Poor Use of Iconic Photo...

[California Joe]

My pal Gazbert posted this in the Invite Bar but I thought it could use a wider audience. It includes his thoughts as well as mine, including the email I sent...Feel free to email them yourselves...


I don't know if this has hit the news in the States but BASSA (the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association) are in a pretty nasty fight with BA over potential strike action. Anyway, BASSA have now come up with the following picture on their website (http://www.bassa.co.uk/BASSA/webpages/front.asp) -

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6784/unitedwestand.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/i/unitedwestand.jpg/)

If anyone wants to contact them over what can only be considered this grossly insensitive copy of the famous Iwo Jima picture then please feel free to contact them - Office@bassa.co.uk


I emailed them this...

Your ridiculous interpretation of the iconic Joe Rosenthal photograph of the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima is patently offensive. You've taken an image that represents the blood and sacrifice of the 24,053 combined US Navy and Marine Corps casualties and reduced it to some sort of shameless advertising graphic. You serve drinks to airline passengers, you don't die in combat, you unbelievably ignorant tw*ts. How dare you compare the two. If you can find someone at your Association that does not suffer the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome, you might explain that to them. Do yourselves a favor and remove it.

Cheers

[T3ngu]

Nice one CJ!

[Seiran]

*claps* Well said Joe. This is truly disturbing that they could even think about doing something this blasphemous, let alone actually go ahead and complete it.

[happyslapper]

Completely agree. We see this kind of thing time and time again, and it never fails to p*ss me off. A good friend of mine is BA cabin crew, i'll pass on the complaint when I see her this weekend.

[custodes]

This certainly doesn't make me sympathetic to this organization.

[Jobu]

Are they planting their flag in plane wreckage?

[California Joe]

Kinda looks that way doesn't it. They may have a perfectly valid grievance. I have no idea. But using that photo is just plain wrong.

[kimujnr]

There are stewardess jokes lurking here somewhere, I just cant seem to find them!

[mrxyz]

Joe, while I sympathize with your outrage, I think a less offensive reply would probably be received better and be more effective. Not that one could hope for much change, but still I believe that more polite messages are absorbed better and puts them less on the defensive.

[California Joe]

I don't really believe that they care what I think.

[2495]

I am ashamed to say I am a member of a supporting Union. Fvck this, i'm ringing their head office in the morning and giving them both barrels - thats disgusting and a real punch to the gut insult to all the memories of those that died and fought.

[Policía Loco]

I will send them one if I could get 2Sheds to write it, making it the most random, slighty offensive, wtf, email possible.

[SBL]

There are stewardess jokes lurking here somewhere, I just cant seem to find them!
Budgie's heard them all, I'm sure.

[California Joe]

I was going for shock value. I'm not in the UK, I've never flown on their airline, and I have no way of actually impacting their message. I just thought it might raise an eyebrow in the "office".

[B_706K]

I saw this in the Daily Mail at work the other day and wondered if it would show up here. To myself even as Brit it is grossly bad taste but unfortunately the majority of the public in Britain have no idea the significance of this image, infact i'd take a bet that 90% didn't realise it was a take off of an historic photo.
This doesn't excuse them at all it just highlights the majority of the publics ignorance of the past. Here's hoping they see the error of their ways and get rid of it. Even if they don't though it has had negative press here in the UK and that can only hurt their unions image, serves them right.

Also have just emailed them, the picture is still on their websites front page though so either not enough people have told them how they feel or they are just a pig ignorant bunch of c*nts. Could quite well be either.

[gaz]

Don't get me wrong, I'll be flying with BA for the first time in May and this won't stop me. I realise it's nothing to do with BA or realistically any of the cabin crew I'll be flying with, it's down to a graphic artist somewhere and a manager at the union but I just find it to be completely insensitive and shows a shocking lack of respect or sense of history.

[coltfan111]

The fact it is so tackily put together is even more insulting.

If that's possible.

[EasyC]

It seems as if the graphic artist has gone out of their way to remove as much of the original photo's iconic qualities, except for the clear portrayal of the flag being raised. I'm betting they thought it would slide. Idiots.

