The elevation of a recently unknown JetBlue flight attendant to national media prominence following his extraordinary outburst as a New York-bound flight taxied into JFK Airport has already become modern folklore. Steven Slater went from obscurity to Facebook phenomenon with more than 211,000 followers in a shade over a week.
It's a classic story with plenty of fodder for the tabloid press, including Slater "escaping" the plane via the emergency chute, clutching two beers and carry-on luggage, and then ...