Kevin Smith says he’s “way fat,” but that shouldn’t stop him from flying.
The director and actor says a pilot ejected him from a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank, Calif., saying he didn’t fit properly in a single seat.
Smith raised a stink about the incident on his Twitter page Sunday, saying “I’m way fat, but I’m not there just yet,” and “If you look like me, you may be ejected from Southwest Air.” He posted a picture of himself sitting on the plane with his cheeks puffed out.
Southwest says it “Customer of Size” policy require travelers must be able to fit safely and comfortably in one seat or make other arrangements.
After a storm of angry online comments from Smith and his fans, the airline issued an apology first from its own Twitter account and later in a statement on its Web site titled “Not So Silent Bob,” a jovial jab at the Silent Bob character Smith plays in many of his films.
“We would like to echo our tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies to you,” the statement said.
The airline said it also accommodated Smith on a later flight, gave him a $100 voucher and apologized by phone.
Both Smith and the airline acknowledged that he had bought two seats for his original flight from Oakland, where he had spoken at the Macworld Expo conference.
But he was flying standby in order to catch an earlier flight, and only one was available.
Smith insisted that he was still able to put both armrests down and buckle his seat belt, which is Southwest’s standard.
Smith is the director of the new Bruce Willis movie “Cop Out,” and previously directed the films “Clerks” and “Chasing Amy.”
Vogue subscribers may have noticed an e-mail from Tina Fey in their inbox.
It wasn’t spam! Well, not really.
The fashion magazine sent out a note from the actress promoting her cover shoot for its March issue.
With a subject line that reads “My Vogue cover,” Fey used her self-deprecating humor to describe her experience of appearing in Vogue. She compared it to things you might expect to see only once in your lifetime — such as Halley’s Comet and the eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano.
“If you’ve always wondered what it would be like if the talented people of Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabanna, and Vogue gave your 40-year-old sister-in-law a makeover, then this is the issue for you,” writes Fey.
The promotion includes links to renew a Vogue subscription and to give one as a gift.
At a time when the publishing industry is in a slump, magazines rely heavily on subscriptions for ad revenue. They generally give a discount to potential subscribers to boost the overall circulation they can promise advertisers.
This isn’t the first time the magazine has sent out an e-mail on behalf of a celebrity cover model. A similar mailing went out from Jessica Biel to promote her February 2010 cover.
Vogue says the initiative is a hit with subscribers.
The March 2010 issue of Vogue goes on sale Tuesday.
When Genesis gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month, founding member Peter Gabriel won’t be there.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame president Joel Peresman said in a statement Thursday that Gabriel says he has a scheduling conflict with his tour that begins in Europe.
Along with Gabriel, the band’s original lineup included Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett. Phil Collins joined the band later and replaced Gabriel as lead vocalist in 1976.
Genesis was inspirational in the progressive rock movement.
Gabriel’s vision helped define the genre’s theatrical approach to a rock show with costume changes, innovative stage design, and intricate lighting effects.
The induction ceremony takes place March 15 in New York.
— The Associated Press also contributed to this report
lsmith@denverpost
