January 29, 2016

If the promotion says "Come ride with Chelsea Clinton in support of Hillary for America," doesn't Chelsea have to get on the cycle and spin along with the donors?

I'm seeing attention given to the shortfall in fundraising: "Chelsea Clinton's fundraising flop: Soul Cycle event to raise money for Hillary a bust as $2,700 seats are offered for just $50 to fill bikes."

But what I think is a bigger problem is that donors were lured by — and they paid big money for — the opportunity to ride with Chelsea:
CNN reports that Chelsea herself did not participate in the class but did answer questions for guests shortly before they began their stationery ride....
Here's the promo:



Don't you think the ladies who forked over $2,700 pictured themselves in their workout clothes, sweating, grunting, and laughing alongside Chelsea in her workout clothes, plugging away, taking instructions from Senior Master Instructor Laurie Cole for the full length of a "SoulCycle" session?

In the grand scheme of injustices, this ranks exceedingly low, but there's something irksome about the use of the old first daughter as bait... especially in a bait and switch.

And what's the "soul" in "SoulCycle"? I can't detect anything soulful about it.

85 comments:

traditionalguy said...

I dunno. A Meet and Greet for a Clinton held in a Spin Class seems so poetic. That may not be soul as much as wit, but when a Spin Class Drill Sargent yells loud enough towards the end it becomes a soulful masochistic experience. Maybe why The Chelsea does not ride.

Laslo Spatula said...

Somewhere there is a Man saddened at the loss of Opportunity to bid on winning Chelsea's Used SoulCycle Seat.

Just saying that is how the World works.

Some ride the bikes, some smell the seats.

America.

I am Laslo.

traditionalguy said...

I hope Laslo is spinning that seat sniffer fetish. The guys would just be thankful that they were not seated behind Hillary on a bike. If so, they would probably pay the full $2,700.00 to leave the room.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Wait, are my stereotypical beliefs about lawyers wrong? Shouldn't this be an easy one for an attorney?

They were cycling. Chelsea was there. Chelsea was therefore "with" them. Thus they were cycling with Chelsea.

It depends on the meaning with which you mean with.

Original Mike said...

Like mother, like daughter.

J. Farmer said...

Is Chelsea being groomed as the next Caroline Kennedy? Both had fathers who are lionized in the Democratic Party (not to mention both being lying, womanizing pussy hounds). Is Chelsea going to march into some Democratic governors mansion and demand a Senate appointment for a vacated seat or walk into some future Democratic White House and demand she be made ambassador to some big country because...because...well, don't you know she she is.

FleetUSA said...

Typical Clinton. All show/spin and no honest work or contribution.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

The word of the day is "irk."

JAORE said...

Portly Granny organ grinder, little homely Chelsea monkey. Why the cartoons almost draw themselves.

Quaestor said...

Nature or Nurture? Chelsea proves it's both.

tim maguire said...

Probably they pictured themselves riding with Chelsea, but they were mostly donating to her mother's campaign. Which they did. What they mostly wanted out of Chelsea was a chance to have their pictures taken with her. If that happened, then they don't really have anything to complain about.

Bay Area Guy said...

Chelsea Clinton -- the definition of "born on 3rd base, thinks she hit a triple."

The problem for the Clintons is that if they are going to use their daughter for political purposes, it is fair to ask Chelsea about: (1) Bill Clinton's serial adultery, (2) Hillary Clinton's serial enabling of Bill Clinton's serial adultery, (3) the credible rape charges against Bill Clinton by Juanita Broderick and (4) how all of this squares with Mom's modern day vision of female empowerment.


Might wanna ask her about Mom's private server and what she knows about the FBI investigation, too. Has she retained an attorney by any chance?

Politics ain't bean-bag.

David Begley said...

It is soulful because the owners say so.

Quaestor said...

The word of the day is "irk."

Back during Bill Clinton's extended bout of sex tourism in the White House there was a Democratic hack from North Carolina called Erskine Bowles serving as one of their numerous flunkeys and errand boys. Rush used to have fun with his name by calling him Irksome Bowels.

AllenS said...

Chelsea isn't well established enough like her mother, so she has to do these shows, instead of getting millions of dollars from the Saudies.

Quaestor said...

J. Farmer wrote: Is Chelsea being groomed as the next Caroline Kennedy?

Groomed?

jr565 said...

What has Chelsea ever done but be a stand in for her successful parents? Has she done anything of merit? That would be like me getting a chance to hang out with Paul Mccartneys cousin Jim.

