Huckleberries Online

Schumer Uses B-Word On Airplane

Posted by DFO

Dec. 16, 2009 10:23 a.m. • 22 comments

Sen. Chuck Schumer apparently doesn’t like when people tell him to stop talking. The senator was flying from New York to Washington with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday when he muttered a curse word under his breath after a flight attendant asked him to hang up his phone before take-off, according to Politico’s Shenanigans blog. An announcement was made telling passengers to turn off their cell phones, but Schumer and Gillibrand, who was reportedly sitting beside him, kept jabbering away, a House GOP aide who was seated nearby told Shenanigans. A flight attendant then came up to the veteran New York Democrat and asked him to turn off his phone, after which point he muttered “bitch,” the source said/Jennifer Millman, New York. More here.

Question: Increasingly, the B-word is used on television by actresses describing themselves and others. Is it becoming an acceptable term for females that someone dislikes? Is it acceptable for a U.S. senator to use to describe a flight attendant?

22 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

brentandrews on December 16 at 10:34 a.m.
Lady Gaga screaming “I’m a free bitch, baby” is a far cry from a man calling a young lady a bitch for doing her job. No, bitch has not come a long way, baby. It’s still terrible.
brentandrews on December 16 at 10:35 a.m.
Only girls can use it. Like the N-word. Only black people can use the N-word.
Charlie on December 16 at 10:37 a.m.
Chuckie Schumer is a real class act.
LukeB on December 16 at 10:41 a.m.
No and no.

I disagree with Brent - civilized people don’t use words like ‘bitch’ or ‘nig.ger’, ever, even if it’s “culturally OK” to do so within one’s peer group.
Fixer on December 16 at 10:45 a.m.
Would the House GOP aide have said anything had the senator been a Republican?
Joker on December 16 at 10:48 a.m.
First of all, the airline should fire that flight attendant for interrupting a man of Senator Schumer’s clout and power. The man needs his cell phone on at all times.

Second, the flight attendant should be on her knees begging for Chuck Schumer’s forgiveness and mercy. In case you don’t know, Senator Schumer is a very important person. He might have been discussing an intelligence brief concerning terrorists on his flight. Or he might have been working on health care reform, which would give this young woman health care after she loses her job for bothering a U.S. Senator.

Or he could have been discussing how he plans to spend Christmas in the Virgin Islands and how the mini-bar needs to be stocked. The last time he visited that resort, it was a disaster because they put red M & M’s in the candy dish. He can’t eat red M & Ms. He just can’t.
Roger_Young on December 16 at 10:49 a.m.
I wasn’t there and if he did say it, then the flight attendant should have had him removed from the plane.

Remember what Connie Chung said about Hillay.
scootermom on December 16 at 11:23 a.m.
Bitch is only appropriate when talking about a female canine. It should never be used to describe a human being.

Kind of makes me wonder how he thinks about his female constituents.

Bad Chuck. Very bad.
kamm on December 16 at 11:29 a.m.
As my Mother said, God rest her soul, “If you are uncomfortable shouting it at you mother in the middle of your workplace, you shouldn’t say it in public at al”.

Incivility should never be accepted as the norm.

‘In the old days’ the sun rose and set without yakking on a cell phone 24/7. Remember the phone booth?
.
joebu on December 16 at 11:32 a.m.
Connie Chung didn’t say anything about Hillary, Roger. She did raise some eyebrows in the journalism and political communities by airing what Newt Gingrich’s mom said Newt thought about Hillary. But she did it even though Ms. Gingrich used the phrase, “just between you and me.” (which some said meant ‘off the record/please turn the cameras off.”)
Sisyphus on December 16 at 12:15 p.m.
Schumer shouldn’t have said it even though the report was scant as to the actual provocation. Given the source its not surprising.

Speaking of which, we get days and days of hourly puff pieces on Caribou Barbie yet we get this obscure Politico piece on Schumer? Howzabout we get Digger to write up a post on defending this:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14003093
LarrySpencer on December 16 at 12:20 p.m.
>”He can’t eat red M & Ms. He just can’t. ”

:-)

LMAO!
hhuseland on December 16 at 12:39 p.m.
I believe that I am firmly on the record in saying that repetitive use of a pejorative and/or obscene term is not a license to change the rules on polite behavior. If that were true, then the infamous “F” word and others would not be banned either. Let’s stick to the high ground and let those that feel they have to express themselves with smut do it in their own forums.
spokelooneh on December 16 at 12:42 p.m.
This is a story, why? Schumer allegedly mutters the b-word under his breath, who the hell cares?

Meanwhile, serial liar Joe Lieberman single-handedly guts health care reform on behalf of his parasitic insurance company lobbyists and nary a mention around here.
deepee on December 16 at 12:56 p.m.
I’m with Joker. The arrogance of these SOBs knows no boundary (and I’m not talking about flight attendants).
mike_s on December 16 at 1:32 p.m.
Is it okay to say someone is acting like a bitch?
Cindy_H on December 16 at 1:39 p.m.
Wouldn’t advise saying it anywhere in the vicinity of the above mentioned someone.
Not safe. Not wise.
Phaedrus on December 16 at 1:56 p.m.
What a clod!
LarrySpencer on December 16 at 3:17 p.m.
Phaedrus, she was just asking him to follow the rules. Why do you call her a clod?

;-)
Phaedrus on December 16 at 3:23 p.m.
LarrySpencer sometimes I’m surprised by people’s inability to read and understand; the question was about the Senator’s actions, so was my response. Do. you. Want. Me. To. TYPE REAL S.L.O.W. ?
Stickman on December 16 at 4:00 p.m.
I never think words like that are appropriate. It’s so much nicer to be nice. How hard is that?
transplanted_texan on December 16 at 7:23 p.m.
Reminds me of a scene from the TV show West Wing.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.