Christopher Meloni gets nude for Peloton, letting his law and orders go free
“Law & Order: SVU” star Christopher Meloni is serving more than justice in a new Peloton commercial.
In the ad spot shared online Thursday, Meloni walks viewers through his workout routine. The 61-year-old lifts weights, holds yoga poses, goes for a run in the park, meditates and does squats — all while in his birthday suit.
“Apparently, some people think the way I work out is strange. Honestly, I don’t get it,” the naked Meloni said. “Me, I don’t think using the Peloton app is strange at all. Sure, they’re famous for their amazing equipment, but the app gets me motivated to do lots of different workouts.”
As the actor talks about the app, the camera zooms out to reveal Meloni’s nether regions — sadly, pixelated — from all sorts of angles. Whether they like it or not, viewers see Meloni nearly naked from the front, side and back.
Christopher Meloni will reprise his “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” character, Elliot Stabler, for a forthcoming NBC project from producer Dick Wolf.
Peloton, of course, is best known for its stationary bikes and subscription-only fitness classes
Halfway through the video, as Meloni completes his squat set, he peeks through his legs to check on a cameraman who has apparently fallen down. Even a dog takes notice of the naked actor as he goes for his run.
The video concludes with a riff on the iconic opening lines of the “Law & Order” franchise.
“In the Peloton community, users are represented by two separate, yet equally motivated groups,” a voice-over says. “Those who wear pants — and Christopher Meloni.”
In a guest column for The Times, author and “Law & Order” fan Carmen Maria Machado explains what makes the characters more powerful together than alone.
On social media, the ad seemed to leave some Meloni fans speechless or aroused.
“Listen Detective Stabler is still fine,” tweeted one user.
Even Meloni tweeted a cheeky response to the bare-all ad: “Shout out to the wardrobe dept on this one. Those socks were amazing. #nationalnudeday @onepeloton.”
The fitness company has what may be an unwelcome cameo in HBO Max’s ‘Sex and the City’ reboot. But a spokeswoman cited the character’s bad habits.
The commercial is the latest buzz surrounding Peloton. In television shows “And Just Like That...” and “Billions,” Peloton’s signature workout machine is involved in characters’ recent deaths.
“We get why these fictional TV shows would want to include a brand that people love to talk about, but Showtime’s use of Peloton’s Bike+ and reference to a Peloton Instructor was not a brand, product, or instructor placement, and we did not agree for our brand and IP to be used on this show or provide any equipment,” a Peloton spokesperson told The Times in January in response to the “Billions” death.
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