daslax

I work in the music business and used to work with the company who supplied music to PMUA at the time. They absolutely do have standards as to what is acceptable content and I believe that covered generally "offensive" content. But this is largely enforced by a trust factor and something short of expletives, epithets, etc. is very easy to slip through. To rail against UA is not really fair - it's very unlikely anyone there actively approved it.

So good for you for letting them know you found it offensive. But I wouldn't turn this into a rant on UA endorsing every piece of content that appears on its screens or headsets, much less a debate on racism and first amendment rights.

mcgahat

I think I can give a somewhat unique perspective on this being of and from redneck background. The rebel flag has really come to mean southern pride not a return to slavery. I am not saying that attitude doesn't exist though but just not the primary meaning of the flage these days. I personally think it is in bad taste to fly it as I perfer the USA flag.

I get the point of "where is the limit" on UA's IFE choice and I would just simply say this has not crossed that line, not even close. Much like the people that have brought up that they saw a boobie on the screen.....just change the channel.

ilovesprint

Well I am officially doing a status match to AA now. I hope they ban Country & western. - sarcasm

mht_flyer

People actually listen to the in flight music?

I can't say I like any of their music offerings, perhaps the classical station on a really long flight and I need to catch up on my Zzzs

I will switch channel 9 on, if the flight deck is not being broadcast, the headphones quickly go from the seat jack to my iPhone.

mkr

So...should UA bar passengers from flying on UA if they wear clothing that has confederate flags on them? That is something UA would have more control over. Switch the channel if you don't like the music. Don't pick as your friends those who use the terms you feel are racist (no matter to which race those friends belong.)

fjfv19

Yes. Flipping on the classical music station is extremely therapeutic during takeoff, landing and for aiding in sleeping. It doesn't hurt that I love the music, but it has its uses.

flyingmusicianlax

Good for OP for ignoring all the folks on here who have nothing to contribute other than a snarky or rude comment condoning the thread's validity.

People, this isn't about the South, this is about the confederate flag: a symbol used to promote racism and hatred for the last 150 years. If you don't find this offensive, I humbly suggest that your reaction to a song promoting the Nazi flag would be quite different.

As far as profanity, it must only apply to songs as I was quite happy to watch the profanity-filled "Seven Psychopaths" on my flight last Wednesday. But let's not allow that to distract from the topic at hand: symbolism that has been used to evoke hate crimes and dark images of a racist past.

UA does not present those people as a product or offering by United. They do so with the IFE, however.

fjfv19

Actually, another poster really said it. The flag now stands for Southern pride whether you agree with it or not and I highly doubt the song is actively promoting a return to the slave roots in the south. The song even seems to be a caricature of contemporary southern "culture". Symbols have been perverted and reinvented over the course of history. IN FACT, since you are so keen on referring to the Nazis, the swastika remains a prominent figure in Indian religions which reflects the shakti, a sacred force in the religion. The "Stars and Stripes" is a rebel flag created by Betsy Ross during the American Revolution. If United's IFE played a song referring to the Union Jack, should I imply that United would like a return to British rule?

If you don't want to listen to the in flight entertainment because you find it offensive, don't listen to it. Debating the ethical underpinnings of the IFE is a consummate waste of time.

msg75

1) With all due respect, this thread is idiotic, unnecessary, should be closed and the OP should get over it and move on with his/her respective life.

2) Full disclosure: I'm a Northerner (whatever that means), but the "rebel flag" or Flag of the Confederate States of America is legally protected in 5 states and available on the license plate of 11 others as a "Sons of Confederate Veterans" emblem. Anything can be taken out of context but the flag of the CSA has traditionally denoted Southern pride and only "became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s." (source: Wikipedia)

3) Please refer to "The Boys" by Nicki Minaj and Cassie now playing on UAL IFE for more wholesome lyrics.

4) Hall and Oates' "Maneater" is on the 80's channel and I am against cannibalism

demkr

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B143 Safari/8536.25)

I'm sure a trial lawyer at the ACLU would love to heat that you're "offended" by free speech rights.

How about don't watch the movie and move on?

mkr

If you are going to quote me, please do not ignore FT rules about quoting. Please do not attribute part of my statement as the entire statement.

My point is that this is 1st amendment were are talking about.

Those who wish to listen to certain music have the right to do so on UA. Those who do not wish to listen to certain types of music (or certain songs) can switch the channels. What you personally find offensive, as does the OP, many others do not. What you read into a symbol (confederate flag in this case) has other symbolic meanings to others, and the meanings of symbols change over time. When I look at the British flag,for example, I do not think of a tyrannical rule over the colonies as did the colonists of the late 1700s. Rather I think of the Britain of today, a strong friend of the USA. Some other persons may have a different view of the British flag. If there were a song about the British flag, should it be censored by UA because some passengers flying UA might find it offensive?

cordelli

I'm stunned you actually got

a song celebrating slavery and armed insurrection against the United States

out of this. If there's any racism going on, I'm thinking it's not in the song.

Maybe you can give Bugs Bunny a call and he can cut the south right off the map for you.

SamOF

I hear this a lot. But I know and know of a lot of African-Americans who are VERY proud to be southerners but have yet to see one willingly coming within 10 feet of a confederate flag.

Madone59

There is a lot going on here, I don't want to go near the 1st amendment stuff unless someone wants to identify them self as a supreme court justice

About a year ago I was listening to the classical station, this song came on. Right away I know the song but couldn't remember why. By time the final chorus cam around I remembered exactly what it was. I did write UA an E-mail as an "FYI this may be a bad choice, do you know what this is?" after researching and seeing that the song was purpose written for that movie alone. UA thanked me and pulled the track!

Now, I am a white male between the ages of 25 and 35, with both conservative and liberal views. I love Itzhak Perlman and have attended several of his concerts; I appreciate all music. One of my favorite bands is Dead Prez and not only do I not want UA playing them but they shouldn't!

UA a publicly traded company with people much more important than us to answer to; UA is also a global company. Every song, movie, and word in hemispheres is UA speaking to it's customers so YES the content they chose to offer us is a representation of their corporate values and if they are too lazy to screen every song/ movie/ word than lazy is what they are. We all joke about kettles why can't manage airport security, or want to move to E+ or are always in the way. This is who UA needs to worry about, these are the people listening, these are the people who complain - I mean really complain not just ask for a Skykit. It is the kettles of the world that sued over hot Mcdonalds coffee, or demanded that kids costume capes need a label saying "will not make you fly." UA I one offended Kettle away from a media mess.

I don't think this conversation should be based in individuals opinions of music because that is a mess which will get personal and down hill fast. I think it is important to ask: should an airline be cutting edge when it comes to it's media offerings: I believe no. They should be cutting edge in their aviation .


My 4 cents

halls120

Exactly. If we're going to ban this, much of the rap content would have to go, and we don't want to go down that road.