Fox News host Bill O’Reilly spent several minutes on Monday’s episode of “The O’Reilly Factor” talking about the PR disaster currently bedeviling United Airlines. But while he kept things largely to-the-facts, he couldn’t help chuckling at the expense of the passenger who was visibly injured while being forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight.
At the start of the segment, O’Reilly played the video, first posted online by passenger Audra D. Bridges, that shows the man, reportedly a Louisville-based Doctor, being dragged off the plane by law enforcement while other passengers react in horror and disgust.
The man was one of four passengers randomly selected to give up his seat so that a United employee flying standby could take it, after the airline was unable to find any passengers willing to voluntarily do so. United has noted that the security guards who removed the man were Chicago aviation officials, not United employees.
As the clip ends and O’Reilly prepares to introduce Fox correspondent Rob Schmidt to talk about the matter, he involuntarily laughs at the situation. “I shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s just so bizarre,” added the host, whose show is having difficulty retaining advertisers in the wake of a scandal related to allegations of sexual harassment.
The New York Times reported earlier this month that O’Reilly and Fox News have paid out roughly $13 million to five women who have acccused him of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. He has denied any wrongdoing and said he was targeted because of his success.
You can watch the clip above.
11 Companies That Created Their Own PR Nightmares (Photos)
United Airlines went viral in the worst way possible when video of a man being wrestled off one of its flights hit the internet. The man, a doctor who needed to return home for his shift at a hospital, was forcibly removed from a plane because a crew member needed his seat. Video showed security dragging the man being off the plane by his arms with blood on his face.
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United's latest public relations nightmare was preceded by an incident last month in which two teenagers were barred from boarding their flight because they were wearing leggings.
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Within minutes of Pepsi unveiling a new ad starring Kendall Jenner, social media users almost unanimously came down against it, calling the protest-themed commercial tone deaf and opportunistic. The ad, which depicted Jenner resolving the tension at a protest scene with a can of Pepsi, was pulled after a day and the company issued an apology.
Pepsi
In 2015, Starbucks had its own PR disaster with its "race together" campaign, which sought to help heal race relations in America through coffee cup stickers, and not much else. Critics slammed the campaign, which began in response to a series police shootings, as a cheap marketing ploy.
Starbucks
Bloomingdales ran a print ad in 2015 encouraging readers to "spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking." With the accompanying photo of a man looking at a distracted woman, some accused the ad of contributing rape culture by encouraging people to shirk consent.
Bloomingdales
Budweiser found itself in a similar position when customers noticed that some Bud Light cans featured the quote “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.” One of 140 slogans printed on the cans as part of the “Up for Whatever” campaign, the quote nonetheless drew the ire of those who said the company was encouraging rape.
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The skincare company Nivea took some heat on social media after it debuted an ad featuring the phrase "white is purity," which some accused of supporting white supremacy. The ad also included a picture of a woman and the caption "Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don't let anything ruin it."
Nivea
Samsung began selling its Galaxy Note 7 phones in August 2016, and by September, it had suspended sales of the phone due to reports that they were catching fire during charging. After issuing replacement phones only to find that those phones were also catching fire, the company officially recalled the product on Sept. 15. In October, it issued a software update to brick the model entirely.
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Wells Fargo is currently amid its own PR disaster after it came to light that employees were creating thousands of fraudulent accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals. As many of 5,300 employees were fired as a result, and the company has since clawed back $180 million from two former executives.
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When President Trump signed the first version of his Muslim travel ban in February and taxis briefly withheld service from airports in protest, Uber announced it would be lowering its own prices. The action led to a mass boycott of the ride sharing service and the hashtag #DeleteUber.
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Chick-fil-A's history of anti-LGBT activism came to light after the company's CEO Dan Cathy admitted to opposing same-sex marriage in 2012. Amid increasing public outcry, the company eventually vowed to stop donating to anti-LGBT causes.
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From United Airlines violently removing a passenger to Pepsi, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A’s public faux pas
United Airlines went viral in the worst way possible when video of a man being wrestled off one of its flights hit the internet. The man, a doctor who needed to return home for his shift at a hospital, was forcibly removed from a plane because a crew member needed his seat. Video showed security dragging the man being off the plane by his arms with blood on his face.
Getty Images
Getty Images
