And the award for most-annoying backgrounder goes to....

[lilmonkey2]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

Aw, I like Theresa Tan . But the chicks in the front in Turbo Jam Kick, Punch, Jam make my skin crawl LOL!

Let us not forget some of the chicks that are in the Turbo Fire workouts. It's like there is a competition of "I'm having the MOST fun!" and then someone else, "No, *I'M having the most fun!!!!!!"

That, plus all the bad fake hair extensions...

[Hoodone]

I agree that the one girl in Bob Harper's workout is awful, but the OTHER girl in that workout is so awesome, she almost cancels the right-side girl out.

[trixie108]

Shoot, I don't have any of the workouts you guys are talking about, but my vote goes to the guy in STS Cardio (Robert, I think?), who has the absolute worst kickboxing form ever!! You would have thought someone would have corrected him! It's painful to watch...

[desderata]

The guy in Lifeforce cardio who constantly mugs at the camera. He's so goofy he makes me laugh, distracts me from what I'm supposed to be doing. I usually pretty much ignore the background exercisers and focus on the lead, but something about this guy [unfortunately] kept drawing my attention.

[Hej]

Originally Posted by kat999

Aw, I like Tamela as a lead, though! Are people annoyed by her when she's just in the class? Is there one in particular where she's super weird?

Honestly, I love her FIRM Cardio wo. I still do that one and find it both challenging and fun.

For me she's kind of like this in all the WHFN workouts, but it's a lot worse when she's a backgrounder. She's listed in these as a "featured cast member" and this seems to mean that she's the "class participant" shown in most of shots where individual "participants" are singled out. I'm not sure why they did that... maybe because they assumed she would show better form, or do the more challenging options, or because of her body type or something like that... The problem is Tamela's behaviour doesn't really go with the vibe created by the rest of the people.

One thing about these workouts is that although everyone is obviously in great shape, it's also obvious that the middle-aged instructors/participants are middle-aged (half of the workuts are labelled "Fitprime" so I guess that figures...). Even on the covers, the instructors' crowsfeet haven't been photoshopped out (which is nice for a change).

Anyway, while everyone else in the WHFN workouts seems to have joined us in the post-2000s, Tamela seems to be trying to recreate the "you too can be sexy while you lift weights" vibe in some of the Firm classics. That or maybe she was just trying to pick up the cameraman... Where she's a backgrounder she looks all the stranger, because the camera seems to cut between whichever instructor is featured and Tamela setting up comical contrasts. In workouts led by Keli Roberts for example, the two look like they're from different planets.

It could be ham acting rather than trying to sex it up. Maybe Tamela's someone who can't necessarily "be themselves" in front of the camera, but who's also a pretty lousy actor. I liked her in Cardio Burn but I also noticed she hit a few wrong notes. As a backgrounder in WHFN she seems to be playing a whole other tune. Maybe she comes off better playing The Instructor because she's probably actually a pretty good instructor in "real life"?

[monterey vidiot]

Oh come on. Can these people really beat the most annoying person ever, April in Leslie's Walkblaster series????


Cynthia

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by desderata

The guy in Lifeforce cardio who constantly mugs at the camera. He's so goofy he makes me laugh, distracts me from what I'm supposed to be doing. I usually pretty much ignore the background exercisers and focus on the lead, but something about this guy [unfortunately] kept drawing my attention.

The dude with the really large teeth? That was going to be my first choice.
ETA: I ended up trading LifeForce away b/c I couldn't stop watching him.

2nd choice...just about any backgrounder in a CRUNCH video.

3rd choice...the super-duper happy backgrounder in Steph. Huckabee's WW Punch dvd.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by Hej

It could be ham acting rather than trying to sex it up. Maybe Tamela's someone who can't necessarily "be themselves" in front of the camera, but who's also a pretty lousy actor. I liked her in Cardio Burn but I also noticed she hit a few wrong notes. As a backgrounder in WHFN she seems to be playing a whole other tune. Maybe she comes off better playing The Instructor because she's probably actually a pretty good instructor in "real life"?

My theory on Tamela is that she got a lot of flak for being super cutesy in Cardio Burn, and so she tried to be all serious in the FitPrimes. She was kind of irritating to me in CB, but the new persona did NOT fit. I liked her better cute. At least it was natural.

[Indy]

I never saw Tamela Hastie as a Featured participant in the WHFN workouts - I only saw her instruct a couple of the Firm workouts - but now I seriously need to take a look!!!

For me - it is the backgrounder in Kari Anderson's Push workout who keeps "Woo-Hoo"ing every 5 seconds. When I first got this workout I was so excited because it was new Kari Anderson but this girl was too enthusiastic I was pulling my hair out. Please SHUT UP!!!!!!! I refuse to do that workout anymore.

[macska]

First, the "I did 10" girl in P90X, second, the girl that has that artificial smile on in Jenkins Bikini Boot Camp (that's the reason I didn't buy the DVD), third goes to the Bob Harper girl.
BTW, I don't think I ever didn't buy a DVD because of a backround person. This is the first case.