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Southwest Airlines Mocks Women They Harassed For Dressing Too Sexy

Posted by Jessica Valenti at 12:00 PM on September 18, 2007.


Jessica Valenti: Southwest's faux apology was followed by the airline promoting new reduced fares called mini-skirt prices.
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Southwest Airlines/Hotpants Ad

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This post, written by Jessica Valenti, originally appeared on Feministing.

You know, I honestly didn't think I could think any lower of Southwest Airlines. Then this happened.

Southwest has offered a faux apology mocking the women they harassed. Seriously. Company President Colleen Barrett released the following (obnoxious and perhaps further harassing) comment:

"From a Company who really loves PR, touche to you Kyla! Some have said we've gone from wearing our famous hot pants to having hot flashes at Southwest, but nothing could be further from the truth. As we both know, this story has great legs, but the true issue here is that you are a valued Customer, and you did not get an adequate apology.

Kyla, we could have handled this better, and on behalf of Southwest Airlines, I am truly sorry. We hope you continue to fly Southwest Airlines. Our Company is based on freedom even if our actions may have not appeared that way. It was never our intention to treat you unfairly and again, we apologize." (Emphasis added)
Charming. The "apology" was followed by Southwest promoting new reduced fares called...wait for it...mini-skirt prices.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Digg!

Tagged as: women, sexism, travel, southwest airlines

Jessica Valenti is the executive editor of Feministing.


Return to Video  » Post Tools: email EMAIL print PRINT 23 COMMENTS PERMALINK
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The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. 		View:
So...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Angry and Black on Sep 18, 2007 3:12 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We've gone from women being objectified by corporations to women objectifying themselves and the corporations punishing them?

WTF?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: So... Posted by: Markson
If that qualifies as "harassment"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Q30 on Sep 18, 2007 5:30 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Does the feministing site, with the raised middle-fingers and prolific use of the word "f*ck", qualify as harassment as well?

Just askin'

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Would someone please send this person a victimhood award in the form of a check...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ABetterFuture on Sep 18, 2007 7:18 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...made payable to cash so that we can get (B)Airly There out of the news cycle?

Seriously!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

So Jessica...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: freeda'all on Sep 18, 2007 9:54 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Are you really surprised at all of this? After all it's the "new" 'feminists' such as yourself who have made a faux career out of indulging this sort of objectification under the guise of 'empowering' women by encouraging them to engage in the very behaviors that lead to and encourage this objectification in the first place.

In one of your earlier stories you even confess to a jealousy that the women had bigger boobs than you, and yes, you used the word boobs.

So while this whole scenerio is truly offensive I find it laughable that you would now choose to be offended by all of it. Take your place in the back of the line girl 'cause you earned it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: So Jessica... Posted by: Markson
» Very well said! Posted by: Bobsays
Wha'd she say?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: kepstein7777 on Sep 19, 2007 6:12 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dig them foxy go-go boots.

The part about "...hot pants to...hot flashes" was kind of funny.

I don't see the big deal about the apology. Does she want a boring, impersonal, corporate form letter apology? Or something more personal and light-hearted like this? Sounds like another overreaction so someone can stretch out their 15 minutes and so more people can have something else to complain about.

And I don't see the big deal about that outfit. Was it the flight attendant's idea or company policy to kick her off?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Wha'd she say? Posted by: Q30
» RE: Wha'd she say? Posted by: mjglow
» RE: Wha'd she say? Posted by: Q30
Working in a world where..
[Report this comment]
Posted by: messedup on Sep 19, 2007 6:13 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It don't matter if your wrong or right, when I see people freak out over one little instance of some kind of discrimination I just laugh because I know and you know that she made a big deal out of something that is not really that big of a deal.

I discriminate when I have to, for instance when my girlfriend gets into one of those rambling moods where she won't shut up for hours on end and I have to raise my voice and say will you please "SHUT THE FXXK UP", which seems to be the only thing that works. I say it when she's talking out of her ass for to long as well.

I wish people could just talk as much as they want, say what they want, etc., but if they are in my presence and I don't want to hear it (especially when they are repeating themselves for the millionth time), then they can get out because I don't need to hear it again.

People might say, oh your a man you can't be harassed, and I say bullshit.

So when you see these little things happen, just remember.., some yappy females probably blew it out of proportion.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Stews on Braniff Usta Didn't Wear Panties
[Report this comment]
Posted by: woody, tokin' librul on Sep 20, 2007 9:13 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
under their panty-hose.
I used to fly Braniff a fair amount, back in the day, and I actively sought the seat by the galley cuz, when they bent, or stooped, or reached, in those REALLY SHORT SKIRTS, they revealed ALL their goods...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]