1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stump Mom never told 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: you from house step words dot Com. Hello, and welcome 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Kristen and I'm Molly. Molly. If 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: it were right now and not two thousand and eleven, 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: be a shock. And I wanted to be a flight 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: attendant on a Boeing Air Transport flight, one of the 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,319 Speaker 1: only airlines that you could get from here to there 9 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: on back in the day. Yes, three things that would 10 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: prevent me from doing that. Oh are you sad, Kristen. 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: I'm a little sad. I could not become a sky 12 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: girl as they were called back in the day, because 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I'm too old, I'm too tall, and I'm too fat. 14 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: But strikes I am so I'm so out. And were 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: you a nurse? I wasn't a nurse. I was trained 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: for CPR years ago. But Lord help you if you 17 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: choke on something standing next to me. Uh, you had 18 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: to be single, I mean, no problem. There are under 19 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: twenty five just aged out of that one. No taller 20 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: than five ft four, like five nine, and then you 21 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: could only weigh no more than a hundred and fifteen pounds. 22 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: And let's just say if I were five nine and 23 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: a hundred fifteen pounds, I would need a nurse. Yeah. Um, 24 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: and in addition to meeting all those physical qualifications, you 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: had to be a nurse. Because in nineteen thirty, that's 26 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: when we have the first female flight steward. Previously it 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: was boys doing it, young young teenage boys, boy scout times, 28 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: cabin boys, cabin boys, um, which, like our voices imply, 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: has a different meaning now. But yes, when we get 30 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: the first airline stewardess as they were called back then, 31 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: working that Boeing Air Transport flight, it was a woman 32 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: named Ellen Church who wanted to be a pie let, 33 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: and uh, that was definitely a no go back in 34 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: the day. But she mentioned, haim a nurse, why don't 35 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: I fly along with you? And the people thought, oh, 36 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: that's good because people are kind of scared of flying. Yeah, 37 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: they should have been back in nineteen thirty. So why 38 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: don't we have nurses on flight so that people feel 39 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: safer and really skinny nurses, really thin short nurses. Oh, 40 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: I guess five ft four one fifteen. I don't know 41 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: the b M I on that, but it sounds like 42 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: it's much healthier than than five nine one fifteen. Uh So, 43 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: Ellen Church is the world's first airline stewarts and check 44 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 1: this out. The flight is only from Oakland to Chicago, Oakland, California, 45 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: not that long, but it takes twenty hours and involves 46 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: thirteen stops along the way, So they needed someone on 47 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: there to uh, to help help that flight go smoothly. 48 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: So she becomes the first of what Bowing calls the 49 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: sky girls. These these very few women they hire who 50 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: meet certain fiscal requirements and who are nurses. But you 51 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: know this by the fact that they've hired these very petite, 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: small women being a Being a sky girl wasn't just 53 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: passing out the peanuts and pouring a coke. It was 54 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: like fueling up while the while the plane was on 55 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: the ground. It was pushing the plane into the hangar 56 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: at the end of the day. I mean it was. 57 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: It was a lot of work compared to what we 58 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: may think of. It's sort of the stereotypical stewardess. Yeah, 59 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: which is kind of ironic that they mandated these very 60 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: petite women to be sky girls. But eventually, as as 61 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: the commercial airline industry took off, and they had more 62 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: crews to do that that manual labor for them. Sky 63 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: girls or stews as they became known as, really became 64 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: the in flight hostesses. Right. There was some there were 65 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: some training manuals that would tell the stewardess is to 66 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: pretend that they were the mother of the plane and 67 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: they were hosting a party for all their friends, and 68 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: that's how they should treat and serve all their guests. 69 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: And uh, those requirements about looks and appearance never go 70 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: away until the nineties semnies. Women who were serving as stewardesses, 71 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: which will use that term even though it becomes outdated 72 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: in the nineteen seventies, but they were young, they were slender, 73 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: they were attractive, they were white. They were the perfect 74 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: woman who will serve you a coke, no matter how 75 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: nasty you were being to her. Um and it became, 76 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: you know, this very stylized woman who was traveling the world, 77 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: becoming very cosmopolitan. But it was also a really nice 78 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: way to meet a potential husband. And the airline's kind 79 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: of had that in mind. They said, once you get married, 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: you have to retire. Once you have a baby, you 81 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: definitely have to retire, and once you turn thirty two, 82 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: you should retire. Yes, some airlines were a little more 83 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: liberal and let the women work until they were thirty five, 84 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: but definitely not after that. And in just to drive 85 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: home the idea of the role of the sky girls, 86 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: a female writer for Independent Woman magazine wrote that they 87 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: needed the skill of a nightingale, the charm of the 88 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: powers adele, and the kitchen wisdom of a fanny farmer. 