How I Messed up My Audition for a Richard Simmon’s Exercise Video
My ego was bigger than my talent
When I was in junior high, my goal was to be Elton John’s cover wife. He hadn’t come out yet, but the lady across the street told me he was gay and belched a lot. I wanted to help him out by being his beard.
Even when I was 13-years-old, I was an LGBTQ+ ally, so it’s not surprising when I got a little older, instead of crushing on Richard Simmons, I wanted to be his friend.
Before Richard Simmons retired from the spotlight, he had a thriving fitness empire with an exercise studio, workout tapes, and television appearances.
I first saw him on “General Hospital.” Richard played himself, was dressed in his tank top and Dolphin shorts uniform, and led the staff in some aerobic exercise. He was a frantic ball of energy I found captivating.
Not everybody was a Richard Simmons stan.
However, for plus-size people, Richard Simmons was their savior.
He was a former fat guy with empathy — a quality missing in most fitness influencers, and he cared about people. Richard reached out, surprised his fans by dropping by their houses, and gave out hugs, free books, and meal plans.
