What if Slater was…

Sometimes, the relevance of certain dimensions of diversity, such race, gender, marital status, and age can be overblown, largely invisible, or irrelevant.  Sometimes not.  Consider the popularity of Steven Slater, the fed-up JetBlue flight attendant who let his emotions get the better of him. After cursing a passenger, thanking well-behaved passengers, and grabbing a beer, he capped off his moment of fame by sliding down the plane’s emergency chute. Since that time, he has become a hero or at least cult-like figure to many who admire his chutzpah and perhaps, would secretly like to kiss their jobs good-bye as well.
What if Steven was a man of color or an English language learner? What if he was older or less cocky and self-assured? Would these differences affect public perception? Would the passenger s who snickered at his comments have been more concerned and fearful? If Steven was a young Black or Latino male, would public perception have been any different? What if we changed Steven’s gender and marital status? Let’s say he was a female, middle-aged single parent. Would public opinion shift? After all, who is going to take care of her children while she sorts out her life? What about an older male whose personal Web site mentions that he is bilingual and a Muslim? Would his message get drowned out by people’s hidden biases? And would fewer people identify with him?
I’d like to hear from you. Your thoughts?