Known Unknown said...

SoulCycle, via Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

eric said...

If you're paying over two grand you're paying for access. Not for a cycling class. If you're paying $50 you're thinking, neato! I get to cycle with the first daughter!

So, it depends on what you're paying.

madAsHell said...

I thought if you used the word soul, as in SoulCycle, then you needed to have some Black Lies Muttered people in the crowd.
Whatssup with all da' white womenz?

Known Unknown said...

Spinning class. A bit ironic, don't you think?

amielalune said...


I have no sympathy (or human feelings whatsoever, for that matter) for anyone who is excited about an opportunity to spend any time with Chelsea Clinton, or any Clinton.

Original Mike said...

"Come ride with Chelsea Clinton."

One doesn't really "ride" a stationary bike, does one?

David Begley said...

I can't imagine anyone giving a dime to the Clintons unless they knew were for sure they were getting something in return.

Laslo Spatula said...

Queen's Campaign Song for the Event:

Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round
Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round

Get on your bikes and ride...

I am Laslo.

rhhardin said...

Stationary bicycles go with feminism, and its march-in-place progress since forever.

rhhardin said...

Some writer got in trouble for calling Johnson's daughters "semi-beautiful."

PB said...

Chelsea has been fully indoctrinated into the Clinton way of doing things where honesty has no meaning.

BTW, as vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation and a director since 2011, Chelsea may get embroiled in the public corruption charges.

Tank said...

David Begley said...

I can't imagine anyone giving a dime to the Clintons unless they knew were for sure they were getting something in return.


David, I know some of these people. It is hard to believe. They actually support her. And they're not some dummies, they're your basic Northeast leftist, liberals here in northern NJ. College grads, many with advanced degrees. Maybe that explains it.

Tank said...

And ... these are not bad people. They're some of my good friends. And, ironically, they all live a very conservative, suburban lifestyle ... kids, homes, jobs, education, charity, etc.

M.E. said...

Unless they were using bikes made of fine writing paper, I'm pretty sure they were sitting on stationary, not stationery, bikes.

Laslo Spatula said...

If the promotion says "Come ride with Chelsea Clinton in support of Hillary for America," doesn't Chelsea have to get on the cycle and spin along with the donors?"

If it said "Come Bukkake with Chelsea Clinton" I would expect that to mean that Chelsea has a cock and will indeed participate.

I am Laslo.

campy said...

Does a fish need a stationary bicycle?

richlb said...

Notice the type sizes. Chelsea is large, and Hillary for America is small. So small that they almost didn't want you to notice it.

SGT Ted said...

Oh a Clinton who's a phony. Who could have imagined that?

Skeptical Voter said...

The Clintons. All sizzle- no steak. And frequently what steak is there is putrid and stinks to high heaven.

Sebastian said...

"Irksome". Not the first word that comes to mind to describe the Clintons. Nor the second.

lgv said...

I've got to think that those who paid $50 felt like they got ripped off even if Chelsea got on a bike.

Chelsea has a long way to go to reach Caroline Kennedy's level of accomplishment.

Mary Beth said...

SoulCycle classes aren't like regular spin classes because they're supposed to be an "experience", not just exercise. I think if I had seen those ads for it, I would have expected her to be there and participate, not just answer questions beforehand and leave.

mccullough said...

Chelsea will probably be governor of New York some day. She seems no worse than Cuomo and is about as accomplished as W and Jeb were when they became governor.

Maybe she'll be the third child, and first girl, to be president like her dad.

Etienne said...

TriBeCa - My ass hurts...

SGT Ted said...

She seems no worse than Cuomo and is about as accomplished as W and Jeb were when they became governor.

Uh wrong. Chelsea has done nothing of note, other than be a Clinton. Try again.

Smilin' Jack said...

But what I think is a bigger problem is that donors were lured by — and they paid big money for — the opportunity to ride with Chelsea

I can't believe anyone would pay $2700 for an opportunity to ride with Chelsea. Maybe they misread and thought they were paying $2700 for an opportunity to ride Chelsea. But no, I can't believe they'd do that either.

SGT Ted said...

Chelsea is even less fit than her mom to be President. And her mom isn't fit to be President.

alan markus said...

I hope Laslo is spinning that seat sniffer fetish.

I remember Rolling Stone reporting this and noted that the production company could have resold the seats. Today, with EBay & Craigslist, that would be an easy task.

