Otherwise, if there's no way to stop the child from seeing an objectionable movie, raise holy hell.
Posted on 09/07/2007 12:15:15 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Historians have discovered that Dante actually envisioned a 10th circle of hell, with sinners condemned to spend their eternities traveling from one destination to the next on any one of America's insufferable airlines. It appears that the people running this industry have found a way to make every single aspect of this form of travel an experience in misery.
The latest casualty is to be found in the in-flight movies. Most offerings these days are monumental cinematic embarrassments, movies that would never rise to the level of the $1 stack at Blockbuster, and probably cost the airlines even less. So most passengers take a pass these days when those $5 headphones are offered, finding it more entertaining to stare at the back of the seats in front of them.
I can lose myself easily in work or a book while these movies are playing, but a strange thing happened a couple of weeks ago during one of these flights. After hearing the ping of a couple of attendant call buttons, I looked up and saw that all the screens had gone blank. A few minutes later, the stewardess came on the intercom to announce that because of numerous complaints from passengers with families about the graphic violence being shown in this particular film, it had been stopped.
Chalk up a new outrage. The airlines are now airing graphically violent and sexualized R-rated movies, and it matters not a bit to them that children cannot help but sit there and watch, headphones or not. Delta started showing R-rated films in December, while United and US Airways have increased the frequency with which they show such films. Last month, the three airlines all featured "Fracture," in which Anthony Hopkins shoots his wife in the face, then drags her body away from the pool of blood.
The New York Times published a report on the trend, focusing on Thomas Fine and Sara Susskind of Cambridge, Mass., who were forced to spend two hours on a United Airlines flight desperately trying to distract their 6-year-old son from screens displaying the R-rated "Shooter," which depicts multiple gory killings.
"It's not like he can look away when he hears the sound (of gunshots coming through nearby headphones), and he's sitting on a plane bored, and he's 6," Fine said. The Times also featured a mother whose 7-year-old daughter has nightmares after watching a graphic preview for the latest "King Kong" movie on a US Airways flight.
But even more shocking than that frustrating situation is how callous some airline executives sound in response to protests. "Parents have to be responsible for the actions of their kids -- whether they shouldn't look at the screen or look away," said Eric Kleiman, director of product marketing for Continental Airlines. If you think that was a dodge, try this: "People love Pepsi, and we don't serve that, so there you go, we just ruined their flight. That's an accurate analogy."
That's a ridiculous analogy. Next we will be told that a half-ounce stale pretzel bag constitutes a meal. Such is the arrogance of those who care not a wit about their passengers.
Crumbling Hollywood standards in television and movies are spreading their imposing effects across the culture. The airlines defend their increasing embrace of R-rated films by saying this is the direction that entertainment is headed, so therefore they're only following where the market is going. Airlines are also moving into showing sleazy television shows, like ABC's "Desperate Housewives," so young children can also now witness suburban adultery and seduction at 30,000 feet.
What in the world is wrong with these airlines? For decades, they entertained their passengers with quality films. Every once in a blue moon, they still do, and passengers are treated to a movie they otherwise might never know existed. A couple of years ago, I caught "The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean," a fascinating work of creative genius. A few months ago it was "Copying Beethoven," with an extraordinary performance by Ed Harris in the lead role.
When quality films contained adult matter, the airlines simply edited it out, respecting that impressionable children -- and discerning adults, too -- were on board. Have you ever heard a passenger exclaim after a flight that he would have enjoyed the film more had there been graphic violence or gratuitous obscenities?
The situation has become so obnoxious that North Carolina parent Jesse Kalisher has started a Website called KidSafeFilms.org to lobby the airlines to stop this visual abuse of children. Good for him. Even better: Next time you're on one of those insufferable flights, and one of these shows comes on, do as the passengers did on my flight a couple of weeks ago. Raise hell.
My wife's was Peoria (8 hour delay waiting for a mechanic) to Chicago to salt Lake City but before Salt Lake City, they had to make a side trip to Las Vegas because they were running out of gas (makes no sense to me either) by the time she got to Salt Lake City there were no connections to Portland until the next day, she spent about 6 hours in a motel, which the air line would not pay for and then to Portland and finally Medford, Oregon.
I repeat myself, I will never fly.
I had a Continental airlines vice-president buy me a hooker once, after a big party.
I still think that they are wrong to show R-rated films though.
Pretty much nowadays most passengers bring a laptop or portable DVD player to watch movies anyway during a flight.
Of course he's free to object. He's also free to take his dollars elsewhere which is what I recommend.
Amtrak has some lovely first and second class cabins. A passenger is free to bring along a laptop computer or a DVD player and turn that cabin into a cozy little room for watching whatever movie one wishes with ones loved ones.
You're also free to bring your own food and beverages on board an Amtrak train. Amtrak Porters are in my experience unfailingly polite and helpful, two traits which seem to have been bred or beaten out of modern flight attendants.
Amtrak Porters will also carry your bags, wake you for breakfast, take a dinner reservation, and make up your bunk for you. Try getting that kind of service out of an AA flight attendant sometime and see what happens.
L
Otherwise, if there's no way to stop the child from seeing an objectionable movie, raise holy hell.
I'm surprised you're mentioning this. Singapore Airlines has been doing just this, for a long while now.
Should have been with me the day before yesterday when I stalled the ultralight out 10 feet above the runway in a crosswind.
Actually, the first air refuelling was carried put in the buff. The refueller (IIRC it was Billy Mitchell) had spilled fuel on his clothes and was concerned static might light him on fire...so he stripped.
But no...we don't moon before doing refuels.
Good Grief!
What a bunch of whiners! We really do need a time machine - to take a few of these idiots back to horse & buggies...where you have to feed the help, strap them in and hope they don’t sh*t on your shoes.
Traveling across the US in a few hours and not months - Sheesh!!
Get an RV folks!
A long while? I saw an article on FR about it, I thought it was a new thing for them. I’m sure that other airlines will be following them soon.
“”The refueller (IIRC it was Billy Mitchell) had spilled fuel on his clothes and was concerned static might light him on fire...so he stripped.””
It probably wasn’t funny at that moment, but it is a great piece of trivia to know now, thanks.
One more thing, those individually operated/selectable entertainment consoles were available on economy-class seats.
The airlines used to VALUE their customers hoping that the customer would fly on their airline again.
Anymore, they just don't care.
Hard to get to Russia via Amtrak.
**The airlines used to VALUE their customers hoping that the customer would fly on their airline again.
Anymore, they just don’t care.**
Customers USED to pay premium prices
Customers USED to have less security restrictions
Airlines USED to have to try harder to fill flights
Now EVERYONE flies - airports are like GREYHOUND bus terminals and customers have no clue - only demands.
Just a quibble, Brent, but I believe the word you were searching for is "whit."
As to the airline movies - some,not all - the ones I wouldn’t want my children to see, I have complained repeatedly by official avenues. If others would do the same maybe something could be done.
And that is not a bad thing.
L
Maybe they should provide hookers on the airline flights. Passengers who don’t want to see the action could always avert their eyes.
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