"In part two of our special two-part episode, we return to the 1982 VHS tape that created the at-home video industry: Jane Fonda's Workout. On this episode, originally released in 2020, we deconstruct the tape itself, how it was made, and why anyone thought it was a good idea in the first place. Then we'll explore how it was possible for an extremely polarizing political activist, despised by some for her activism during the Vietnam War, to become America's premier exercise guru."
"It's a story that involves one enterprising home video visionary, dozens of ridiculous celebrity workout tapes, Tricky Dick Nixon, and one very full life. Some of the voices you'll hear on this episode include Jane Fonda; Court Shannon, former Karl Video employee; and Mary Hershberger, author of Jane Fonda's War. This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was edited and produced by Benjamin Frisch. We had research assistance from Cleo Levin. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and Evan Chung, our supervising producer."
Jane Fonda's 1982 Workout VHS launched the at-home video fitness industry and became a cultural phenomenon. The tape's production combined an enterprising home-video visionary with a growing market for celebrity-led fitness media, spawning dozens of similar workout tapes. The project transformed a politically polarizing figure—criticized for Vietnam War-era activism—into a mainstream exercise guru and reshaped public perception. The story connects media innovation, celebrity branding, political controversy, and the rise of fitness culture, supported by interviews with industry participants and by historical and academic sources documenting the era.
Read at Slate Magazine
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