10 Ways 'Airplane!' Predicted The Current TSA Fiasco (PHOTOS)

"Airplane!" is often cited as many things -- one of the funniest movies of the '80s, a landmark in the spoof genre, the movie that launched the comedy career of the late Leslie Nielsen -- but it's not often recognized for its ability to foresee the future in oddly specific ways. For instance, we found ten ways that "Airplane!" predicted the current TSA regulations and subsequent outcry over its perceived invasion of civil liberties. Really! Take a look at its foretelling, and by all means, if you haven't seen "Airplane!" lately, do yourself a favor. And vote for your favorite prediction!

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"The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only."

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In 1980, when "Airplane!" was made, the very thought of x-ray in the security line was an absurd gag.

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In 1980, when "Airplane!" was made, the very thought of x-ray in the security line was an absurd gag.

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This "Airplane!"/TSA Prediction

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A Stretch... Prescient!

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Comments

[John Hammink]

08:04 AM on 12/03/2010

Um...ahem...PERCEIVED invasion of civil liberties?

[TheGreyDuck]

06:15 AM on 12/03/2010

*site

[TheGreyDuck]

06:15 AM on 12/03/2010

F#$*! I'm at work, you can't show naked pictures on a news sight, even if they are blurred. That's irresponsible and could have very easily reflected poorly on me. Not to mention this list is a complete stretch, not funny or creative and an attempt to exploit Leslie Neilson's passing. Way to go, Ross.

[noway lv]

05:17 PM on 12/01/2010

Surely this list is a bit of an over stretch . . .

[marred]

04:30 PM on 12/01/2010

The movie is called airplane in the US? Geezus I had no idea that one of my favorite comedies "Flying High" had such a lame title in the US such as "Airplane".

[lifeofthemind]

02:21 PM on 12/02/2010

The title is an intentionally lame parody of the nearly as lame "Airport", a tv show which the movie spoofs.

[Jack Hagerty]

07:35 PM on 12/03/2010

"Airport" was the first in a series of theatrical films starting with just "Airport" (based on the book by Arthur Hailey) and followed by two sequels with the release year in the title ("Airport 1975" and "Airport '77"). The movie "Airplane, title aside, was a spoof of the mid '50's movie "Zero Hour."

[BestFunnyBlog]

03:27 PM on 12/01/2010

Ah man, we miss Leslie Nielsen already. :[

[TomfooleryTM]

02:17 PM on 12/01/2010

Over Leslie Nielson? I'm afraid I'll never get over Leslie Nielson.

[AxelDC]

02:00 PM on 12/01/2010

Nice tribute to Leslie Nielsen, but lame jokes!

[Hnorc]

01:38 PM on 12/01/2010

FAIL!

[karots]

09:57 AM on 12/01/2010

Airplane! = Funny.

Article = Terrible.

[TheGripester]

11:09 PM on 11/30/2010

Meh. A not-very-funny post using the a very funny film as its basis.

[biffbaff]

10:36 PM on 11/30/2010

If you remember the giant Tylenol crashed into a gate in Newark Airport a couple of years ago - just like Airplaine 2

[LMPE]

09:16 PM on 11/30/2010

Why did I never notice that Joey wears his shirt disco style?

So do you like gladiator movies?

(I just realized that co-stars Peter Graves and Barbara Billingsley died during the past year)

[shylove2]

08:33 PM on 11/30/2010

Well we will some have disrobing rooms and the robing ambassadors will have to reveal their assadors before getting on a plane and all globe trotters will have to show off their golden globes...

[Lefty88]

07:22 PM on 11/30/2010

I absolutely love "Airplane!" and will miss Leslie; such a talented man. Recently watched the movie again to remind myself of how much I enjoyed his work.

It may not matter in the big scheme of things, but HP's got it a little mixed up. Slide 10 with Robert Hays...tssk, tssk. It was Lloyd Bridges' character that picked the wrong day to quit drinking (along with other, more dubious hobbies). Hays' "Striker" had a rather messy "drinking problem" that never failed to crack me up.