mapu

You consider the confederate flag offensive but while I do so myself you cannot expect everyone to share our opinion. And I do consider the 1st amendment to be even more important. If we engage into censorship nothing will remain unharmed.

FL_philatelist

Thank you mapu. The first poster that even *mentioned* that the stars and bars flag might be offensive. Thank you.

I'm no First Amendment scholar, but my original posting has nothing to do with censorship. By analogy, let's suppose this was about books and publishing.

The esteemed authors (!), The LACS, could write a book about the supremacy of southern culture. Per the (U.S.) First Amendment, it could not be banned, no matter what the advocacy in said book about the flags that the LACS thoughts were preferable to fly in front of peoples' houses.

As a totally separate matter, however, United Airlines does not need to buy the books from The LACS espousing their theory on the relative values of the races and, by extension, of slavery, and distribute them to every passenger for their in-flight entertainment.

To return to my first post, this is about commercial speech, not the first amendment or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I couldn't care less what The LACS choose to record. It's about the speech UA chooses to subsidize.

SunBurntCountry

Maybe you should address the question to UA regarding any/all guidelines given to vendors relating to their IFE. I am assuming that UA does not produce any of these IFE but rather outsources to companies that makes them and just sends UA monthly/quarterly updates to to the IFE.

So if UA guidelines say - no cussing, nudity (on movies), you can suggest that they add any/all reference to the rebel flag be included in their guidelines as well.

dca2str

OP must be living a charmed life. I wish I had enough free time and energy to get worked up about nonsense like this.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to my real-world problems.

FL_philatelist

I did write to UA last month along those lines. No reply as of yet. I recognize that UA probably has little capability to pull content from sUA IFE mid-month.

I'd love to see a definitive statement in this forum from UA that they want business from their tens of millions of non-white customers, that their programming of this particular song was in error, and that they are focused on the future of the planet and not on a farce from 148 years ago about "states' rights."

mbarreto

Oh, I think I understand. You're saying that:

a) the volume was stuck at maximum
b) the "off" button wasn't working, forcing you to listen to it

You should definitely ask for compensation!

Beerman92

So far 6 posts in this thread by the OP with 8 mentions of the band he/she finds offensive in those 6 posts. Are you really offended by the song or are you trying to promote the band? Cause I sure can't tell.

mapoptic

I love it. As opposed to the usual FT dialogue on upgrades (and I am way guilty here re my moaning on sCO vs sUA F service) this OP is taking about something serious, and reasonably. Am inclined to cut OP slack.

Problem??

chasbondy

It racistonly to those who pull the race card faster than Wyatt Earp could ever pull the trigger on his Colt

mherdeg

Gosh, whether or not songs that celebrate the Confederate Flag send a pro-racism message and should be pulled from IFE if the company wants to avoid sending passengers the wrong message is an interesting question. I think your problem is that it will be impossible to reach a human being about this issue (there is probably no way to get in touch with the person whose job it is to screen content or ask vendors to screen content). I'm sure that as soon as you actually reached a human they would pull the content immediately to avoid conflict.

I doubt you're gonna find anyone at United who says they're pro-racism these days. In particular, Continental seemed to regret having declined to hire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlon_Green in the 50's and they ended up naming a plane after him (N77518, http://www.airliners.net/photo/Unite...9bed1769adb7b7 ).

By way of contrast, in the 70s, Overseas National Airways had a DC-8 with Confederate Flag livery! http://www.historicaviation.com/prod...al%20Airliners

Boghopper

No, it's the transitive property. The civil war was about the continuation of slavery in the U.S. The Confederate states stood for the proposition that slavery (their "way of life") would continue and would expand into newly formed states. The Confederate battle flag was a symbol of the confederate states. Therefore, the confederate battle flag stood for the defense and continuation of slavery (which I think is pretty clearly a racist, and offensive, proposition). That is as true now as the day the flag first flew over a Confederate formation. The fact that it was a long time ago doesn't make it any less true, or allow those who are so inclined to espouse/fly it while claiming it means something else.

And I agree with those who claim it is about "states' rights". States' rights to enslave human beings, that is.

Don't forget, though, corporations have first amendment rights. I doubt that UA would use such an argument in anything like these circumstances, but the right is there. (Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, and years of precedent before)

sbm12

Sure they can. And they do have similar groups who work with the movie studios to make sure that the movies can be shown on-board. I've actually talked with someone on the studio side of that work and seen the efforts in progress; it is a pretty cool setup.

That said, there is absolutely no reason to yield to the lowest common denominator in terms of what anyone might find offensive. That's just stupid.
Don't forget, c) the headphones were physically bonded to their ears.

If it is on there would be "lyrics" in the form of the pilots talking, right? Remember there was that blw-up a year or two ago with a WN pilot going off on homosexual FAs and such on an open mic channel. Had you been in the same airspace with Ch 9 on you would have heard that, too. Better block Ch 9 just in case someone says something stupid.

Luvs2snowbordbut1kSEA

I personally find most country music offensive (for a variety of reasons), so I choose not to listen to it. When I saw this title, I thought something truly offensive, slipped by the censors. I was wrong.

Look, while the OP and many others might find a simple reference to the Confederate flag offensive it is quite a stratch to call the reference blatant racism.

Many other things at UA to worry about.

Hartmann

With this logic I guess UA should stop flying everywhere south of the Mason-Dixon. Nothing but racists down here.

jjclancy

Forget United IFE, have you seen the state flag of Mississippi?!?