[Paddy51]

Regardless of whether the union has a genuine grievance against BA etc, blah blah, I think this is in bad taste and lacks respect.

[budgie]

There are stewardess jokes lurking here somewhere, I just cant seem to find them!


Budgie's heard them all, I'm sure.


Pops head in door....quietly leaves.

[Gunge]

i agree completely
there r a million other ways to get their point across
thanks CJ

[HK in AK]

Thanks for posting this, Joe. I have prepared an email to send to the union. With all the stories about the painful events that the Navy and Marines went through in that hell-hole, I think most people would think twice about sullying such an iconic moment in time.

[Breerman]

I disagree.

Things are very different in US compared to how things are on the other side of the pond. People in most countries take the piss out (make fun) of things and have a more relaxed attitude, which includes military history and American military history won't be given any special treatment. With that said I'm not sure that's even the case here.

[ggk]

my opinion

the picture doesnt accurately represent their fight. Poor choice.

[AroundTheCorner]

I agree with CJ.

[BLUE THOR]

111769

How's this grab you then? if you have a look around you find a heap of protest groups (including anti military groups) replecating the flag raising on Iwo Jima.
Not condoning it, its disgusting. it detracts from the memory and sacrifice of the men who fought and died in battle. but everyone wants to tap into that spirit of courage, mateship, sacrifice and bravery.
unfortunately they stain the true spirit of the event.

[BlackFlag]

CJ spits hot fire.

[lunte]

Well said CJ. Unite and BA for that matter are a bunch of cun.. and it is only a matter of time before the airline goes bust

[Cal_Zephyr]

Someone should come up with an add for DHL using Junkers bombers droping DHL packages over London! Or a FedEx painted V-1, "Over the Channel, Over night."

[Niall]

I don't think it is very insulting. The real picture has been used as a display picture by somebody in this very thread. They could have hired a better graphic artist!

[Maj C]

I have to admit I did appreciate the one that the **** industry did - I think it was for the Free Speech Coalition or something...

It was like Barbara Dare etc with steel pots....would have looked great on the locker room wall...I just dated myself with the ancient **** star reference. :(

[Macs.]

I was going for shock value. I'm not in the UK, I've never flown on their airline, and I have no way of actually impacting their message. I just thought it might raise an eyebrow in the "office".

I am a stewardess, stop hiding in the US and say that to my face !

[Anthony91]

Well said Cali Joe! Thanks for sharing this with us.

[doctor rizz]

^^^ do a survey. Print out a picture of the flag raising as orignal and see if anyone in britian knows what it is. See if they can even guess if it is american.

[Playtime]

this is strange... people insist on their right to publish/make sometimes deliberatly offensive cartoons of the prophet mhd against the wishes of billions of muslims.. yet complain when this happens.. double standards?

[Breakfast in Vegas]

Doesn't bother me and don't think it detracts from the sacrifice and service of those who fought on Iwo Jima.

[California Joe]

this is strange... people insist on their right to publish/make sometimes deliberatly offensive cartoons of the prophet mhd against the wishes of billions of muslims.. yet complain when this happens.. double standards?

When I roll up and burn your f*cking car because of it, then you can bitch. Retard.

[coltfan111]

When I roll up and burn your f*cking car because of it, then you can bitch. Retard.

Lol, lets burn some effigies!

[Playtime]

When I roll up and burn your f*cking car because of it, then you can bitch. Retard.

Intellectually retared reply, what has this got to do with burning up cars??
Too dumb to see the parallels with the cartoon saga WRT the fair use of images/photos?? Go blow yourself till you cool down.

[California Joe]

Expressing a little bit of outrage on a US run military forum, over the improper use of an iconic US military image is in no way, shape, or form parallel to a bunch of psychopathic c*nts making death threats and rioting in the streets over an editorial cartoon. F*ck you.

[Sarig]

this is strange... people insist on their right to publish/make sometimes deliberatly offensive cartoons of the prophet mhd against the wishes of billions of muslims.. yet complain when this happens.. double standards?

I was going to say the same thing.

[California Joe]

Maybe you'd be happier hanging around a jihadist website then.