Sexist Ryanair CEO Slammed Over Ad Featuring Half-Naked Employee [NSFW]

3:47 pm, December 13th | by Amy Tennery

Looks as though Ryanair is continuing its vaunted legacy of sensitivity and deference toward women.

About a month ago, I assembled a compendium of awfulness that has defined airline Ryanair’s gender relations (and customer relations, for that matter) over the last, oh, forever.

The fact that Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary personally selects female employees for a yearly Cabin Crew Charity (lingerie) Calendar doesn’t help. Nor does the fact that he once manhandled his barely-dressed ‘honorees’ for a promotional video for the calendar:

Anyway. I digress.

Turns out that O’Leary is in a bit of hot water (again!) over some ads that Ryanair released for said calendar, according to the Guardian. And what’s so bad about this advertisement, which features an actual Ryanair employee pinup? This is what’s so bad:

Yikes. And the ad has generated so much controversy that, according to Guardian, the Advertising Standard Authority has launched an inquiry after receiving complains that “the ads are ‘sexist and objectify women, particularly female cabin crew.’”

This naturally begs the question, How much inquiring does it take to determine sexism? We’d think (particularly given the visual medium) this would be one of those ‘snap judgment’ things. Particularly when the Ryanair spokesperson somehow manages to be this smarmy (via Guardian:

A spokesperson for Ryanair said that it has been running the charity calendar for five years and that it would “continue to support the right of our crew to take their clothes off to raise money for those who need it most”.

Ick.

TAGS: michael o'leary | ryanair ad | ryanair ceo | sexist ryanair ad

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VK7U6RFTAUIPW2JR2NGPBP2IYA super

AMY..AMY ..AMY if you don’t like it then don’t fly on there airlines..let the free market speak. However if their fairs are cheap enough and quality planes i bet you will fly on the airlines even if the CEO is sexist ;) Oh and bring a sweater for the stewardess…she might catch a cold ;) Oh wait i didn’t say female cabin crew…I guess I’m in hot water too ;)
van

Was that last quote from Ryanair really said? Wow. They need a new liaison to the media. ”…continue to support the right of our crew to take their clothes off to raise money for those who need it most.” I’m assuming there are no men in the calendar and never will be? This takes the UPS delivery driver calendar idea way too far.
Anonymous

Offended? Avert eyes, shut pie-hole and move on.

I thought Americans were sexually repressed and could learn something from the morally unencumbered Euros?

Which is it? Pick a liberal half-baked meme and stick with it.
Anonymous

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Anonymous

This guy once tried to charge for using the restrooms on his flights. But decided against it and instead has female employees clean the toilets to save money. Ah, the Irish…..gotta love ‘em.
Anonymous

PAH-HA-HA-HA!! A racist joke about sexism! Gotta love it!
ZenPoseur

Offended? Avert eyes, shut pie-hole and move on.

You don’t quite grok the internet, do you?
Anonymous

SUPER, SUPER, SUPER … if you don’t like this article, don’t read it and then type an essay for a response … let freedom of speech, uh, speak! ;) ;) ;)
Anonymous

Definitely tell everyone about how offended you are that someone spoke about being offended. That’s totally not hypocritical.
12voltman1

What’s the problem? Did someone hold a gun to her head and force her to do the ad?
I like what I see. Sex sells.Always has.Always will.
LOL

Didn’t the guy in the video say 382 females volunteered? Where’s the sexism.
Mphsrick43

It’s offensive to the UGLY who could not make the cut. What happened to a woman’s choice? I guess they mean a woman is free to choose as long as that choice goes along with what the leftist think that choice should be.
Anonymous

Who cares…. And why would anybody fly with these idiots?

The minute they announced they would make you pay to use the toilet, they seized to exist as a viable business as far as I am concerned.
http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

I know, right?

He’s clearly talking about Italians.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VK7U6RFTAUIPW2JR2NGPBP2IYA super

there is a theme growing in the Jane Dough area and i predicted it before a single article was printed here.
You have freedom of speech but i have freedom to post…despite the amount of times my posts get deleted in this area unlike all the other areas of mediaite.,,,virtually zilch
Anonymous

You’re free to post any comment you like, so long as it doesn’t include misogynistic, vulgar, homophobic, racist (etc….) language. If you have a problem with a comment that’s been deleted you can always get in touch with me at amy@thejanedough.com. Always happy to discuss.

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