Referring to Ab Ripper X, Tony Horton says: "I hate it, but I love it." That's also a nice way of summing up how I feel about Tony himself: I think he's super-douchey, but he's also my hero.
Tony's not half as funny as he thinks he is. He makes awful celebrity impressions, and he bestows really dumb nicknames upon the trainers in his videos. I can't articulate why, but I find his face and hair to be alarming. His exaggerated exercise-induced grunts and moans could have been lifted from some late-night Skinemax soft-core porno. And don't get me started on his catch phrases.
That being said, the guy was 45 years old when P90X was taped back in 2004. As the result of his insane work ethic and total commitment to fitness and nutrition, he's in much better physical condition than most human beings can ever hope to be. He is an awesome trainer, and in many ways, a spectacular role model. Plus, he tries so damn hard to be entertaining and funny that even when his attempts fall flat, you feel like giving him a pity laugh.
But the guy's still kind of a douchebag.
