Prancercise: The exercise sensation that's sweeping the nation

Yesterday morning when, through an errant link, I first saw and brought the Prancercise video to my discerning readers' attention the counter at You Tube was at 301 views. Today it is, as of this posting, at 346, 182 and trending up with a bullet.

Yesterday morning the Prime Prancer's website, www.prancercise.com, went down on her as the slavering internet hordes mobbed the domain of which she was the mistress. Today Prancercise is up and down, but it's creator, Joanna Rohrbuck, is up... way, way up.

‘Prancercise’ Creator on Her ‘Wacky’ Workout and Being Too Famous to Prancercise:

She’s aware that people think her exercise routine “Prancercise” is “goofy,” and that by extension its founder must be “spooky and goofy and weird and wacky. I say bring it on. I love it. Look at all the attention it’s getting me. If I wasn’t all those things, I wouldn’t be who I am.”

She also wouldn’t be an internet sensation, which is something of an understatement. Since Rohrback recently revived the hilariously original aerobic routine she created in 1989 but shelved for more than two decades, the Coral Springs, Florida, woman has been bombarded with so many clicks at her web site that it crashed Wednesday, and she’s scrambling to figure out how to add more server capacity. She can barely keep track of the interview requests galloping in. It’s such a big deal that its founder can’t find the time to prancercise.

“I didn’t even get to do it today, and I’m so upset about it,” Rohrback told The Daily Beast. “I can’t even do all the interviews. I’m going wacko.”

And, of course, the Prancerciser wannabes have trotted out of the woodwork and into their paddocks:

What accounts for the craze? All the obvious reasons including the fact that, as one of my friends said on the phone after watching the video I sent him, "I laughed so hard I think I threw a kidney."

Meanwhile, over on Amazon, the rave reviews or, if you will, the raving reviewers are pouring in:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Prancercise: The Art of Physical and Spiritual Excellence Bronies need exercise, too!

I am not going to even prance around the point -- I am a brony. What's a brony? An adult, male fan of My Little Pony. But not just any fan, I am a serious fan. I go to conventions dressed as my favorite pony (Twilight Sparkle, duh), and my room could easily be mistaken of that of a five year old girl's due to all the MLP collectables I've acquired. The one thing that the new My Little Pony franchise has not really taken into consideration is the health of their fanbase. Friendship is great, but what good is it when you are lethargic and flabby? That is where Prancercise comes in.

I first discovered Prancercise while surfing the popular website Reddit. Granted, people were posting links to the author's video for the sake of mocking it, but something in the freedom of her movements spoke to me. Underneath that crisp, salmon-colored jacket and those tight white leggings was a kindred spirit. A spirit that had been sent onto this earth to spread friendship, cheer, and prancing.

Look, I know how it sounds, and I know you're probably thinking that either I am sitting here being facetious or that I am a total nutcase. But I promise you that I am sincere, and that I am at least sane enough to be an independently living adult with a full time job. So, I mean, that's something. I implore you to pick up this book and give Prancercise a chance. It has changed my life. I went from lazy, lethargic, barely having enough energy to squeeze into my size 6T Pinkie Pie pajamas (they need to start making these for adults). Now I am full of energy, life, joie de vivre. I am a new me. A new pony. I do not skulk around, I PRANCE. I prance PROUDLY and with gusto.

"PROUDLY and with gusto....." Where have we seen such proud gusto before? Ah yes.....

It never gets old and, I note, you can Prancercise to it!

Posted by gerardvanderleun at May 30, 2013 12:27 PM