Hypocrisy Abounds: Southwest Paints Bikini-Clad Model On Jet
Do you remember Kyla Ebbert? She was kicked off of a Southwest Airlines flight for wearing clothes deemed 'too sexy' back in 2007. Nearly two years later, Southwest has come full circle: They've painted a swimsuit model on the side of one of their jumbo jets as part of a partnership with Sports Illustrated.
Beth Harbin, Southwest spokesperson explains:
"I think we are one of the only airlines out there that has the personality that can pull something like this off. We're certainly not afraid to be different, not afraid to be edgy, not afraid to be fun."
Southwest may not have the personality to pull this off, but they almost certainly have the multiple personalities. Given a choice between the "miniskirts will cause a disturbance" personality and the "giant flying swimsuit model" identity, we're not really sure which which we prefer, though the latter may be more in line with their origins. Check out the flight attendant's uniforms from back in the day.
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Their customers cant see the semi-naked body on the outside of the plane, and therefore it cannot possibly cause people to fall into "half-naked-body" fits (think Baptist congregations). Makes sense to me
That plane is just tacky looking. Yuck.
Southwest continues to show how they are different than all the other airlines.
Whether this is a good or bad move, I couldn't say, but at least southwest is trying to step out on a few limbs and do something new, unlike the other stodgy airlines.
Personally, I could care less whats on the side of the plane as long as the plane itself is sound.
Anyone who gets offended by this just needs to sign up for a lobotomy now...
This is disgusting and hypocritic.
You have a partnership with Sports Illustrated - the entire magazine. Not just the swimsuit edition.
So our planes are going the way of taxi cabs with ads? Yuck.
Your link text to the old-school flight attendant uniform article is off by a character...
I'm not understanding the partnership. Is Southwest paying SI to have a model on their plane? Is SI paying Southwest to adverstise the sale of the swimsuit issue? Is there ANYONE who wouldn't normally buy (or be aware of) the swimsuit issue, but will because they saw some model on an airplane?
That so looks like something straight out of the 80's.
They should just paint a picture of Robin Leach's face next to her and drop gold pennies on all the poor people of the land.
Hypoctical yes, but personally I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't choose to partner with Playboy.
And when coffee is served on the plane, the girl's bikini fades away and she's naked.
Wait, sorry. No coffee or drinks served on planes anymore. Just swallow your own spit, sir, if you care to hydrate yourself.
@AlteredBeast: They're just reaching out to the "Will fly in an airplane but will not visit a supermarket" demographic. I don't actually know how many people are in this demographic, but they're thinking outside the box!
@shorty63136: The swimsuit edition is about all SI has going for it except for covers that coincide with one's favorite teams/players/events.
Why is it disgusting, exactly?
I doubt Southwest lets killer whales on their planes, is it hypocritical to paint a plane like one? The idea that their idea of acceptable apparel (or species) on passengers must be the same as their idea of acceptable advertising seems a little odd to me.
@nataku83: I have a 40 foot woman fetish, similar to the guy sitting in the exhaust staring at her..um..eyes, so this development has me considering booking a flight to my next trip to Kroger.
@LuluStarPony: Actually now that I think about it, maybe they're just trying to appeal to birds and other airborne creatures. That's an untapped market. THINK OF THE PROFITS!
From the story: "They've painted a swimsuit model on the side of one of their jumbo jets as part of a partnership with Sports Illustrated."
Southwest doesn't have any jumbo jets.
I don't understand how anyone can deny this is anything but patent hypocrisy.
It is probably not painted on, these are almost always decals since repainting planes is quite expensive.
This doesn't strike me so much as hypocritical, but I think this mural will offend a large sector of Southwest's female customers. It's a bit like having a girlie calendar hanging in the office. Bad idea, Southwest.
In a way, this reminds me of American's dumbed down, pinked up website for women air travelers. That site was offensive to many women for a whole host of different reasons. Amazingly, the site is still outthere. [www.aa.com]
Both Southwest and American have provided examples of why airlines maybe should avoid gender-based advertising altogether.
Check out the flight attendant's uniforms from back in the day.
Those, sir, are not flight attendants. Those are stewardesses.
So, when the plane starts to ascend, does the bikini slide towards the back of the plane? I love my water-filled boobie pens.
