The comment was hurtful the user who was called out, and that's why it was posted about in the Peloton FB groups. The coaches never know who is behind the screen, and comments that can be interpreted critically can bother users. I don't think that JJ needs to be punished for this, but I would hope that they would at least be aware of that.

As someone who is also obese and was largely sedentary before Peloton, I was very insecure and self-conscious about my fitness level and the fact that I couldn't keep up in the classes at the beginning. Perhaps you have had the good fortune not to experience that, but I have seen plenty of posts in the XXL group alluding to similar feelings.

If someone's not pedaling, they are well aware that they're not pedaling, and pointing out that they're not pedaling isn't encouraging. The fact that this is a divisive issue and that people feel strongly that it was a criticism should tell you that. It's also not about being coddled. Peloton wants to appeal to the masses, and psychologically speaking you are more likely to help someone with encouraging words than you are with critical words--by this I mean words that they find to be critical. It's a scientifically studied phenomenon. So if Peloton wants to appeal to the masses and encourage users to work out and better themselves, it would be helpful of their coaches to be aware of these things.