89 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: And you know, one funny thing that happened a few 90 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: years ago. A few years before that Christen Is in 91 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: the Literary Digest. They were talking about how these perfect 92 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: women are serving as the stewardesses and these really smart 93 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: guys are serving as the pilot and if these people 94 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: met and had children, question, would it yield a superior 95 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: human being? Uh? Answer, that was a legitimate question posed 96 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 1: in ninety six about intermingling between these perfect women and 97 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: these uber masculine pilots. And speaking of posing, in nineteen 98 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: fifty five, United Stewardess Barbara Cameron poses for Playboy as 99 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: Miss December. And really with that we see this huge 100 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: sexual sexualization of the stewardess, the sexy stewardess who hasn't 101 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: heard about, you know, the old trope of the sexy stewardess. 102 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: I think Don Draper hooked up with a sexy he 103 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: did so where it's a it's a very big trope. Yeah, 104 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: well they were. They were. It wasn't just a tripe 105 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: that I mean, it was based in reality because they 106 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: were hired based on their looks. They had to be 107 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: attractive women, and they were outfitted in attractive clothes. Which 108 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: airline was that. I think that at some point Pucci 109 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: was was designing their their uniforms. So these are pretty 110 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: much the most good looking women doing, you know, very 111 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: thankless task. It was often considered women's work. They aren't 112 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: paid much at all. They weren't paid much, but it 113 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: paid off in the end because you got to meet 114 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: a rich husband and guy who could afford to fly. Yeah, 115 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: then you wouldn't have to work again. Um. But you know, 116 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: as as time goes on, we hit the fifties and 117 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: sixties and seventies, women's right and rights movement starts to 118 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 1: come into being, and these ladies start to think, hey, 119 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: maybe it's not so awesome that I have to stop 120 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: working at thirty two, or if I gained ten pounds. Yeah, 121 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: they actually started unionizing pretty early on, I believe in 122 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: the by the by the middle late fifties, the stewardesses 123 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: were pretty well unionized. But yes was second way feminism. 124 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: These other things start to really eight on them, like, hey, 125 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: maybe I want to work for more than two years, 126 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: which was the average career span of a flight attendant 127 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: at that time. And when they start having these thoughts like, hey, 128 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: it's it's not that cool that I always have to 129 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: have makeup on despite the fact that I'm flying twenty 130 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: out of twenty four hours. That's when the story collides 131 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: with male flight attendants who have sort of their own 132 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: stigma about them because, um, you know, while these women 133 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: were becoming so famous for being the ideal woman, it 134 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: became less common for men to work aboard flights, despite 135 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: the fact that this all got started with cabin boys. Yeah. So, 136 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty four we have the Civil Rights Act, 137 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: which is past and very much by accident sort of. Uh. 138 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: Sex gets slipped into the Civil Rights Act in terms 139 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: of you can't you can't discriminate based on race or 140 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: your gender, and at the time, people who did not 141 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: politicians who did not want the Civil Rights Act pass 142 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: slipped sex into the legislation because they thought that that 143 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: would immediately stop it from moving forward. Yeah, jokes on 144 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: you racist. It passed, so, uh, these flight attendants in 145 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: their unions started to realize, hey, we can use the 146 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: Civil Rights Act to get this marriage clause struck, to 147 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: get the weight gain limitation struck. But to do so, 148 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: they had to bring in the male flight attendants, and 149 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: male flight attendants had a bad reputation at the time. 150 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: There was one case in nineteen fifty four when a 151 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: male steward was gunned down in Miami by two teenagers 152 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 1: who alleged that the steward had come on to them, 153 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: and um, you know, it turned into robbery and went 154 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: back and they had to shoot him. So a lot 155 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: of the stereotypes that we have about male flight attendants 156 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: being gay comes from this one case in nineteen fifty four, 157 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: where because of the way it was drummed up in 158 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: the press, people started thinking, oh, man, all these male 159 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: stewards who want to be like these pretty ladies, they're 160 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: all they're all amosexual and we should fear them. And um, 161 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: you know, people who wrote uh newspaper stories about the 162 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: case often didn't question the morality of the two teenage killers, 163 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: the people who actually pull the trigger. It was all like, 164 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 1: oh man, this guy was awful. He was so depraved, 165 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: and as a result, anyone who does his profession must 166 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: be depraved because this is clearly a woman's work. Yes, 167 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 1: since he was homosexual, and one of the murderers claimed 168 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: in defense that he shot him because he didn't want 169 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: to be sexually attacked by this man, the jury actually 170 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: let them off, the murders off with manslaughter charges rather 171 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: than murder charges, just because they you know, it was 172 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: at the time considered such a depraved lifestyle and actually 173 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: triggered a bunch of steing operations in Miami to uproot this, uh, 174 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: this homosexual community. So all this is going on, this 175 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: sort of sets the stage for bias against male stewards. 