CrossFit gym bungles crisis response after sharing degrading photos online

A North Carolina proprietor posted images of female members’ butts with emoticons and glib remarks on Instagram. After members and the public complained, things got even nastier.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Female bodies have long been marketing fodder for lazy campaigns—and women are sick of it.

That’s what CrossFit Gym owner Tom Tomlo Jr. learned the hard way after posting images of gym members’ butts to Instagram with the words “Dayum” and “Hump day.”

The backlash has been swift and searing.

USA Today reported:

A person upset with the video took still shots from it and posted them on Facebook, stating that it was inappropriate. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 850 people had offered reviews of Blue Ridge CrossFit, dropping the gym’s rating to 1.5 stars out of five and leaving often blistering comments.

While Tomlo contends the video was shot in a sense of fun and with the women’s consent, at least one woman in the video disputes that.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.