Queen - Bicycle Race - The video for the song was infamous for featuring 65 naked women, all professional models, racing at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. It was filmed by Dennis de Vallance. The group rented the stadium and several dozen bikes for one day for filming the scene; however, when the renting company became aware of the way their bikes were used, they requested that the group purchase all the bicycle seats.

MadisonMan said...

What M. E. said.

Who at The Daily Mail can't distinguish between stationary and stationery?

Fernandinande said...

If the promotion says "Come ride with Chelsea Clinton in support of Hillary for America," doesn't Chelsea have to get on the cycle and spin along with the donors?

No. They should know by now that the word "Clinton" cancels any actual meaning the sentence might've had otherwise.

mccullough said...

Sgt. Ted,

Please let us know what Jeb and W did by age 36. They made their money off their family's connections, just like Chelsea Clinton. No better and no worse.



Bilwick said...

In the interests of accuracy in advertising, they should say, "Come ride with Hillary and her useless daughter down the Road to Serfdom--dragging the rest of America with them!"

TrespassersW said...

Grifters. And the only one who once upon a time had any Johnny Hooker/Henry Gondorff charm is Bill.

vanderleun said...

"And what's the "soul" in "SoulCycle"? I can't detect anything soulful about it."

They put in the word "soul" to inject a faint soupcon of "The Noble American Negro" into their schtick. All ad/marketing pumps in a bit of "Noble American Negro" gas whereever they can these days.

mccullough said...

The Soul is just new age bullshit. Crack would have lit into this event on the basis of the permeation of new age bullshit into exercise and now politics layered on top of it.

Lyle Smith said...

I hear Soul food is popular in Brooklyn these days (or Southern food - something different from bagels). Maybe that is where the "Soul" comes from... the fashion of engaging in something currently branded as soulful.

LYNNDH said...

Maybe those pictures of Barack on a bike made the handlers think twice about getting her on a bike.

Michael said...

SoulCycle has been around for a while. It is a take on the spin craze where people ride road bike-style stationary bikes for 45 minutes to blaring music and the encouragement of a "trainer." I am told that it actually results in weight loss if you keep it up.

As she is pretty well along in a pregnancy I am not surprised that she didn't ride.

As she is a Clinton I am not surprised that the ad was written as it was.

Brian said...

And what's the "soul" in "SoulCycle"?

Since the meteoric rise of the cult-ish Crossfit, companies have been attempting to adapt the 'fitness, but also a cult' model to every other form of exercise. SoulCycle is one of several companies trying to make "stationary biking, but also a cult" happen.

William said...

Chelsea, not her mother, is the one who is channeling Eleanor Roosevelt. I think Chelsea has absorbed a lot of hurt over the years. To the extent that people like her, they like her for her family position and not for who she is and certainly not for her personal magnetism or good looks. This only makes the accumulated resentments heavier......... In later life she'll find some good cause and some worthy people to glom onto. She will use this cause and its needy people to pound on the people who didn't offer her sufficient love.

Martha said...

Hillary claims that Chelsea's BFF was Ivanka Trump before the Donald attacked Hillary! the Enabler.
I do not think that palling around with Ivanka boosted Chelsea's self-esteem.

Ambrose said...

"For $1000 you can ride with Chelsea. For $2000, you don't have to ride with Chelsea."

SteveR said...

Watching the Clintons sweat -- much less exert -- is beneath them at this point so you would have to be intentionally blind think otherwise.

Rick said...

- The class was taught by Laurie Cole and brought out Billy Joel's ex wife Katie Lee and Stacey Griffith, another popular instructor

- Laurie told a class later in the day that the event raised $75,000 for Hillary's campaign, which would break down to just under 28 bikes at full price


That's a lot of firepower to find 27 people desperate to "belong". That's the best they can do in Manhattan?

Henry said...

Doesn't it have to be outdoors?

Anonymous said...

traditionalguy said...
I dunno. A Meet and Greet for a Clinton held in a Spin Class seems so poetic. That may not be soul as much as wit, but when a Spin Class Drill Sargent yells loud enough


FWIW: it's Sergeant

I know, I know, it doesn't sound that way to Americans. Maybe it's a Britishism. After all, they pronounce "Clerk" as "Klark"

Static Ping said...

You would think there would be a better paying audience to watch Chelsea sit and spin.

Nonapod said...

