WATCH: Should this be allowed? Man watches raunchy film on plane with child seated beside him
The video in question has been viewed more than 7.8 million times after being posted on March 22 by a musician named Blanco (@millyz).
The caption reads: “My bro captured this moment on the flight back,” along with several laughing emojis.
My bro captured this moment on the flight back 🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣 pic.twitter.com/8qCzfGZ2lo
— BLANCO (@MILLYZ) March 22, 2022
The child in the video is seen gawking at the in-flight entertainment screen of the passenger seated beside him who is engaged in a film.
The person filming managed to catch a scene depicting a woman clad in a glittering bra and panty set as she thrust her hips towards the camera.
The kid's facial expression said it all, with his eyes wide and mouth agape, he looked around the plane seemingly stunned. On the other hand, the man watching the raunchy film had his headphones on and seemed unaware that he had company while watching the film.
While many people found the situation hilarious, evident by the massive number of likes (548K to be exact), others weren’t so sure the content was appropriate for a child’s viewing.
Twitter user, @kwillyoan, reshared the video with her thoughts on the matter: “This is not funny. this is horrific and disgusting and everyone's degenerate behaviour in the comments has enough to make me want to vomit. get some morals if you take an ounce of joy out of this. this sick, perverse and pathetic.”
What exactly are the rules regarding in-flight movies and what can and can’t be viewed on an airline’s entertainment screens?
It all boils down to the airline. Since the entertainment is part of the package, it can be viewed as an extension of its brand. Therefore, an airline will show what it deems appropriate while keeping its target audience in mind. For example, an influx of the latest kiddies’ movies may become available during the school holidays when more families are travelling together.
Content availability may also depend on the region as well as the cultural and religious followings of the people in the area the plane is travelling to or from. The airline may take extra precautions to be respectful and guarantee that the movies and television series they offer don't insult their viewers, while also choosing some of the most current and well-liked entertainment.
In this situation, since the movie was made available by the airline to watch in-flight, it can be argued he had every right to enjoy the film.
Others, however, might counter this, stating that it is an adult’s responsibility to be conscious and considerate of their surroundings when watching sexually explicit or violent content in public spaces.
In response to the video, @goldpixiedust said, “How can you even pick that when you're sat next to a kid wth?”
The issue of children being exposed to R-rated video content on flights is one that has been the subject of many debates for more than a decade.
One mother, Emily Lewis, was so appalled by what she had seen while travelling with her husband that she started a petition four years ago on the change.org platform to Federal Aviation Administration.
“All international airlines and large domestic flights now include free movies on the seatback. There are many rated R selections in the movies that are offered. From any given seat one can see as many as ten other screens. Individuals and families with children that would never choose to view rated R violence, gore and sex are forced to see these images based on another person's selection,” she said in her petition statement.
The removal or editing of movies from in-flight entertainment can be construed as censorship.
The uproar over Olivia Wilde's 'Booksmart' is a good example of the thorny dynamics of providing in-flight entertainment.
In 2019, she took to Twitter to rant about censorship, feeling that the movie she viewed on a flight was in stark contrast to the version she had directed. Devoid of anything one might deem offensive, Wilde highlighted in the thread how same-sex love scenes (containing no nudity) and the use of words like "vagina" or "genitals" were either omitted or lightly filtered from the movie.
I finally had the chance to watch an edited version of Booksmart on a flight to see exactly what had been censored. Turns out some airlines work with a third party company that edits the movie based on what they deem inappropriate. Which, in our case, is ... female sexuality? 🤔
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) October 30, 2019
In response, Delta spokesperson Emma Protis told the Hollywood Reporter, “We selected the edited version and now realise content well within our guidelines was unnecessarily excluded from both films. We are working to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
According to the website, Aero Corner, when a new film is released, the airlines can show a film in its original state or ask for an edited licence.
Aero Corner outlined how the process works:
– If the firm requires editing, the airline will send it to a third-party company that knows the airlines’ editing and content guidelines.
– The film is then edited and sent back to the airline for review.
– If the airline is pleased with the results, it will add them to its on board viewing options.
– If the airline is not happy with the results, it can opt to remove it from its movie list.
For parents worried about what their child might encounter on a plane, it remains their responsibility to shield them from their surroundings.
In an interview with Gainesville Sun, Eric Kleiman, the director of product marketing for Continental Airlines said: “Parents have to be responsible for the actions of their kids — whether they shouldn’t look at the screen or look away.”
From books to toys, games and the child-friendly movies available on the flight, there are an array of ways to keep the wandering eyes of kids engaged in activities they deem safe and appropriate.