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Buns of Butter hit State Fair Thursday
by Chris Long
printed in The Times-Republican
August 14, 1998
DES MOINES-Iowa Public Television has an exercise program called "Sit and be Fit," but the Iowa State fair has "Buns of Butter."
"Buns of Butter" is an exercise plan complete with a video and book designed by Iowa City resident Kristen Baumliér with the help of Iowa City public access television. It combines aerobic dance and high caloric foods.
Baumliér and two coworkers at public access television, Adam Burke and René Paine, perform a variety of exercises including 40-ounce Beer Lifts, the Pizza Spin, the Ice Cream Lift, the Onion Spin (donuts keep falling apart in the hot weather), and the Corn Dog Run.
Instead of using regular aerobic accessories, Baumliér and her team use foods normally considered unhealthy as exercise equipment.
Of course, it's sometimes hard for the team to resist a sly sip or nibble from the substitute weights.
"I started it about a year ago," said Baumliér. "I was interested in combining art and performance and health. Originally I wanted to start a new gym with a program that changed the whole aesthetic of exercise, but that's very expensive. I settled on making the video instead at the public access television facility."
Baumliér moved to Iowa two years ago with her husband who is a graduate student at the University of Iowa.
She currently works at the public access television station in Iowa City.
The "Buns of butter" team performed thursday at 5 p.m. on the Concourse Stage near the Grandstand.
Although it was their only State Fair performance, Baumliér said they had performed in a variety of places around Iowa in the past year.
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