I don't think we ever found out for sure, but I thought part of the issue with Kyla's outfit was that she was giving a Sharon Stone to the other passengers boarding the plane.
Her outfit wasn't risque. But if she was going commando in that short skirt, the kiddies were catching a brief view of the cockpit.
If that is the case, then the SI swimsuit pic isn't hypocritical at all. Only if the partnership was with Hustler would it be a valid claim.
I think its great and anybody who doesnt needs to get a life and find something else to worry about. After all there may be some bug nearing extinction that needs saving.
LOL seconded!
And seconded on your last paragraph. Not that I have anything against cockpits, mind you. But that is a completely different ball game than a bathing suit.
I wonder what effect on ticket sales that will have? "Yep, I'm flying Southwest because they put a babe on the side of the airplane, yesiree..."
I don't find it offensive, just stupid, especially in light of the earlier controversy.
There is nothing "edgy" about using T&A for advertising. It's about the oldest and least imaginative trick in the book. Thanks anyway, Southwest.
I don't have a problem with this, nor do I have a problem with miniskirts tight sweaters. Busses have had ads on the sides of them for years. If it keeps the price of my ticket down, I'm all for it.
@Murph1908: I certainly want my plane's pilot to be concentrating on the correct runway and not a landing strip (depending on grooming habits) of a passenger in a short skirt...
They could have been even more hypocritical and painted Kyla herself on the plane.
Is Consumerist being hypocritical by criticizing Southwest when Consumerist featured a photo that prominently displayed a busty woman's cleavage a few weeks ago?
@WaywardSoul: If it's any consolation, the poor, traumatized woman from the original Consumerist article did, in fact, partner with Playboy.
@nataku83: Damn. And for a second there, I thought I might actually fly from Washington to Ohio this spring. Oh well, it's cheaper to drive the four of us in the Suburban anyway.
@Yossarian: Ask most people what they think of when you say Sport Illustrated and I guarantee a lot of people will answer "Swimsuit edition"
There's likely no hypcrosy involved here. I suspect that the Kyla Ebbert incident was "manufactured." It's so preposterous that I think she and a Southwest employee whom she knew conspired to give her the trite "15 minutes of fame."
@Carl: Or to be more specific one of the ways they save money compared to a traditional airline is to fly a single design, the Boeing 737 which is by no means jumbo.
@lalaland13: Southwest hasn't cut back on that. The only time I have seen them warn that they might not be able to serve drinks was on a flight from Cleveland to Baltimore, but that was because the flight time was barely an hour.
This is a good thing. If I crash in the ocean, I would rather float on a piece of debris picturing a giant boob until I'm rescued.
Whatever, I'm flying them anyway because they are the cheapest and I have yet to have a problem with them.
I think if I were the pilot, I'd be embarrassed to fly this plane. It's quite tasteless.
And yes, it is hypocritical for them to not allow a "sexy" woman on the plane, but paint a far more scantily-clad woman all over it.
Would they be upset if I spray painted a large cock and balls on the model?
Doesn't that potentially represent a hazard on the tarmac? IOW, two planes are taxing along, all of a sudden the middle aged male pilot who's not getting any at home suddenly gets distracted by the SW plane and the next thing you know they've hit another jet or a truck full of jet fuel.
@Yossarian: It's disgusting b/c of the hypocricy. They kicked somebody off their plane for having on certain kinds of clothes but yet paint a semi-nude woman smack dab on the side of their plane?
And I don't wanna hear the argument that her clothing was inappropriate for air travel - because the same could be said about the model's bathing suit.
A lady wears a short skirt. Who is it bothering? What ruckus is it causing? If that argument is made, then it implies that menfolks are just carnal animals and simply can't help themselves and it would've caused them to act out.
But of course, it's still her fault. /sarcasm
@DeanOfAllTrades: In the name of equal time, why can't they also partner with Diesel or American Apparel and paint a hot dude with a bulging package on the other side?
And I'm stuck on Alaskan Airline planes with the pics of Eskimos and animals?!? Dammit! :(
Well, they're probably only concerned about causing a disturbance inside the plane (inside the airport is someone else's problem). Unfortunately, as a passenger, you won't be able to see this after boarding.