InfoSearched
Published -
- March 21, 2020
- 10:59 am
When they infiltrated three morning news programs by passing themselves off as an improbable strongman duo, Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett were not the first people to prank TV News.
Left-leaning activists The Yes Men famously infiltrated BBC, and right-wing provocateur James O’Keefe unsuccessfully attempted to plant a false story in the Washington Post. More frequently, tricksters have no overt political agenda, happy to simply interrupt serious or anodyne programing with the absurd or profane. Whatever the perpetrators’ intention, the result of these stunts is a demonstration of the fallibility of newsgathering operations. As such, out of embarrassment or pragmatism, the targeted media companies generally avoid legal retaliation against the pranksters. That all changed with Prueher and Pickett.
Gray Television owns and/or operates over 100 local television stations across the country. The conglomerate had previously been fooled by two other bogus characters created by Prueher and Pickett and decided to sue the comedy team after the phony strongmen, dubbed Chop and Steele, conquered their airwaves. One of the charges was copyright infringement, over clips of the broadcast Prueher and Pickett used in a montage, which they believe is protected by “fair use” laws. The more serious charges were “fraud” and “conspiracy to commit fraud.”
The legal battle was shaping up to be precedent-setting, but almost a year after the charges were filed, as VICE News was reporting the story, there was a sudden twist. The two sides came to an unexpected settlement. Without a judge to make a final ruling each party declared itself the de facto winner of the litigation.
How can we hold fitness experts accountable and ensure that their claims are backed by science and proven results?
In recent news, two self-proclaimed fitness gurus are facing a lawsuit for staging a fake workout routine on a morning news program. The incident has sparked outrage among the fitness community and those who value integrity and honesty in the industry.
The so-called fitness experts are known for their online presence, promoting intensive and unorthodox workout routines that promise quick results. They were invited on the show to showcase their methods and demonstrate how effective they can be. However, what followed was a debacle that ended up causing harm to the reputation of not only the morning show but also the fitness industry as a whole.
The duo showed up with a group of seemingly fit and toned individuals, who were purportedly part of their fitness groups. They then proceeded to demonstrate their exercise routine, which involved bizarre movements and questionable techniques. Viewers watching the segment could not help but be skeptical of what they were seeing.
Shortly after the show aired, allegations began surfacing that the workouts were faked, and that the participants involved were nothing more than paid actors. It didn’t take long for the morning show’s investigators to confirm that the entire segment was staged, and that the workouts were, in fact, not effective at all.
The irresponsible behavior of these fitness frauds has had a significant impact on the industry. For one, it has made it harder for people to trust the fitness community and believe in what they preach. It has also created an environment of distrust and uncertainty, which puts reputable fitness experts and trainers at a disadvantage.
Thankfully, the morning news show has taken swift action by suing the fraudulent duo for their deceitful behavior. This lawsuit serves as a warning to any fitness frauds who might think it’s okay to misrepresent themselves and their workouts in the media. It also sends a message to the public that such actions will not be tolerated and that the fitness industry will continue to strive for transparency and integrity.
In the end, we can all agree that faking fitness results is just plain wrong. It’s time for us to hold fitness experts accountable and ensure that their claims are backed by science and proven results. When we value honesty and integrity, we set ourselves up for a more successful and meaningful fitness journey.
