It is just a joke, granted in poor taste but I doubt any disrespect was made what so ever. He used a well known analogy to help comunicate what he thought to everyone, thing's like that are done all the time, and to think it was said to cause distress or disrespect is just silly. I can guarente there was no harm meant, though I do see why you may think that, here's hoping he did actually apoligise, though as I read that, and indeed many people who did that dont have any particular intrest in Titanic, would give a polite laugh and read the next story.

Martyn