Contact: David West
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

6/25/98

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - The home exercise market is booming and one reason for the industry's success may be due to marketing. The manufacturers use some of the oldest known techniques to convince Americans it's easy to get in shape, according to Northwestern State University Assistant Professor of English Dr. Joseph Colavito.

The NSU faculty member recently examined the selling of home exercise equipment in a paper he delivered at an international conference. The paper, "Ex(e/o)rcising Logos: Rhetoric, Marketing, and the Mythos of Home Exercise Machines," was delivered at the Rhetoric Society of America conference in Pittsburgh. Scholars from throughout the United States, the Netherlands, Hungary and Taiwan attended the meeting.

Colavito's paper was part of a body of study examining the intersection between rhetoric and popular media.

"I looked at how the infomercials used by the home exercise industry use facts, evidence and examples to establish credibility," said Colavito. "I argued there are so many types of appeals that credibility gets compromised. The viewer gets overwhelmed by the number of facts."

Colavito says the manufacturers frequently make outlandish claims.

"When someone hears all the things the equipment can do, and that you can get a full workout in five minutes, you get a little skeptical," he said. "Last year, home exercise machines that target the mid section alone had sales of $245 million. One may think they must be doing something right, but my argument is what they are doing right is open to question."

Scholars at the conference explored the history and theory of rhetoric. The theme of the conference was "Rhetoric, the Polis and the Global Village."

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