09/29/2005
Coffee, Tea, or Angry?
Jodie Foster's new movie Flightplan has flight attendants pissed because one of their own is portrayed as a "bad guy" in the film. Association of Flight Attendants spokesman Corey Caldwell said the character depiction makes it more difficult for attendants to "earn the trust and respect of passengers."
Somehow I don't think Flightplan is the flight attendants' biggest problem in that regard. It's the fact that they're the front men for the airlines who have methodically taken away every single perk — snacks, pillows, blankets, inexpensive change fees, meals — that used to make flying even close to tolerable.
"She said the portrayal of airline cabin crew members as evil-doers adds further insult to long-standing Hollywood stereotypes that have depicted flight attendants as sexualized bubble heads or as harsh, humorless disciplinarians."
Posted 10:28 AM EST by Andy Towle in Film & TV | Permalink
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Someone better call the waaa-mbulance.
Posted by: Tread | Sep 29, 2005 10:42:21 AM
Oh Please! get over yourself
Posted by: Donald | Sep 29, 2005 10:46:13 AM
Meanwhile, people are living in horrible conditions in Texas and Louisiana. Also, there's a war going on and many people are losing their lives, limbs or something else.
No one cares about how upset you are because of a fictitious movie.
Posted by: Rob (lrdarystar) | Sep 29, 2005 10:57:22 AM
Unreal. While reading this I kept thinking of a previous post of yours a few months ago about the REAL flight attendant that had a guy removed from a plane after she personally deemed the T-shirt he was wearing as "Offensive to Christians".
Posted by: Patrick | Sep 29, 2005 11:07:14 AM
I think any flight attendant would tell you that what sucks way more than the airlines cutting all those comforts you noted is that all the airlines in bankruptcy have also severely cut flight attendants' health benefits, salaries and pensions. Kinda sucks for them right now.
Posted by: MP | Sep 29, 2005 11:09:14 AM
Oh man, what I wouldn't give for a sexualized bubblehead on a flight. Have you seen the dog meat that staffs the planes? Yikes! Its a mixed bag of Christopher Lowell after a tina weekend and Lyndsey Wagner without a curling iron or a sleepnumber.
Posted by: Jeff | Sep 29, 2005 11:14:50 AM
Oh man, what I wouldn't give for a sexualized bubblehead on a flight. - Jeff
You should fly Air France out of Chicago. If you're lucky, you'll get the hottie that we flew with from France back to Chicago.
Posted by: Tread | Sep 29, 2005 11:41:11 AM
As a flight attendant of fifteen years let me add I've heard ZERO flight attendants comment on Flight Plan. I belong to a flight attendant online discussion group and again the topic has never come up. Why Patricia Friend is making such a stupid comment in the first place is beyond me. As for having a "sexualized bubblehead" on your flight somehow I doubt that was what the people on the Air France flight that crashed in Toronto were thinking after the flight attendants got every single person off the plane before it burned. If you want sexualized bubbleheads go get an adult video.
As for the dog meat staffing the planes, yeah, we're pretty grotesque, but trust me, you should have my view while I demonstrate the oxygen mask.
Posted by: Michael | Sep 29, 2005 11:53:41 AM
Michael, I wasn't implying the guy was a sexualized bubblehead (I forgot bubblehead was even a part of that sentence). He was just hot, and seemed very smart.
*waves white flag*
Posted by: Tread | Sep 29, 2005 12:24:48 PM
Poor Poor flight attendants....for once the crazed killers weren't gay men (usually in drag) or Arabs. While I do sympathize with Michael, most passengers should be forced to take a test before boarding (one bag + one carryon+ one purse + one steamer trunk + one laptop + three purchases at the gift shop does not = fits in overhead. You're not that important. CHECK IT!
Posted by: PSMike | Sep 29, 2005 3:17:15 PM
You are all acting like cheap SLUTS!
( So I'm jealous, what's your point? )
Posted by: Robert In WeHo | Sep 29, 2005 6:28:12 PM
I always manage to get a bitchy, rude flight attendant (or two) on a flight.
Posted by: stan | Sep 29, 2005 10:11:27 PM
I always manage to get bitchy, rude passengers (or 50) on a flight.
I really could care less about the portrayal of a flight attendant in a Hollywood movie. I am more concerned with my salary, my pension and my job.
And if you want to have meals, pillows, blankets and snacks on your next flight AND are willing to PAY for them, the airlines will listen. However when MOST people buy a ticket, they but it on PRICE and PRICE only--not if meals, pillows, blankets and snacks are available.
Posted by: Mark | Sep 30, 2005 10:30:31 AM
Will this change the way flights are operated on from hereonin? I think not.
Will Flightplan be pulled from theatres and banished to the vaults? Very doubtful.
Will we all stop flying until this issue is rectified? No.
Importance factor: Low
Fodder for the Press: High
Posted by: mark | Sep 30, 2005 11:01:23 AM
Mark...you nailed it..it's a Fox news issue (Blather to keep us distracted..damn..and I participated!...lol..oh well....I'll have to watch Greta this week for 15 minutes for penance.)
Posted by: PSMike | Oct 2, 2005 4:50:21 PM