Joel Experiences Tattoo Discrimination
Filed under: Joel Madden > Etc. > Twitter
When we think of the word "offensive," Joel Madden isn't what comes to mind.
But it looks like a British Airways personnel found Madden's tattoos offensive because they wouldn't let Nicole Richie's babydaddy board their flight without covering them up first.
The incident caused some delay, and according to his Twitter, Joel was embarrassed because "all the people were staring and laughing!"
No, Joel, they were laughing because you're in Good Charlotte!
We kid. We kid.
But, in all seriousness, Nicole explains that all of Joel's tattoos are of a religious or familial significance, not offensive at all. And Madden says that he's going to be writing to British Airways about the incident.
Not cool of them at all!
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[Image via WENN.]
purplepopsicle
It is probably because his tatoos ARE religeously based that the BA folks were afraid they would offend people. In Britain they have gotten really really wary about christian symbols causing offense. Not sure why, and it seems stupid to make him cover them up for that reason. They SHOULD be making him not fly because he is together with Nichole Ritchie. I think that is WAY more offensive than any religeous issues.
What in the wide wide world of sports is this dag on world coming to? Hate, discrimination, disease, heat, cold, no money, murder suicide, the gay takeover! This is ridiculous. Hating on someone because of their tattoos?!!! This world is a sham!
MAJOR LAW SUITE. why is it that things like this happen to people who are already rotting in money? Why couldn't it have happened to some poor bastard?
ENOUGH WITH THE TWITTER BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
is that shit band still churning out crap
What? I would have gotten ghetto on there a$$. WRONG JUST WRONG
Well…at least he dpesn't have those disgusting neck tatoos. Those are the worst. I don't think his arme are offensive though.
THAT IS COMPLETELY LUDICRIS!!!!!!!! why the hell would they MAKE HIM cover that shit up??? how are tattoos of JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF offensive???? THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SOOOOOOO MUCH WORSE….C'MON!!!
Maybe it was really his face, but those British are too polite to say.
last i checked you were offended by religion
At least he dpesn't have thouse disgusting neck tatoos… Now those are offensive!!
they look like shit, maybe thats why. i wudnt wanna pay $2k to be sat next to that shit..errr i mean meaningful religious ink!
where the air staff muslim by any chance?
yeah, write them a fucking letter, like it will do a fucking thing
OMG……..unreal!!!! British Airways needs to make a HUGE apology to him….Those tattoos aren't offensive at all and even if they were…….it's NOTB. They need to make this up to Joel in a huge, huge way….They screwed up major!!!
Oh god this reminds me when I was 13yo my mom sent me on a flight to visit some cousins in California (from New York) I had a layover in Chicago and had to transfer flights and when I tried to board the next flight this flight attendant came up to me and refused to accept my ticket because my jeans were "too baggy" this is from continental airlines! This was 12 years ago and I had no cell phone I sat there for almost 12 hours until my cousins frantically called the airline looking for me! They finally put me on a flight and NEVER apologized! It was a HORRIBLE experience and I have never flown them again.
holy discrimination batman!
I personally don't see the use in tatoos, but to say someone needed to cover them up to board an airline is just too much.
I don't like Joel too much, but dat's not cool. As long as you are a paying passenger and you aren't causing ruckus I don't see the problem.
He is heinous. He looks like a freak in a circus…who knew that British Airways had so much class…but it is a perfect message to not let him on. He is disgusting and he's turned himself into a freak at a circus. They were staring at him because it's gross and ugly.
IF he didn't want to create a commotion he would have just put on a sweater or something, but since he is a crappy do nothing celeb….why not draw even more attention to himself by not understanding how others would find him offensive.
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD.
that's how douchebags get treated…just sayin.
It takes forever to see comments now–Perez is making it tougher for people to gab to each other while on the website. He's doing all he can to drive away his most ardent followers (notice I didn't say FANS). Where have all the fun people gone??
I hate BA! I flew from L.A. to London and they lost my luggage for a week. Every time I called them they were very rude and kept telling me my luggage would be on their next flight. Overall, I did NOT get my luggage until 13 days later, which happened to be the day I was leaving. I HATE THEM.
P.S. They are NOTORIOUS for losing baggage! FLY VIRGIN ATLANTIC!
Well, after all, this is the age of Obama. Unfortunately, if some people see a cross, they they are all of a sudden offended. And, we certainly can't have people offended, can we? Everyone needs to get used to it. It's going to get worse, especially if you dare consider yourself a Christian.
Good for British Airways! I love their service, and yeah he looks lika dirt bag so I can see why they would that!
If his tattoos are offensive, then mine would probably put me in jail. Are demons and skulls considered offensive…on a woman?
well, the trailer-trash-jailbird-with-trimmed-eyebrows-and-a-sideways-cap is much more greyhound than british airways, methinks
not to mention the goatee
Re: guilty of being white – NOT!!!!!!!! LOVE THEM, you should show me!!!!!!!!!!
