A photo taken inside a dark airplane cabin has taken on a life of its own online. People are now joking that a passenger “should be jailed” after viewers realized what he chose to watch instead of the Super Bowl.
The setting itself was ordinary, passengers seated, overhead lights dimmed, screens glowing in the quiet cabin. But one traveler, Brett Hanfling, noticed something different on a nearby screen, and that small detail was enough to set off a wave of commentary.
While much of the plane appeared tuned into the Super Bowl, this passenger was watching something else entirely. That contrast, football’s biggest night versus a completely different choice, is what turned a simple in flight moment into a viral talking point.
The image quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing thousands of reactions. Some people laughed at the situation, others reacted with exaggerated outrage, and the debate grew louder as more users weighed in with their takes.
Barstool Sports was among the loudest critics. They called the passenger the “Biggest try-hard on the planet” and implied the decision felt intentional, as if it were meant to signal distance from the crowd.
They wrote, “This guy wanted to send a message. He wants everyone on that plane to know he views himself as a superior being because he would never possibly engage in activity as lowly as watching the Super Bowl.” That comment fueled even more discussion.
They also pointed out that the passenger appeared to be flying JetBlue. “Surely this higher caliber of human should be flying first class,” they wrote, describing the moment as “maybe the best self-own I’ve ever seen.”
Still, not everyone agreed with the criticism. On Reddit, several commenters questioned why the choice mattered so much in the first place and suggested the backlash was over the top.
“To be fair, all he has to do is look to the screen beside him and he can watch both at the same time,” one user noted. In close airplane seating, catching the score from a nearby screen is not exactly difficult.
Another commenter challenged the outrage more directly. “Perhaps they aren’t into sports,” they wrote. “I love sports and thought the Super Bowl was a good game, but who am I to judge someone who doesn’t watch it on his screen, especially when he can glance over at his neighbor’s screen and see the score if he wanted?”
A third voice cut through with a short remark, asking, “How dare anyone not like your favorite hobby.” That line seemed to capture the broader tension behind the viral reaction.
The passenger had chosen to watch the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch, starring Will Smith and Kevin James, instead of the game. That unexpected swap, rom com over championship football, became the centerpiece of the debate.
In the end, the calls for jail were clearly tongue in cheek. But the intensity of the reaction showed just how strongly people feel about major sporting events, especially one that many treat like a national celebration.
Choosing not to participate, especially in a shared public space like an airplane cabin, struck some as defiant. Or maybe it was nothing more than a personal preference playing out at 30,000 feet.
