"Oh my God, we're going to be watching our own demise on television."

Passenger Alexandra Jacobs, just now on CNN, on the "postmodern" aspect of having a mechanical problem on Jet Blue, the airline that prides itself on providing a television at every seat. (It also prides itself on its employee ownership plan and the high quality and committment of its crews. That was proven in spades yesterday. Like Jacobs, I had a high opinion of Jet Blue even before yesterday's nerves-of-steel three-point landing -- although those in-your-face TVs can be annoying, and even a little insulting in their implication that we can't go a few hours without gaping at a screen.) Other passengers:

"It was very weird. It would've been so much calmer without" the televisions, Pia Varma of Los Angeles said after the plane skidded to a safe landing Wednesday evening in a stream of sparks and burning tires. . . .

Zachary Mastoon of New York said it was "surreal" to watch his plane's fate being discussed on live TV while it was in the air.

Jacobs said she didn't get really terrified until she realized that her plane's plight was a major story on the national cable news networks, being given equal billing with Hurricane Rita. How funny (wrong word, but you know what I mean) to be taking the temperature of your peril by the intensity and ubiquity of its television coverage.

We are so used to the vicarious compassion and anxiety and outrage we feel for universally shared news stories. It's not quite right to say that those are feelings meant for consumption in the safety of one's living room, because they can prompt people to real actions -- to collect supplies for donation to hurricane victims, to jump on a plane and fly into a war zone. But imagine how it turns things inside out to be feeling that distanced, packaged emotion for yourself and your fellow passengers, weirdly layered over your immediate fear. The plane is inside the screen, and you, watching the screen, are inside the plane.

YEESH!

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[Winston]

Thanks for this. It gave me an idea for something to do this morning. Come on over...