Royal Dutch Airlines’ World Cup tweet about Mexico causes rage
After The Netherlands defeated Mexico in the round of 16, the airline posted an image of a “departures” sign with a stereotypical image of a Mexican man.
As nations vie for the distinction of winning the World Cup, airlines seem to be competing to determine who can tweet the most insensitive image.
First, there was Delta, which tweeted an image that indicated Ghana is the home to giraffes. It isn’t. On Sunday, Royal Dutch Airlines, which goes by the initials KLM, one-upped Delta with a tweet celebrating The Netherlands’ win over Mexico.
The tweet’s text simply read, “Adios Amigos! #NEDMEX.” That was accompanied by an image of a “departures” sign that had an image of a man with a large mustache, wearing a sombrero and a bandana around his neck.
According to one observer, the tweet was up for only 25 minutes before KLM deleted it.
A good many people who saw the tweet while it was visible were incensed. Actor Gabriel Garcia Bernal, who has about 2 million followers tweeted, then deleted, a post that threatened never to fly KLM again, followed by, “F**k you big time.”
Others offered similar sentiments:
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