mr. berger sweats to the oldies

title

Mr. Berger Sweats to the Oldies, video performance, workout video, 00:39:20, 2016

statement

This thirty-five minute long video presents Mr. Berger working out to Richard Simmon’s “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” Alone in his living room he dances with excitement and energy. Within the video, his living room acts as a set, such as those in sitcoms, locating the activity within the fictional and actual home. This gentle conflation of fictional and actual home, increases the ambiguity of how a viewer should interpret the work. At this point two interpretations are possible, one of loneliness and another of solitude. As loneliness, Mr. Berger’s attire can be understood as the costume one wears to a dance, but in this case he is dancing with himself alone in his living room. Mr. Berger is alone in his home, with only his television and its characters as support.

With solitude, the read changes dramatically. This ritual is an everyday labor, utilizing a morning workout as a means to enhance the day by overcoming morning grogginess and received Mr. Simmon’s enthusiastic praise. Like any morning ritual, this act of solitude starts the day right.