Exercising Their Opinions

At my local health club franchise, ear buds sprout everywhere. Spoken messages have given way to electronic feeds into human heads.

While fewer points are uttered via mouth, however, plenty are broadcast via T-shirt. It's a kind of free speech -- what's displayed on someone's back speaks his or her mind.

A routine of circuit training gives me plenty of views. Today, I saw a Miley Cyrus purple and pink shirt reflecting the light on a nearby elliptical machine, while beer brands were advertised in the front row of treadmills. Wayne State T-shirts are as popular here as Bucky Badger UW tops are in Wisconsin. I wondered if I’d see a direct Democrat-Republican textile face-off anywhere in the club but, so far, no. Detroit Pistons and American flag motifs are favorites, along with Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise shirts. Some grassroots slogans intrigue me, like the one that proclaims the "Denim Cult."

For now, I've chosen the "no comment" approach in workout gear. The only message my plain turquoise top sends is that I like it to match my bottoms.