176 00:09:57,679 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: Oh I guess that's kind of redundant, but against male 177 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: flight attendants. But the female flight attendants who really want 178 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: to dismantle all of these repressive standards and actually be 179 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: able to make careers out of flying from place to place, 180 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: realize that the only way they're going to win this 181 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: case is if they go to the Equal Employment Opportunity 182 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: Commission or council set up to to um hear cases 183 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: related to Title seven of the Civil Rights Act and 184 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 1: have them dismantle all of these all these mandates from 185 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: the airlines based on the sex clause in the Civil 186 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: Rights Act. Yeah, these stewardesses don't necessarily want more male 187 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 1: stewards working that would take away jobs from them. They 188 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: do think that it's their their job to nurture all 189 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: these passages, and they do think it's kind of an 190 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: absurd idea that a guy would want to fill their shoes. 191 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: But they think, Okay, if we're gonna make this a 192 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: case about gender so that we can use at seven, 193 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: we're gonna have to bring the male stewards kind of 194 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: in with us and say, hey, these people can do 195 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: our job just as well as we can, and they 196 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: can get married because there were a handful of male 197 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: stewards still working after that that landmark case, and they 198 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: could get married, they could have children, and they could 199 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: still fly because they were men. So the stewardesses have 200 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: to show that the fact that they can't get married 201 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: is sex discrimination. And all of this comes down to 202 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: something referred to as a b f o Q, the 203 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: bona fide occupation qualification yes, which basically like a necessity 204 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: to hold the job. It's the loophole they find. But 205 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: the airline's fine. Yeah, like I mean, if you if 206 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,319 Speaker 1: you want to be a doctor, you gotta go to 207 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 1: mid school. I mean, it's a b f o q. 208 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 1: So the female stewardesses are saying, being a woman is 209 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: not a bfo q for this job. Therefore, you are 210 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 1: discriminating against men by not hiring them on the basis 211 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: of their gender. Even though the air fine. The heads 212 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: of the airlines were coming back and saying, you know, 213 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: there's it is a b fo q for a woman 214 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: to be a stewardess because you can men cannot create 215 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: the psychological like nurturing atmosphere that we need to create 216 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: on our flights. So yeah, you do have to be 217 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: a woman. So they go back and forth and back 218 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 1: and forth. Yeah, I mean, can you imagine reading a 219 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: document that says this job is meant to be done 220 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: by a young single girl. Yeah, I mean what job? 221 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: Can you think of what that can be done by 222 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: young people girl? And that's what they're saying. Flight attendants 223 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: where they were saying that nurturing passengers, giving them liquids. 224 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: It was it was like mothering and therefore only women 225 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: could do it. So that's the argument, is it a 226 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 1: b fo Q? And that is not a crazy argument. 227 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: At the time, in the late sixties, we really haven't 228 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: progressed very much at all. And because of that, there 229 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:50,719 Speaker 1: was a big question that the e f C had 230 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,479 Speaker 1: to work out of whether the role that public perception 231 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: would pay to this. Most people at the time didn't 232 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: want dudes being there serving the in flight because a 233 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: lot of times it is time to flying was reserved 234 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: for upper class in businessmen, and they wanted pretty women 235 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: on their flights. So they don't even bring male stewards 236 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: in to testify before the e e o C. I 237 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: mean this case that was allegedly about the right for 238 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 1: a man to work on a plane, I mean they 239 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: barely ask the people who are working on the plane 240 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: because they say at the time they've got like four 241 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: or five complaints from men who want to be stewards, 242 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: whereas they have a hundred and fifty complaints from these 243 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: women who want to get married. So you know, the 244 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: airlines kind of say, hey, this isn't about men, it's 245 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: about these women. And the title seven says nothing about marriage, 246 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: it says nothing about weight game. So that's why they 247 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: had to make it about men. But ultimately the committee 248 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: decides they've got men are doing this job, the men 249 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: who been doing the job just as well, so therefore 250 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: you can't discriminate on gender. And eventually all the weight 251 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: game stuff gets struck down years later, And isn't an 252 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: ironic that in this same way that sex was slid 253 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: into the Equal Rights Act or the Civil Rights Act 254 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: excuse me, and it passed women venues sex again to 255 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: to win themselves more rights. I mean, it's just like 256 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: a trojan horse. It's really like the ultimate Smitty move 257 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: over and over again. It's a double trick, a double 258 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: turn catchline two use. It's all of them. And you 259 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: could say that, well, in the end, everybody wins because 260 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: the airlines have to strike down these rules that women 261 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: can't get married and can't gain weight and everything. But 262 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: it's still for the men tough out there, because the 263 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: media