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A two-and-a-half-year-old video clip is suddenly everywhere. And its message about refusing disrespect has struck a nerve with audiences far beyond the fitness world.
Kendall Toole, the former Peloton cycling and boxing instructor who built a devoted following through her high-energy classes and motivational coaching style, has become an unlikely meme sensation.
The clip in question? A moment from August 2023 when she spotted an inappropriate username during a live class and immediately called for action.
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“Get them banned. Get them banned. We don’t do that here,” Toole said in the original class footage. “Oh, now I’m pissed. Find out who that is, and get them banned. We don’t do that. I ain’t the one, baby. I take no disrespect.”
The username that sparked her response: “pedal-file.”
Kendall Toole’s clip becomes the first meme of 2026
The video’s resurgence began on Feb. 5 when one X user wrote, “This being the meme of 2026,” alongside the clip. Within a day, the post had gained enough traction that Toole herself took notice.
Her response was full of embrace.
“Never been so proud to have said this in my life. We stand on business, get them banned yall,” Toole wrote when reposting the clip on Feb. 6.
The timing feels significant. The phrase “get em banned” has become shorthand for a broader cultural conversation about maintaining standards and refusing to tolerate behavior that crosses lines.
Toole recognized this immediately, adding the hashtag #getembanned to her X account and leaning into the moment.
“Ok wait I am so honored… I decree 2026 is the year of #getthembanned because we are not the ones,” she wrote in a follow-up post.
From Peloton star to independent entrepreneur
For those unfamiliar with Toole’s trajectory, her path offers an interesting case study in building a personal brand within a corporate platform, then successfully transitioning to independence.
Toole established herself as one of Peloton’s most recognizable instructors, known for combining intense physical workouts with mental health advocacy and motivational coaching. Her classes attracted riders who wanted more than just exercise metrics; they came for the energy and the pep talks.
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She departed Peloton in 2024 and has since launched her own fitness platform, NKO Club, offering strength training, boxing, and cycling classes directly to members.
The viral moment has provided an unexpected marketing opportunity.
Toole has since set up www.getembanned.com to redirect visitors to her NKO Club website, describing it as “a place where we take NO disrespect because we AREN’T the ones,” in a Feb. 6 X post.
A second Toole clip enters the conversation
The viral momentum has surfaced additional footage from Toole’s Peloton archives. Another X user posted a clip of one of her pep talks where she addressed someone who left class early.
“If you feel like quitting right now, I know some of you — I saw one person jump out of class,” she said while cycling. “I hate that because if you quit here, what the (heck) are you gonna do out there?”
She continued: “If you allow that to even be an option, you’re gonna get it handed to you. You will quit. You will fail. Because you made it an option. We don’t quit.”
The clip reinforces the same theme: Toole’s coaching philosophy centers on accountability and refusing to accept less than full commitment, whether from others or from yourself.
What the meme signals about current cultural appetite
Viral moments rarely happen by accident. Content resurfaces and spreads when it connects with something audiences are already thinking about.
The “get them banned” clip’s sudden popularity suggests a collective appetite for content about boundary enforcement and calling out bad behavior directly rather than letting it slide.
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Toole addressed this directly in an Instagram caption accompanying the viral moment.
“Not on my 2026 bingo card that ‘GET EM BANNED’ moment from my old job would be viral on X…but given the state of things I must say I am pleased,” she wrote. “Let this be the year we stand up, hold our boundaries and keep our standards high.”
Her reaction acknowledges what many following the meme seem to feel: that the message has applications well beyond a fitness class dealing with an inappropriate username.
The business angle worth watching
Toole’s handling of this moment demonstrates savvy brand management.
Rather than simply enjoying the attention, she has channeled it toward her current venture. The redirect from getembanned.com to her NKO Club platform turns a meme into a customer acquisition tool.
For anyone building a personal brand or considering a transition from a larger platform to independent work, her approach offers a template. Stay connected to your audience, maintain the voice that made you recognizable in the first place, and be ready to capitalize when organic moments arise.
Whether #getembanned becomes the defining phrase of 2026 remains to be seen.
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But Toole has already demonstrated something valuable: the content that resonates most often comes from genuine moments of conviction rather than calculated marketing.
