An American Airlines passenger reported shock that “the guy in 2D” next to him in first class was “blatantly watching porn” as the plane waited for takeoff.
That’s clearly not appropriate. Watch what you like in private, but airplane seats really aren’t private. ‘There may be kids around’ but there may be adults around, too, who don’t want to think about what you are thinking about while you watch it.
There are plenty of relatively racy scenes in modern movies, even included in airline entertainment content. And one person’s porn is another’s art I suppose, Justice Potter Stewart’s famous admonition from Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) notwithstanding.
I think there are some things that we can probably all agree cross a line. A flight attendant once shared on their Facebook feed a story about a passenger taking such a long time in the lavatory that another passenger expressed concern and eventually the crew started to suspect a medical emergency.
- After much knocking he came out, iPad in hand.
- He went in there to watch a movie. At least he hadn’t watched it at his seat.
Still, what movies are ok and which ones aren’t? What about inflight entertainment that shows Boogie Nights with Mark Wahlberg? I’m never watching that kind of movie. But what about an HBO or Showtime drama?
If you’re going to watch borderline or inappropriate content, it’s probably best that American Airlines doesn’t have seat back entertainment screens on their domestic fleet. We know the passenger is using their personal device. At least shield the screen from prying eyes!
But do note that international business class seats may feel private, but don’t give you as much privacy as you think to watch whatever you wish.
When you report the incident you do have to hope, of course, that your flight attendant isn’t watching porn, too. Air Canada once warned pilots to stop leaving porn in the cockpit. And Etihad pilots once wrote up their inflight wifi for being too slow to download porn.
I think the current vibe is to mind your own damn business. That said, I am (once again!) the Andrea Dworkin here and agree with the author. Porn out in the open is no bueno, First or Economy. Porn in general is really no bueno.
Of course don’t watch porn where others might see or out in public at all, for that mater. I will watch things that contain “non-child-friendly” material from Netflix, Disney+, etc. at a gate or onboard in a way that requires you to peep to catch anything. Keep your eyes off my screen if you’re afraid of seeing PG-13 (or even sometimes R!) content. I am proudly no Andrea Dworkin.
@Dave W , “non-kid-friendly” Disney+ content says it all about post modern behavior these days. LOL
I do agree that adults should be able to watch mature movies but porn is over the top. Maybe this goes back to the kids in first class issue.
Most airline provided movies are edited down for this reason.
“Brandi, how would you define pornography?”
“For me, it’s when the penis goes in.”
I have never had someone next to me on an airplane watching porn but I probably wouldn’t care. Of course, since I am in coach, it would be more pedestrian porn instead of the high class porn of the expensive seats.
Back in the day, before PEDs, the flight attendants ask me to tell the guy in 2B, FC international, to kindly put his book of penthouse stories away. No pics, just words on a page. Hilarious
If the passenger next to you is wearing a Meta Oculus or Apple VR headset, the odds are 80% he or she is watching porn. It’s “private” afterall. And you thought those were for playing games? Pfft!
I flew out of AMS a few years ago and the guy next to me was flipping through a hardcore porn magazine. I’m not offended by that material, personally, but I thought it was a bit strange that he didn’t seem to even be hiding it in any way.
A seat neighbor once was reading *50 Shades of Grey*. I tried not to let it bother me.
Back in about 2013 I flew the late lamented Air Berlin in J from ORD to TXL. The crew came down the aisle offering a selection of magazines, including the German edition of Playboy, which I duly chose. The FA pointed out that it wasn’t in English, but I assured her that wouldn’t be a problem.
Wow. Let us infringe on other’s people rights based off someone else’s religious standards. If you don’t want to watch porn don’t watch the other person’s screen. Simple as that.
What is “PORN/pornography”? What is “obscene”? What is “standards”? Define it.
Look around we already have ways too many trashy skin-tight/bodysuit trashy travelers/people around town.
People should be free to watch whatever they want wherever they want. This is not UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, ME.
I started watching hustlers, the story of strippers ripping off Wall Street tycoons, on a delta flight. After the first pole dance I was too uncomfortable watching it on the plane!
Yes watch whatever you want, just be mindful of kids and use headphones please.
Ever hear of privacy screen protectors? Sheesh. AAmatueurs.
What is pornographic or obscene is in the eyes of the beholders. For others it may be artistic entertainment or a celebration of sexual energy. Can the same be said for violence on the screens? Isn’t violence obscene?
If there are kids around who can look at my screens on flights and the in-flight entertainment includes graphic violence or sexual scenes, I do try to block the view to my screen with the in-flight magazine or plane safety briefing card during those scenes. But if there are only adults around, they need to mind their own business with where their eyes go and don’t go and need to check themselves if they are more squeamish about nudity and sexual contact among consenting adults than about all the violence on the screens.
No surprise. Over the years I’ve noticed people watching porn at Starbucks. Ain’t free Wi-Fi grand?
That viewing inside Starbucks is better than coming across people engaged in sexual self-gratification and genital stimulation outdoors in Central Park. Nothing new there, as it was a feature of all the years of Rudi’s mayorship. The indoor version of that probably happens on flights more than people notice, but the removal/reduction of airplane blankets may have been a positive in a way.
You really have to wonder how stupid the human race is becoming.
Appropriate has never been nor will it ever been a legal standard backed by law. Typically when some activity or behavior becomes offensive to the masses lawmakers usually step in a place legal constraints on that activity. For example years ago in some sates it was illegal to serve alchohol in public. States Attorneys and Law Enforcement wold sometime board commerical flights, wait until the plane flew into their state’s airspace and then arrest crew members for violating state liquour laws.
Perhaps some similar type of weird legal remmedy might come about for porn on commerical air flights. Seems to me that a simple and logical policy or even law for air travel would be. “If you can’d do it legally in person in real life, you can’t show it on a video or play it on sound system in public”.
One of the hallmarks of the homosexual rights movement was always “what consensual adults do in the privacy of their own homes in nobody else’s business” I think most reasonable people would agree that nobody has privacy right in public spaces. There should be no difference between masturbating in public vs watching a video of someone masturbating in public.
Oh everyone quite being so prude. Business men/woman have been reading Playboy / girl on planes since the 1960s. In fact Pan Am had them in their magazine selection. Do I approve no, but is it any worse then F@#$ Biden bumper stickers that my grand kid asks me “what does that mean”. Quick being so self rightous and shocked. No one is buy it!
What if someone has a foot fetish? See Sex in the City Season 2, episode 12. 😉
What is wrong with people, this is not acceptable. This is why people cannot have guns because it would be too tempting to make use of them.
Once on an Airline Canada from Calgary to Heathrow over night flight, the plane was blacked out so people could sleep, walked to the back of the plane, their were to female flight attendants watching 50 Shades of Gray on a personal tablet. They never lifted their eyes up once from the screen, very tempted join them.
was it gay or straight porn?
It really just speaks to our society where everyone (at least a lot of people) feel entitled to do whatever they want, and to hell with you!
Decorum is a thing of the past….
So what? Watch what you want and mind your own business. If you don’t want to see something on my screen, then don’t look. People just need to mind their own business and not subject others to their own standards. Not everyone has the same views.
Live and let live. Why are you looking at someone else’s phone or tablet anyway. Respect their privacy. And to those watching use earphones it’s the polite thing to do no matter what you are watching. Too many nosy People in America always up in other peoples business.