03 April 2021

This Has Gotta Hurt

It appears that even CrossFit is sick and tired of Marjorie Taylor Greene's antics:

With every pull-up, power snatch, and hotel-room burpee, Marjorie Taylor Greene used CrossFit to build her brand, from gym owner to the House of Representatives’ most visible far-right conspiracy theorist. Before and during her political rise, CrossFit’s headquarters ignored Greene’s existence and her praise of the company’s workout programs — until now.

CrossFit for the first time disavowed Greene after BuzzFeed News asked in February about her history of calling for violence against political enemies, support for QAnon, attempts to undermine the 2020 presidential election, and amplification of other dangerous and deceptive nonsense. “CrossFit supports respectful fact-based political dialogue to address our common challenges, and we strongly oppose the loathsome and dangerous lies attributed to Ms. Greene,” Andrew Weinstein, a CrossFit spokesperson, told BuzzFeed News.

………

CrossFit has attempted to revamp its image — but without alienating a large swath of its supporters — after former CEO and owner Greg Glassman resigned in June 2020. That’s when BuzzFeed News published his leaked call with affiliate owners where he questioned why the company would mourn George Floyd’s killing and where he spread vicious racist and QAnon-adjacent conspiracies. In its wake, CrossFit athletes announced that they would boycott the brand’s marquee event, the CrossFit Games, unless new leadership were installed. Gym owners canceled their affiliations and changed their names.

Since CrossFit was founded, it has been a welcome space for conservatives, gaining early traction with law enforcement and military members. Under Glassman, the company’s brand was built on a “libertarian” and machismo philosophy and fostered a tough culture. CrossFit’s statement criticizing the views of a pro-military Republican member of Congress shocked long-term members.

“It ends up by saying we don’t support this lady, which is a pretty hard stance to take especially for CrossFit being as tied to it is to the military and generally the conservative movement,” a member of CrossFit’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council told BuzzFeed News after hearing the statement.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks that Marjorie Taylor Greene might be abusing anabolic steroids as a part of her fitness regime?

It would explain her behavior, but then again, I'm an engineer, not a psychiatrist or endocrinologist, dammit.*

(Full disclosure: I have a family member who is prominent in CrossFit.)

*I love it when I get to go all Dr. McCoy!

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