Delta Is Putting 'Vagina,' 'Genitals' and Lesbian Sex Scene Back in In-Flight Version of 'Booksmart'

Entertainment
Delta Is Putting 'Vagina,' 'Genitals' and Lesbian Sex Scene Back in In-Flight Version of 'Booksmart'
Photo:Bruce Bennett (Getty Images)

On Friday, Delta Air Lines said the airline will start showing versions of Booksmart and Rocketman that include lesbian sex, the words “vagina” and “genitals” and a scene were the main characters are animated as naked dolls. Previously, the two movies — the latter is a biopic of living legend (and gay man) Elton John — had been edited to exclude mentions of queerness and female sexuality.

Booksmart director Olivia Wilde seemed equally annoyed and confused in a tweet on Wednesday. “Turns out some airlines work with a third party company that edits the movie based on what they deem inappropriate. Which, in our case, is … female sexuality?” Wilde tweeted with a questioning emoji, after watching the in-flight version her directorial debut.

The scenes wild is talking about include a scene where the girls watch porn and another where a woman masturbates.

The tweets by Wilde became even more critical after Delta was criticized for showing a version of Rocketman without any references to John being a gay man.

The airline used its previous inclusion of Moonlight, Imagine Me and You, and Gentleman Jack as proof that the airline doesn’t regularly exclude queer content. Delta spokesman Adrian Gee said the airline didn’t ask for the edits, but didn’t realize an unedited version of either film would have met the airline’s guidelines.

In a statement to NBC News, the airline said that a new policy would “immediately” be implemented to manage the selection of in-flight entertainment. “The studio has agreed to provide a special Delta edit that retains the LGBTQ+ love scenes in both Booksmart and Rocketman that will be on our flights as soon as possible,” the airline said in a statement to NBC News.

 
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