Why Are Airline Cabin Crew . . .

[Torslanda]

. . . so grossly misrepresented in TV advertising?

I just don't get this, Virgin Atlantic are depicting their cabin crew in the latest TV ad as:

A. (Female) A cross between pole dancers, harlots in stilletto heels and part time prostitutes. 5 inch heels on an 8 hour flight? Yeah, like that's going to work!

or

B. (Male) A combination of peacock, prick and poseur. And if that pilot got on my flight I'd be asking for a bloody parachute!

Am I just being unnecessarily grumpy? Or can someone explain W T F ?

luv'n'stuff

J

[Julian]

And the women all dressed in pink and the men in blue?  Just in case we hadn't understood that Virgin Atlantic just love their gender stereotypes?

Yeah, I wasn't fond of that ad either.

As in, practically had to be sedated.  I've been meaning to grink Virgin about it. 

[hatler]

I was on a Virgin flight in a seat at the front of the section by the escape hatch, and so directly facing the steward seat. As we approached Heathrow the stewardess slipped off her red and very comfortable looking flat shoes and replaced them with some red and very shiny high heels.

[Karla]

A BA stewardess of my acquaintance said that they had to wear flat shoes in flight, so as not to risk puncturing the escape slides in an emergency.

[Nightfly]

The new Virgin ad last year was a bit corny and corp but lots of red stilletto heels on show
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hbib-A6NpW8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Hbib-A6NpW8&rel=1</a>

This cabin crew lighten up what must be a pretty repitive job
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lqh8e2KYIrU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Lqh8e2KYIrU&rel=1</a>


Though this is the best cabin crew ad with the signature red heels (perhaps NSFW)
http://www.m2film.dk/fleggaard/trailer2.swf

[Mr Larrington]

Also real airline cabin crew are orange.  Trufax.

[Bledlow]

Though this is the best cabin crew ad with the signature red heels (perhaps NSFW)
http://www.m2film.dk/fleggaard/trailer2.swf

Nah. It's a blonde joke.

AKA a Danish retailer advertising that they sell stuff cheaper over the border ("Tyske priser. Dansk garanti." in one ad). They've done other ads, some with scantily-clad men.

[Exit Stage Left]

Though this is the best cabin crew ad with the signature red heels (perhaps NSFW)
http://www.m2film.dk/fleggaard/trailer2.swf

Nah. It's a blonde joke.

AKA a Danish retailer advertising that they sell stuff cheaper over the border ("Tyske priser. Dansk garanti." in one ad). They've done other ads, some with scantily-clad men.

Bill Bryson comments in one of his early books that Danish women are almost universally beautiful and sunbathe topless in Copenhagen parks, and that Danish men look like Peter Schmeichel if you're very lucky. A massive generalisation of course.
Heather liked the Virgin ad, and felt that the action of taking off the high heels added a touch of realism. I pointed out that she should prefer BAs policy of retaining their frumpy old cabin staff as part of her sisterly duty.
She was unconvinced by by my line of reasoning, I think the cold is still slowing her brain down.

[Torslanda]

<SNIP>  They've done other ads, some with scantily-clad men.

No thanks! 

[Jaded]

Most people are grossly misrepresented in TV advertising.

Apart from Daily Mail takers.

[Steve Kish]

Closer to the reality of things?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm6VC5gdaFA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm6VC5gdaFA&rel=1</a>

[Exit Stage Left]

Flying High was a great BBC Scotland TV series about cabin crew, well written with good perfomances, especially Siobahn Redmond as a nasty senior stewardess. Very good for picking up on Scottish accents and vernacular, 'ganting' being a particularly fine example.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HnReqwF9YAI&rel=1</a>

[Tigerrr]

Aren't all real male cabin crew gay? As well as orange?  I am not sure if they made that clear.

[Mr Larrington]

I don't think I've ever encountered one who hasn't been as camp as a row of tents.

[Butterfly]

I don't think I've ever encountered one who hasn't been as camp as a row of tents.

I once met a small herd of them camping in the new forest . There were about 10 men and 2 women. They were not quiet and retiring .

[Mr Larrington]

I don't think I've ever encountered one who hasn't been as camp as a row of tents.

I once met a small herd of them camping it up in the new forest . There were about 10 men and 2 women. They were not quiet and retiring .

FTFY

[Butterfly]

That pretty much says it .

[bikepacker]

Aren't all real male cabin crew gay? As well as orange?  I am not sure if they made that clear.

That is not totally true. I know a male cabin crew member that got his captain pregnant on a stop-over in LA. 

[Kim]

My understanding was that just the campness was compulsory.  There's no actual requirement to be gay.