Kevin Smith Calls Plane Incident Worst Experience of His Life

In the series of videos, Smith said that he currently has journalists camped out outside his home and that he's received calls from numerous major outlets requesting interviews. Instead of appearing on television, he chose to reply on his blog. All the videos had a prominent banner across the bottom calling attention to the crisis in Haiti following January's devastating earthquake.

"I was trying to put together a cool career [so] people would remember the movies, now ... [they will] probably [remember] this. I'll probably take this with me to the grave. ... I can't dodge this bullet, even if I get thin, I can't dodge this bullet," Smith commented.

"It is kind of the worst thing that's ever happened to me, which is actually OK because that means I've had a pretty cool life," Smith said. "Nobody has died unnaturally or anything like that, and I have all my limbs. But it's still humiliating."

He said regarding those who have criticized him for being too heavy, "I don't know, man, like please don't lecture me. You know, I know a lot of people like to drink. A lot of people like to smoke cigarettes. And, look, that's how [they] cool off. I cool off [by] eating. And you know, I'm a comfort eater. Like many, many, many Americans ... at least we're not all into, like, drinking and driving on the road and killing people and whatnot. You know, we just keep to ourselves and eat." But he added, "This isn't about weight, this is about an airline's mistake that they don't want to correct."

Smith explained that he flies Southwest for convenience when taking short flights since he can use an airport close to his home. Since Southwest doesn't have a first class section, he said he usually purchases two seats for his own comfort, and not because he is too big to fit into one seat.

"Now folks, I have grown up a fat person," Smith pointed out, continuing, "And when you grow up fat, you learn how to navigate through a thin person's world without calling attention to yourself. ... Most fat people just want to blend into the woodwork. ... No fat person wants to stick out. ... We're all kind of dying inside a little bit."

Smith said that before he boarded the flight, a Southwest employee asked him if he'd be able to lower both armrests, and he said that he definitely would be able to. But he said that after he was seated in his seat, although he demonstrated to the same person that he was able to lower both armrests, she still asked him to leave the plane, telling him that the pilot wanted him off the flight.

He said that he implored her to let him stay on the flight, letting her know that he had already been recognized by passengers as a famous director, but she insisted he leave the flight. He said he also questioned whether the pilot could really see him, and she asked him if he was calling her a liar. Smith said that, according to his conversation with a Southwest rep days later, the pilot had not in fact seen him, but rather the pilot asked the flight attendants to wrap up outstanding issues so that the plane could take off.

Smith said that he also noticed another man on the plane who was clearly larger than he was, but was occupying only one seat and was allowed to fly.

The director also said he had an awkward encounter while boarding the flight: He said that while he was walking down the jetway to board the plane, a man asked him who he was and where he was going. He said he told the man that he was a standby passenger, but after being questioned further, said he jokingly asked the guy: "Well, man, have I [expletive] been declassified as luggage? And he goes, 'What did you say?'" Smith said he boarded the plane after their apparently strained exchange ended.

Smith said he's speaking out in order to help others who might find themselves in a similar situation: "What I went through really sucked, and thank God I have enough of an ego from all the other stuff I do that, you know, I didn't put a gun in my mouth at the end of the day. But a lot of people maybe wouldn’t be able to handle it with humor the way that I did and it would really devastate them and whatnot so I'm looking out for those cats."

In closing, he apologized, saying, "I'm so sorry this has taken up so much time and attention. ... I didn't really think it would leave Twitter. I thought Southwest would scramble to do something about the policy, [but] it became way bigger than that, and man, ... it's been just humiliating.

"So, I'm sorry that it spiraled up to that point and then again, at the same time, I think it's good that it was brought to everybody's attention. ... I think it's gonna save a lot of embarrassment for fat people like myself if they just know that Southwest Airlines is a place where they're not necessarily welcome."

Published 2/16/10 by