Liz Lemon eating a McDonalds caramel sundae on her treadmill is supposed to be funny.
I mean, it IS funny. I’m not disputing that. But when I saw this scene I was struck with a secondary emotion: that cringey embarrassed feeling of recognition. Because, here’s where we hit confession time:
I have literally ridden an exercycle while eating a bag of Burger Rings.
Obviously a bag of burger rings isn’t as big as an exercycle, but those image ratios are intentional. It should give you an impression of where my priorites lay at the time. Even though this event transpired probably ten years ago, I still remember eating those burger rings. Sliding one onto my index finger. Nibbling around the edge, so it looked like a car wheel without its tyre. Biting it in half, and half again. Finishing the bag then carefully ripping apart the seams to unfold it. Ending up with a single sheet of shiny plastic, little orange crumbs clinging to it with grease and fear. Sliding my tongue all over it until it was clean, like a dog cleaning its bowl (probably with the same amount of excess saliva).
Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure I kept riding. I don’t know how fast I rode, or what brand the bike was, or how long I spent on the seat. But I remember those burger rings.
Health is the vital principle of bliss, and exercise, of health.
– James Thomson
