Kevin Smith and Southwest Airlines Controversy
A heated argument about airlines’ treatment of overweight passengers erupted when film director Kevin Smith was thrown off a Southwest plane, after a flight attendant enforced the company’s “Customer of Size” policy.
Reportedly, Southwest Airlines apologized to the movie director on the phone.
“We made a mistake in trying to board him as a standby passenger and then removed him. And I told him we were sorry,” wrote Linda Rutherford, Southwest’s vice president of communications on the airline’s blog. The airline spokesperson suggested that poor communication on the part of the airline carrier might have caused the uproar, and there was a quick judgment that he might have needed more than one seat for his comfort and those seated next to him.
Smith then took to his Twitter account and unleashed a barrage of postings. The famous director has 1.6 million followers on the social networking site. The result has been a public relations gaffe for the airline, with angry responses from other travelers sounding off on blogs and social networks in frustration over the Southwest policy and the stigma that can often come with being overweight.
Smith directed the new Bruce Willis movie Cop Out as well as fan-favorites Clerks and Chasing Amy.
Oscar Nominees Asked to Prepare Separate ‘Thank You’ Speeches
To avoid those boring Oscar Night ‘thank you’ acceptance speeches, Academy Award organizers will be trying a novel solution—have the winners give two speeches—reported show producers.
Winners of the world’s top film awards would have to give two speeches in order to avoid spewing a lost list of names including their family, movie directors, agents, and spouses. Oscar producers called those repetitious teary-eyed speeches, “the single most hated thing on the show.”
Nominees for the movie honors including George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, and Jeff Bridges, among many others, would have to tell audiences on stage what winning an Oscar means to them.
Award winners would be able to tell a backstage camera crew “Thanks” to whomever they want. The backstage video footage would be posted on the Web and winners would be able to post them to Facebook or send them in e-mails to their friends and family members.
Beatles Recording Studio Up for Sale
London’s Abbey Road Studios immortalized by the iconic Beatles album Abbey Road is up for sale by its owners, who expect to raise $39 to $47 million from the deal, reported Reuters.
Abbey Road has an impressive history aside from the Beatles, but after the band recorded most of their 1960s hit singles at the studio, the location became a destination for Beatles fans who pose for photographs on the cross-walk, imitating the photograph on the 1969 Abbey Road album cover.
The studio has also been the recording site of choice for many other world famous rock bands and classical composers, including Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Mike Oldfield, Jeff Beck, violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin, and 1980s bands Spandau Ballet and Simple Minds.
Compiled by David Sabatini/Epoch Times Staff
