one night Carrie leaves Big at home alone to attend Charlotte’s daughter’s piano recital - and Big,following a brisk workout on a Peloton exercise bike,dies in the shower of a heart attack.
I know the new series is all about old white people problems (their fear of offending people of colour,gender-diverse people,podcast hosts and fries) but it’s such a mundane death.
It’s so matter-of-fact it makesShane Parrish’s death from a rusty nail seem like Tony Montana’s massacre at the end ofScarface. But at this point complaining thatSex and the City is silly is like complaining that the lyrics to Alanis Morissette’sIronic don’t make sense:yes,we all know that and we’ve had 20-odd years to come to terms with it already,let it go.
So is Peloton’s inclusion in the episode just another example of what last decade’s sales managers would’ve called “native advertising”?
Considering Peloton’s stockplunged 11.3 per cent immediately after the episode aired,it’s unlikely they were in on the “Hey,our exercise bikes might kill you!” plot point. In fact,the company’s been scrambling ever since.
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Oh wow,that’s funny.
On Friday a spokesperson for the companytoldBuzzfeed News that while they knew Peloton’s exercise equipment would feature in the series premiere,they weren’t aware of the wider context around the appearance. Another statement from one of the company’s reps blamed the death on Mr Big’s “extravagant lifestyle - including cocktails,cigars,and big steaks”. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history,which often is a significant factor,were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event,” the statement read.