Airplanes, as far as we understand them, are held aloft by heterosexuality, even a peep of same-sex romance could create turbulence — so a kiss? Oh, goodness! The captain might faint! This is why Delta, putting the security of its passengers first, is currently showing a version of Todd Haynes’s lesbian romance Carol without all the kissing, according to a report from AfterEllen. In a statement responding to frustrated passengers, a Delta representative said, “There were two versions of this film that the studio makes available — one that is edited and one that is not edited. The edited version removes two explicit scenes that do not meet our guidelines. The edited version also removes all kissing.†The studio’s two options provide radically different films, as one tells a rare lesbian love story that doesn’t end in tragedy and the other is just about well-dressed women who really enjoy glances. In-flight films are often edited for content in odd ways, but rarely this starkly.
On Twitter, Carol screenwriter Phyllis Nagy said that other airlines have taken the risk of bringing a few Cate Blanchett–Rooney Mara kisses, and their accompanying sex scenes, up in the air.
Fly Delta, and enjoy the (purely heterosexual) romance of the skies.