Like so many airlines, Southwest Airlines desperately wants your pink dollar. And, as part of their efforts, the aeronautical company decided to launch a "Gay-Friendly" website. Too bad they can't make friends with Washington Post's Emil Steiner, whose OFF/beat column specializes in "Real, Strange News".
The angry journo uses this piece to dissect Southwest's predictably gay travel destinations (e.g. Miami, San Francisco), travel tips and event suggestions. He then concludes:
…Far from a slick ad campaign, Southwest's hackneyed jargon instead pangs of a nervous heterosexual trying too hard to prove he's not homophobic. The result is unintentional parody that may make readers wonder whether Southwest is being innocently open-minded, pandering ham-handedly or being downright offensive?
Niche marketing's ugly face revealed!
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I was in the mood to be a bitch today & so followed the link, ready to be shocked.
And really, I can't find that much wrong with the site. There's a few stupid jokes, but besides the parties there are links to AIDS Walks across the country, advice on asking a hotel about their GLBT policies, a photo of two daddies and their kids at Disney, and a shot of two women hugging in San Francisco. It all seemed rather nice, and hardly offensive.
The only complaint I have is that I couldn't get to the site from the Southwest homepage. "Gay Programs" is fine, but still closeted, I guess.
That, and there was no lavender discount and no lavender upgrades. And without those, what's the point?
I completely agree with hisurfer. There is absolutely nothing offensive on the Southwest website. This is just advertising, for Christ's fucking sake – not poetry. If there's hackneyed jargon, it's a lot more excusable here than in Emil Steiner's feeble WaPo blog (or the Queerty website, for that matter).
Businesses are damned if they ignore us, and now apparently damned if the marketing language isn't as sophisticated as some queers think they deserve.
We're facing too many real and serious problems for this to merit any attention. Get a clue, Queerty. Don't pass this nothing shit off as an item. If there's nothing new, just don't post anything!
Some of these columnists really have to stretch to find copy. You'd think with all the shit in the world today, he'd have something better to rag on than a corporation's minor niche marketing campaign.
I will never fly SWA again. The fact that they are pandering to this sick and vile group is unforgivable.
Oh David, you're just mad because I wouldn't fuck you in the bathroom on that last SWA flight we were on. But, you have to understand, your ass is just too loose for me.
See, it's people like you who set your own cause back 25 years.
Only 25? Damn. I was shooting for 30.