"That’s crazy!”: The Richard Simmons headband controversy sweating up social media!

There's a fitness mystery unfolding on social media and it's all about a headband – or lack thereof. Beloved fitness personality Richard Simmons, known for his lively 80s aerobics videos and Sweatin' to the Oldies series, finds himself at the center of a nostalgic storm. As reported by HITC, fans are in a social media frenzy over whether the energetic guru, who's been MIA since 2014, sported a headband during his peak or not.

The 'Headbandgate'

The heart of the matter lies in the signature 80's fitness style which, in the minds of many, equates to vibrant leotards and… headbands. Cue mass confusion as recent image searches of Richard Simmons show no trace of the star sporting this iconic accessory. This, despite many fans swearing they remember otherwise. Further adding fuel to the 'Headbandgate' is the existence of Richard Simmons Halloween costumes complete with a headband. The question stands - has the web scrubbed real images of Simmons donning a headband?

TikToker Kelly Manno fired up the debate by responding to a fan comment on Simmons' alleged headband-less past. The emphatic Manno posed, "What do they think they did? Went through the whole internet and scrubbed every photo of Richard Simmons ever wearing a headband? That’s crazy." Yet, surprisingly, a scroll through Google Images yields only costumes and impersonators wearing a headband, with the real Simmons missing the accessory.

Unraveling the Fitness Fable

Trenches have been drawn on social media platforms with claims and counterclaims. Some users, proud owners of Simmons' Sweatin' With The Oldies VHS tapes, assert that Simmons did, indeed, sport a headband and wristbands. But a rival faction, armed with their tapes, assert the contrary. Considering Simmons released five Sweatin’ To The Oldies DVDs and four video cassettes, it’s possible that different versions give contrasting answers.

Back in 2019, one Redditor termed this situation “one of the most powerful Mandela effects I've ever experienced”. The Mandela effect alludes to a phenomenon where a large mass of people misremember an event or detail. The headband controversy has reared its head again, leading some to speculate that fans could have confused Simmons with tennis ace John McEnroe, known for his red headband during his peak in the mid-1980s.

As the headband mystery simmers, it might be time to dust off those old VHS tapes or pop in a DVD to solve the great Richard Simmons headband debate. Was it just a collective misremembering, or has the web truly cleansed all evidence of a headband-wearing Simmons?

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)