I know very little about Chelsea Clinton except that her only real "accomplishment" seems to be that she was sired by Bill Clinton. That they're apparently people willing to pay a lot of money just to be in the vicinity of such a person doesn't say anything particularly good about the wealthy liberal donor class either. It's like some weird feudal court, the lords and ladies fighting for a spot near the princes. Rich liberal donors are obviously big believers in the system of primogeniture.

effinayright said...

"I know very little about Chelsea Clinton except that her only real "accomplishment" seems to be that she was sired by Bill Clinton."

Highly doubtful. Ever see a pic of Chelsea alongside one of Webb Hubbell?

A spittin' image.

Kevin said...

Chelsea is a Clinton, and is therefore a congenital liar.

MacMacConnell said...

J. Farmer said...
"Is Chelsea being groomed as the next Caroline Kennedy? Both had fathers who are lionized in the Democratic Party."

Webster Hubbell is considered a lion of the Democrat party?

Dan Hossley said...

She takes after her mother. She doesn't need to actually do anything, she just has to appear to be doing something.

Sammy Finkelman said...

PB said...

Chelsea has been fully indoctrinated into the Clinton way of doing things where honesty has no meaning.

It looks like that's true. It took some time, though, to get her to that place. And when she was very young...

I saw the screenshots of her on TV during the 1992 Democratic National Convention, when her father was saying, or others were saying, that he had "balanced 11 budgets in a row"

She looked so forlorn.

It was a lie, you see.

Arkansas has a 2-year budget cycle.

And Bill Clinton hadn't even been in office 11 years in a row

He was elected in 1978, defeated in 1980, made a comeback in 1982 (aided probably by campaign contributions from a cocaine delaer who imported cocaine through an airport in Mena, Arksasas - it certainly wasn't the CIA!) had been re-elected again in 1984, and in 1986, and in the meantime got the Arkansas consitution changed so that the Governor now had a 4-year term and was re-elected again in 1990, after having promised nto serve out his term and not run for president I think.

So anyway he was in office 1979-1980 and 1983-1992 at that point. 2 years, and then 10 years. No way was in "11 budgets in a row" Which Al Gore repeated to make sure people absorbed that.


grackle said...

That's the best they can do in Manhattan?

Hey, dude. Billy Joel's ex wife – what’s the beef?

wildswan said...

Well, since she got $2700 from people for doing nothing, she was spinning alongside them the whole time. It just depends on what you spin spin to mean.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

That's a lot of firepower to find 27 people desperate to "belong". That's the best they can do in Manhattan?

They should have led with "work out with Katie Lee(Joel)," if we're talkin' yoga that'd be worth a few bucks. Did you not see her on Top Chef? Not much for delivering lines but easy on the eyes.

robinintn said...

Webb Hubbell? I always thought her father was that guy Hillary had offed. Vince Foster?

Fernandinande said...

wholelottasplainin' said...
"I know very little about Chelsea Clinton except that her only real "accomplishment" seems to be that she was sired by Bill Clinton."

Highly doubtful. Ever see a pic of Chelsea alongside one of Webb Hubbell?


Yes, but you have to look at her pre-facelift pictures.

Known Unknown said...

Don't spin, don't bowl.

What do you do?

Anonymous said...

Clinton lied, people . . . sweated?

Fabi said...

Chelsea has thunder-thighs. The more spinning, the better.

David said...

Clinton lied, thunder thighed.

William said...

Bait and switch, what a surprise. Clintons are congenitally incapable of honesty. It's in the genes.

chillblaine said...

Not soulful. Look at Chelsea's photo. It's predatory.

Zach said...

Remember this the next time you wonder why the Clinton machine isn't as effective as they used to be. In 1992, I guarantee you that somebody would have been riding a cycle.

It's also worth bearing in mind when people start advancing Chelsea as a candidate for something, or when she flits into another high profile job for six months.

In the world of politics, some people hustle and some people don't. Bill used to hustle, Hillary doesn't anymore, and Chelsea never has.

Martha said...

Zach—excellent point about the Clinton hustle.
Chelsea will inherit over $100 million. Why hustle. She has been brought up as a Princess.
Hillary is old and tired. And now very very rich. I doubt she can inspire herself anymore than she can rouse the crowd in one of her her campaign rallies.
Bill is old and tired too. And Hillary! does not and has not ever excited him.

The future belongs to those who hustle.

Trump and Bernie 2016!

Curious George said...

"Ride" and "Chelsea Clinton" should never be used in the same sentence.

Robert said...

Maybe they should have called it Spin Cycle