Is Richard Simmons the new Liberace? It seems increasingly clear that he is. He’s a perennially popular mainstream entertainer beloved by Middle America whose sexuality is…  a matter for speculation (his Wikipedia page indicates that he lives alone and has never discussed the matter publicly). Flamboyance, good humor and a willingness to do anything are his trademarks. He’s appeared on Letterman countless times as a human punchline—I didn’t know this until today, but there was a period of six years in which Simmons did not appear on the show because he was annoyed about an incident in which Letterman set off a fire extinguisher in his face on the air.
 

 
The endlessly energetic and enthusiastic weight-loss superstar put on the heavy metal makeup and exercise gear to leading a recent class at his Slimmons Studio in Beverly Hills. On Facebook, alongside the slogan “Sweat hugs and rock n roll!” Simmons posted the video linked below.

As Jeff Giles at Ultimate Classic Rock points out, Simmons has been doing a lot of this kind of thing lately, including wearing crazy triangle glasses, donning a sparkly leprechaun getup, and (apparently) purloining Carol Channing’s wig.

On a certain level, the idea of Richard Simmons wearing death metal face paint is hardly the most surprising thing in the world. And yet, when he does it, you just have to nod and say, “Damn, son.” 

 
Previously on Dangerous Minds:

Inexplicable of the day from Richard Simmons

‘Aw, shit Shirley!’: Richard Simmons loses it on his mom, 1981
 
via Ultimate Classic Rock

 
The celebrity weight-loss instructor Richard Simmons became a pop culture icon in the 1980s, when the success of his book Never-Say-Diet and his Sweatin’ to the Oldies workout videos drew national attention to his preternaturally upbeat and bubbly personality. He’s still going strong. TV guest appearances have literally never stopped in the intervening years, and his following remains huge (sorry).

But one TV show he’ll probably never be invited to guest on is Duck Dynasty. Not because of its star’s recently-revealed homophobia. Indeed, though Simmons is widely perceived as a gay figure—possibly due to a combination of his off-the-charts cheer, his flamboyance, and his bedazzled dolphin shorts—he has actually never made his sexuality publicly known. No, the reason Richard Simmons will probably never be on Duck Dynasty is that he made this video:
 

 
You’re welcome.

Simmons’ YouTube channel is absolutely worth a peek, but his entire online presence is trove of untrammeled joys. His Facebook and Instagram feeds, in particular, are bottomless lodes of delightfully bonkers camp. But the TV parodies are just too much! Here are his takes on Homeland and The Carrie Diaries.
 

 
I totally owe Marlee Pickles a drink for this.

 
Richard Simmons just posted this peculiar photo of himself with the caption:

Hi my name is Rosemary… and I want you to say hello to .....my baby

I have nothing else to add to this.

Previously on Dangerous Minds:

‘Aw, shit Shirley!’: Richard Simmons loses it on his mom, 1981

Via Richard Simmons

 
Here are some outtakes from The Richard Simmons Show—which aired from 1980-1984—where Simmons loses his shit on his mom, Shirley, because she keeps flubbing her lines.

As a result of watching this, I now shall go to bed tonight with the line “MY name is Shirley Simmons and I’M Richard’s mother” burned into my brain…
 

Awesome TOBACCO video featuring Richard Simmons!

(via HYST)