Words chosen to dramatize economic grievance can carry a violence of their own, and when Ryanair's Michael O'Leary reached for the language of sexual assault to condemn competitor pricing, he discovered that some comparisons collapse under the weight of what they borrow. After days of criticism from political leaders and advocates for survivors across Ireland and the United Kingdom, O'Leary reversed his initial refusal and issued a video apology, acknowledging that his careless word had caused real harm to real people. The episode sits within a longer pattern of provocation, but this time the
Ryanair CEO O'Leary apologizes for calling competitors 'rapists'
Survivors and victims of rape reported being upset and potentially traumatized by the casual use of the term to describe airline pricing.