British Airways Probes Video of Flight Attendant Joking About Size of Nigerian Passengers' Genitals
A British Airways jet flies towards McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 2.A British Airways jet flies towards McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 2.Ethan Miller/Getty
Updated | British Airways has sacked a female employee after she filmed herself making racist comments about Nigerian passengers, including jokes about the size of their genitals.
The clip was apparently filmed by a blonde woman dressed in a British Airways uniform and has circulated on social media. In the video, the woman says that she is about to work on a flight to Nigeria and that "all the Nigerians are gonna be there asking for fucking upgrades because they haven't got enough leg room because their BBCs are in their way."
BBC is a slang term that serves as an acronym for "big black cock." The stereotype that black men have large penises is commonly cited but not supported by scientific studies.
A British Airways spokeswoman told Newsweek via email on Tuesday: "We expect the utmost professionalism from our staff when they are representing British Airways. We are investigating this video." The company confirmed to Newsweek on Wednesday that the woman no longer worked for it.
The footage, which was posted on Snapchat, shows the woman in a car. She says that it is a Friday night and that she is getting ready to go to work on a flight to Nigeria.
"All right, so all of yous are there getting ready for your Friday night, getting in the pre-drinks, you know, as you do," said the woman in the Snapchat video. "And I'm here getting ready to go to work, put on a yellow life jacket, point out the exits, hand out chicken or beef, what sort of Friday night is this for me?"
"The upside is I'm going to Nigeria and there's going to be bare BBC—I'm joking, I'm joking," says the woman, laughing.
"All the Nigerians are gonna be there like: 'Give me Coca-Cola, give me beef, why you have no beef left, I want beef,'" she says, putting on an accent. "And I'm just gonna be there like, 'Sorry sir, we ran out of beef.'"
"All the Nigerians, they're all gonna be there, asking for fucking upgrades because they haven't got enough leg room because all their BBCs are in their way. Big dicks like this swinging from side to side," she says.
It is not clear where or when the video was filmed, but it has been circulating on social media since at least Monday.
Nigerian social media users have taken offense at the video, which they have described as racist and called upon BA to discipline the woman involved.
The footage was first reported by British tabloid website MailOnline, which said that the video was circulated among fellow BA staff who then reported it to company authorities.
The myth of black men having large penises is frequently considered an example of sexual racism, whereby black men are portrayed as sexually aggressive and a threat to white women. The 1915 film Birth of a Nation, widely regarded as racist, depicts one white woman jumping to her death in order to avoid being raped by a black plantation worker.
This article has been updated to include British Airways' confirmation that the woman in the video no longer works for the company.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
