Kevin Smith vs. Southwest: Shrewd Media Manipulation By an Irate Filmmaker

(MoneyWatch)  Feigning indignation, movie director Kevin Smith excoriated Southwest Airlines (LUV) for singling him out and removing the sometime actor from a flight at Oakland International Airport, allegedly because he was "too fat." Will the movie director settle for the airline's tweeted apologies or prolong his manipulated cause célèbre for his own ends, as he has a new film debuting next week?
Southwest initially insisted in a public retort that not-so-Silent Bob (a character that Smith played in several of his own movies) violated the airline operator's Customer of Size policy, which calls for a large passenger to be bumped from a full flight if the "customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat."

Though most of his movies -- like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Dogma -- are forgettable and potty-mouthed entertainment that stoned slackers can be found rummaging for in the discount DVD bins at Wal-Mart, Kevin Smith knows how to turn a profit. Which makes him a Hollywood darling:

• The auteur supposedly made his first film Clerks on a paltry budget of $27,575, financed by tapping out 12 credit cards (and this movie about two convenience store clerks smoking weed and joking about their "male parts" actually grossed $3 million in limited release).
• The universally panned comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, shot on a budget of about $24 million grossed more than $31 million (since being released in October 2008).

There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary." -- Irish playwright Brendan Behan (1923-1964)

Known for his puerility in lashing out at critics of his films, the self-crowned Too-Fat-to-Fly martyr has leveraged his familiarity with movie making to trump Southwest and direct public attention of this fatty drama to his Kevin Smith online diary, My Boring Ass Life. And what is the first thing that viewers are drawn to on the site? A movie trailer for his Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan police buddy flick Cop Out, which has a release date of February 25!

In tandem, online visits will likely soar for his dude podcast venture Smodcast, where his slacker fans can download his latest adventure: "Go F#$k Yourself, Southwest Airlines."

"One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived." -- Political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

"Folks? Tomorrow? Let's Tweet about other stuff, shall we?" said Smith in a blog post to readers last night, after receiving an apology from Southwest. "This is starting to taste mediciney and fruitless."
Kevin's brave story of fighting back against the (allegedly) discriminating one-seat policy practiced by most U.S. flight operators -- and his support for people of all sizes and shapes -- fed right into the scrum of paparazzi, gossip hounds, magazines and entertainment shows that are turning this story into the week's media circus.

Not that it matters, but the airline never called Mr. Smith a "Fat Man."

Call John McClane, Southwest Airlines -- you've been played!

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