Sean Hunter is an elementary school teacher from Vancouver, Canada who also does some acting on the side. Nowadays, though, he has garnered unexpected and unwanted attention as the husband in the controversial Peloton commercial even though his face can be seen in the ad for only a few seconds.
In wake of the ad causing shares for Peloton to fall more than nine percent, and erasing nearly $942 million of its market value in just one day, the two most important people in the commercial have remained silent. As the search continues for the poor wife, Hunter a.k.a. "Peloton Husband" decided to open up to Psychology Today about the backlash he has experienced since the ad went viral, and how he's fearful that it will impact his personal life and acting career.
Hunter said the responses were mostly positive when it first aired in late November, but then he says it all changed a few days ago. "I couldn’t believe what I was seeing," he recalled. "My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face. My friend texted me today declaring that I'm 'a symbol of the patriarchy.'"
"As my face continues to be screen shot online, I wonder what repercussions will come back to me," he continued. "I pride myself on being a great teacher and developing actor, and I can only hope that this affects neither."
Hunter wondered if the commercial will be a dark cloud that hangs over his head whenever he auditions for commercials in the future or if his students or their parents mistakenly associate him with the tone-deaf husband he's being perceived as in the Peloton ad.
While his concerns seem mostly introspective, he also wondered, "The aftermath of the commercial has left me with more questions than answers, and this is only half the story. I reflect on what my co-actor must be dealing with, as she’s the other 25 seconds of the story."