Re: mamajud – Interestingly played.
w/e stupid people
GOD I AM SO SICK OF SEEING BAD SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ON HERE I'M DONE WITH THIS SHIT FOR GOOD
The masses are asses in general and it's stupid to advertise brain washing religious symbols on yourself…makes you come across as weak minded with no imagination.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
heathrow airport asked my boyfriend to cover up a picture of a gun on his t-shirt. apparently he wouldn't be let on the plane with it showing, because apparently you can hijack a plane with a picture of a gun now.
thank god some people have the balls to stand up to the bullshit celebrities think they can get away with just because they are famous. If you fly first or business class with BA you are told you have to dress respectably. some times you have to do what your told…..deal with it!
"writting them?" are u serious? u need to do more than WRITE them. Sue them and stop them before they do this to thousands of other people that dont have the money to sue. you need to take this a little more serious than write them…….casue a major stink!
fuck it dude, I have a bunch of tattoos on my arms and am discriminated against all the time! I get shitty looks, nasty remarks, and people downright refuse to let me work on their hair because I don't know, they think I might have AIDS or something. And this is Portland, a city that's supposedly so freaking liberal it's retarded. It sucks, especially since they're all from a stupid phase I went through when I was 18.
Seriously, does he not realize that tattoos of crosses and God are offensive to religious people?
I find tattoos so ugly they are offensive, regardless of what they are made of.
I would be offended if I paid for a first class ticket and had to look at those horrible tattoos.
Re: strongabs – honestly, your ugly attitude is more offensive than someone with a picture on their arm.
Some people find the mere thought that someone inks themselves is offensive no matter the subject. I on the other hand couldn't care less that someone tats up their bodies.
he put ugly ass tattoos all over himself and he's embarrassed? DUH
I've never heard of such a thing, being denied entry onto public transportation because of tattoos. weird.
good charlotte rocks my socks off ;]
He is just an ugly troll
That's hilarious! He looks like a major redneck.
He should have married Britney, ya'll.
to some christians, having christ on someone's arms is offensive. It might be smart to cover them up when flying over seas. If he is ever on a hi-jacked plane, he might be in trouble. Alot of terrorists separate the hostages into groups. all those tattoos would not be a + for him. That is what they might be more worried about.
I have pentagrams and Jesus on my arms, i'm not confused in the least bit. Simpl retard like his music. boo hoo.
dude is such a fucking geek
I think he should sue the airways and give the $$ to his and Nicole charity!! It's a really good charity, and what a better way of making a total ass out of the airways by giving the $$ to someone who's gonna make a difference!!
They should just take out and shoot any guy who wears a tee-shirt with the arms cut off. Nothing sexier than a bunch of scanky underarm hair sitting next to you for 8 hours.
DISCRIMINATION!!! I have visible tats, including a classy nude of Betty Page on my right arm. If something like this happened to me I would just explain to the person that it was my choice to get these tats, and so it's their choice to look at them or not. A simple turn of the head is not as hard as it seems…
I love the people who call him a douchebag and things. In reality, Joel is nothing like you think he is, he's so very sweet and nobody sees it.
Anyways, when you get a tattoo, you have to be ready for that kind of thing. Although I do feel as if it was unfair for BA to be like that, you have to be ready for that.
haha i would laugh too! its because were all hyper pc over here
Re: amycakes86 – lol
i think it is bull shit they have no right to tell someone to cover up their tattoos its your body you can do or put w/e u want on ur body IF U DON"T LIKE THE TATTOO'S THEN DON"T LOOK AT HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF IS THIS WORLD COMING TO???????????????????????????????????????
Write a letter for what? I think people forget that other countries do not always offer the same freedoms we have here in the U.S. If Britian has censorship control like that, Joel Madden writing a letter isn't going to change anything.
It's just the way it is. Seriously. David Beckham had to cover his tattos during all the games when he was playing in Spain/England. Respect other people's cultures. And yes some cultures do find it offensive.
WOW, I think his tats sux but good lord if we start not letting people go places because they have bad tattoo's no one will get to go anywhere??? Really they let Pammy on with her dub barbwire and numerous tools with tramp stamps, panthers and bad "tribal" arm bands. Really if this becomes Standard on the Rock will get to fly
Ummm…Didn't he pay them to take the flight in the first place! He PAID THEM! So….uh…. what right do they have to tell him to cover up! He most likely flew first place too….So his seat cost THOUSANDS and they are telling him he needs to cover himself up. I don't care if he had tattoos of Satan blowing Jesus! BAW has no right to discrimate against his tattoos. Regardless of what they are. That's discrimation of the color of his skin!!!This shit only would have been more offensive to me if they told him he had to sit in the back of the plane!
Isn't this 2009???
It's their company and they can make the rules. Quite frankly, I am disgusted by the tattoos. He looks like a pimp. Fly another airline if you don't like their rules. The world doesn't revolve around you!
The "They were laughing because your in Good Charlotte" comment made me LOL Perez..Thanks ;o)
Lemme guess. was this "personnel" a hard line Muslim?
for once..the good charlotte joke made me laugh
Since when are tattoo's of Jesus, The Virgin Mary, stars, and a cross offensive? Joel is pretty much covered head to toe in tattoo's. People find the weirdest things offensive sometimes.
What a bunch of BULLSHIT. Joel's such a good guy (yes we're friends) and it's fucking pathetic that he had to be embarrassed because of people's ignorance.
Want to correct the situation? Start with a barf bag over his head!
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” (Revised Standard Version) leviticus 20:13