WASHINGTON, DC: A columnist and MSNBC are being slammed after the former wrote an article asserting, “Physical fitness has always been central to the far right.” Cynthia Miller-Idriss also stated in her piece for MSNBC that “physical fitness training, especially in combat sports, appeals to the far right for many reasons.”
Miller-Idriss’ piece, titled, ‘Pandemic fitness trends have gone extreme — literally’, was published in March 2022. However, it caught people’s attention online recently with Elon Musk tweeting, “MSNBC thinks you’re a nazi if you work out lmaooo.” He also further stated, “Parody & reality are becoming indistinguishable.”
‘This is nonsense’
Podcaster Joe Rogan shared, “Being healthy is ‘far right.’ Holy f**k.” A user commented, “Candid photo of Cynthia Miller-Idriss pitching this story to MSNBC's Twitter editor.” Another user wrote, “This is the most horses**t article I’ve seen. Cynthia Miller-Idriss needs to be fired.”
“You @MSNBC and Cynthia Miller-Idriss (author of this article) must have lost your mind. What an insensitive article unbrella’ing an entire genre of people trying to get their mental and physical health together. These fighting gyms are homes for many Men and Women looking to,” a third said. A fourth penned, “Better themselves and work through traumas or aggression of the past. This is nonsense. Might want to think twice @MSNBC before you let incompetent writers like Cynthia Miller-Idriss write for you again. Disgraceful article.”
“Your professor of ‘extremism’ has come completely unhinged. Cynthia Miller-Idriss has declared physical fitness to be a far-right extremist activity. And she’s probably right: fitness requires discipline and hard work, something the ‘left’ knows little about. What a joke she is,” a fifth added.
Who is Cynthia Miller-Idriss?
Miller-Idriss’ LinkedIn account describes her as “an award-winning author and scholar of extremism and youth radicalization." As per the website of American University, she is a professor in the School of Public Affairs and in the School of Education. She founded the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL).
Miller-Idriss' LinkedIn also noted that she writes essays for several publications, including The Guardian, Politico, The Atlantic, USA Today, Foreign Affairs, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Hill and Le Monde. “She has twenty years of experience building and working in collaborative, multi-disciplinary, cross-national research teams. Dr. Miller-Idriss often serves as an advisor or consultant for organizations, foundations, or legal teams in need of expertise on radicalization, youth, and violent extremism,” it read.
What did Cynthia Miller-Idriss write?
The article, which was published on March 22, 2022, starts with, "It appears the far right has taken advantage of pandemic at-home fitness trends to expand its decade-plus radicalization of physical mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports spaces."
The piece further reads, "Earlier this month, researchers reported that a network of online “fascist fitness” chat groups on the encrypted platform Telegram are recruiting and radicalizing young men with neo-Nazi and white supremacist extremist ideologies. Initially lured with health tips and strategies for positive physical changes, new recruits are later invited to closed chat groups where far-right content is shared."
Miller-Idriss also wrote about Adolf Hitler's obsession with fitness, equating it to the rise in the far-right. "Physical fitness has always been central to the far right. In “Mein Kampf,” Hitler fixated on boxing and jujitsu, believing they could help him create an army of millions whose aggressive spirit and impeccably trained bodies, combined with 'fanatical love of the fatherland,' would do more for the German nation than any “mediocre” tactical weapons training," she wrote.
Further stating the reason for the link, she wrote, "The intersection of extremism and fitness leans into a shared obsession with the male body, training, masculinity, testosterone, strength and competition. Physical fitness training, especially in combat sports, appeals to the far right for many reasons: fighters are trained to accept significant physical pain, to be 'warriors,' and to embrace messaging around solidarity, heroism, and brotherhood."
She continued, "It’s championed as a tool to help fight the “coming race war” and the street battles that will precede it. Recruits are encouraged to link individual moral virtues such as willpower, decisiveness and courage, with desired collective traits such as virility and manliness. This also works in reverse, with white supremacists encouraging potential recruits or activists to stay in good physical shape as a way of managing self-presentation to the public. "
