This was published 7 years ago
Jimmy Kimmel takes aim at United Airlines with fake promotional video
By Broede Carmody
Social media punters, customers and even the share market have pummelled embattled carrier United Airlines after a video emerged of a bloodied man being forcibly removed from a flight.
By Tuesday evening, it was time for the late-night hosts to stick the knife in.
Jimmy Kimmel aired some of the shocking footage on his television show, accompanied by nervous laughter from the studio audience.
"That's how my mother used to get me out of bed in the morning," he joked.
United Airlines was an easy target for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.Credit: ABC
The comedian also took aim at the way United bungled their corporate messaging as the controversy gathered more and more momentum. The airline's chief executive released a statement regretting that police had to "re-accomodate" passengers.
"Re-accomodate?" Kimmel asked in disbelief. "That's like saying we re-accomodated El Chapo out of Mexico. That's such sanitised, say nothing, take no responsibility, corporate BS-speak. I'm surprised the guy who sent that tweet didn't vomit."
But the knock-out punch came when Kimmel introduced a parody of a United Airlines advertisement. The video proposes a new company slogan: "F--- you."
"We're United Airlines," the air hostess says in the clip. "You do what we say, when we say. And there won't be a problem. Capiche? If we say you fly, you fly. If not, tough.
The fake United Airlines ad told customers to go "f---" themselves.Credit: ABC
"Give us a problem, and we'll drag your ass off the plane. And if you resist, we'll beat you so badly you'll be using your own face as a floatation device."