If you’ve been on an airplane, you know the routine: The crew does their presentation about safety, pointing out the exits and how to use your seat as a life preserver. Yawn. Same ol’ thing every time.
Not on Air New Zealand. They recruited legendary fitness guru Richard Simmons to create a high-energy, fun and totally CAMPY video called “Fit to Fly” to grab people’s attention.
The only way is up, baby!
Rick Aiello knows something about cheese – he was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Since moving to Chicago in 1997 he has involved himself in Chicago’s music and arts scene, both as a cabaret artist and as a member of the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus. With a taste for the ridiculous and fanciful, he began his personal blog, Rick’s Launching Pad in 2004. Rick lives in Chicago with his two furry children, Pippin and Screech, and enjoys photography, music, cooking and men… not necessarily in that order.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personalities/news/article.cfm?c_id=72&objectid=10710699
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Why don’t they tell the truth? If the airplane crashes you will probably die.
Better to die happy and dancing?
http://www.feastoffun.com/topics/people/2010/12/13/video-air-nz-cuts-gay-kiss-snub-from-safety-video/
Oh dear. I hope Air NZ didn’t do this specifically to make up for the previous one I linked where a rugby player turned down a kiss from a male flight attendant. There’s such a thing as trying too hard!
Also, the guy in the thick glasses is none other than Paul Henry, former morning talk show host who was finally let go after one too many sexist/homophobic/racist remarks on air. He’s what passes for a shock jock in New Zealand, though half of what he says seems to be out of sheer un-self-awareness, of a calibre normally seen in Ricky Gervais characters, rather than a calculated attempt to offend like Howard Stern and his peers. Google “paul henry lady moustache” and click on the YouTube results to see some particularly facepalm-worthy moments.
You’ve probably hit the nail on the head…ESPECIALLY that kiss in the Simmons version.
Can someone explain to me why Richard Simmons kissed him though?
http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_10156.php
Taking the piss, I guess. Paul Henry’s a blokey TV personality who’s said vaguely homophobic things in the past, so to have a fruity flamboyant guy like Simmons peck him on the cheek is a way of teasing him, and also referencing the previous air safety vid where another blokey rugby player turned down a kiss from a male flight attendant, which some people complained about and resulted in it being edited. It’s complicated!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Henry_%28broadcaster%29#Controversies
A list of Henry’s various uproars. The tipping point was the racist remarks about an Indian public figure and our New-Zealand-born (to Fiji-Indian parents) Governor-General. Either it was one bigoted remark too many, or racism is considered a more serious charge than homophobia. I don’t want to play the Oppression Olympics, though—it’s all nasty things to say.
It’s just a moustache
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personalities/news/article.cfm?c_id=72&objectid=10710699
That’s the one! We watched Breakfast every morning in our hotel room when we first came to NZ on holiday and thought, “Is this Paul guy drunk or something?” Then I saw a headline a few weeks later on reddit that read “New Zealand TV presenter mocks woman with moustache” and thought “I’ll bet it was him…” Called it!
Apparently he’s considering moving to Los Angeles for his “big break”, so look out, America!