coverage of this landmark ruling by the e o 264 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: C is very sensational and very homophobic. Yeah, it's like, 265 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, watch he's getting your coffee. They'll slip 266 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: something into it and they'll try and drug you, and 267 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: and it's flying is gonna suck from now on. They 268 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: made fun of them, calling them he stewardesses. So um, 269 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: it was it was not an easy transition. But I 270 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: think that, you know, one gay newswerper did pick up 271 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: on the fact that if you're a small little family 272 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: flying from like the Midwest New York, this might be 273 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: the first opportunity you have to see a gay person, 274 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: and if they're in a position of serving you and 275 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: helping you, it could actually do a lot to improve 276 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: the standing of the gay community in Middle America's eyes, 277 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: which I think is kind of interesting. Yeah, and being 278 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: a flight attendant has become a popular occupation um for 279 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: gay men, is a number of the articles we've read 280 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: pointed out, and I think it has something to do 281 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: with the fact that that there is there. It's sort 282 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: of an emancipatory career, which has been for women. There 283 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: was an article very recently in The New York Times 284 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: about how Arab women are flocking to the u a e. 285 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: To become flight attendants because it is their first opportunity 286 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: to really break out of uh their societal roles that 287 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: they would have to stay within if they were to 288 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: stay home, instead of actually forging a career for themselves, 289 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: and that was the same role that had played for 290 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: a lot of women in the States, and then also 291 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: for a lot of gay men. I would argue, but 292 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of interesting when you compare, um, 293 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: that article about women in the Middle East versus women 294 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: in the US, and like the niesties is we said, 295 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: you know, um, one of the quotes in the Chicago 296 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: Tribune was that being a flight attendant was as sure 297 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: a path to the altars any It was very much 298 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: you can get married. You can do this for a 299 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: fewear's day, and you can get married, Whereas the New 300 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: York Times article about the Middle East made the point 301 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: that almost the opposite is happening, Like, yes, these women 302 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: are gaining a little bit more independence, begging to fly 303 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: around the world and do this profession, but they might 304 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: be getting too much so that when they actually go 305 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: back to their town, the men see them as unmarriable, 306 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: that they are not good marriage material because they've been 307 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: exposed to, you know, such newness. But maybe just in 308 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: the same way that it took time for us to 309 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:54,359 Speaker 1: evolve from the sky girls to these stewards, sexualized stewardesses 310 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: with you know, airline taglines that said like we'll move 311 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: our tails you and does your wife know that you're 312 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,199 Speaker 1: flying with us? And naughty things like that took a 313 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: long time, what forty years for that to happen. It 314 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: wasn't until nineteen seventy nine, uh, that a female journalist 315 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: was finally like, Okay, we're not gonna call you stewardesses anymore. 316 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: You are gender neutral flight attendants. Yeah. Stop thinking about 317 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: these women as sex objects bringing you coffee. These are 318 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,679 Speaker 1: women who women and men who are designed to protect 319 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: your safety aboard, to make sure that we get from 320 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: point A to point B as comfortably as possible. But 321 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: they're not, you know, your personal servant. They are serving 322 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: a legitimate function on this airplane. And granted as discount 323 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: flights have become more and more than norm and people 324 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: are trying to pinch pennies. It's gotta be much harder 325 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: up air than it used to be because people are disgruntled. 326 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,719 Speaker 1: You know, people used to dress up for flights. My actually, 327 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: one of my brothers still likes to dress up for 328 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: a flight. I just I just feel better than the skies. 329 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,199 Speaker 1: You never know when the Papa rats you're gonna get 330 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: you I guess so. Uh so. It used to be 331 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: this sort of veered thing, but now we just hop on. 332 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: We shove our bags in the overhead and wait and 333 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: cross our fingers that we don't get get skimped on peanuts. 334 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: It's not what it used to be. But in some 335 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: ways that's a good thing. Yeah, I can deal without 336 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: a sexy stewardess. I think it's I think it's great 337 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: that we're much more gender and chel. Now i'd like 338 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: a friendly flight attendant. Oh, of course, you don't want 339 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: one of those Jet Blue guys that made the headlines 340 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: about a year ago for taking the emergency shoot down 341 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: with the passenger. I'm done. And what about those flight 342 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: attendants who are so nice and they'll let you have 343 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: your entire can of soda or giving you extra pretzels 344 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 1: and peanuts on our way to south By Southwest, I 345 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: totally got two bags of pretzels, and it made quite 346 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:48,880 Speaker 1: an impression on me. I would say, we're very easy 347 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: to please when it comes to flight. Christin you and 348 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: I all I want is my entire dike. Yeah, and 349 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: I don't want you to come and try and collect 350 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 1: it before I'm done drinking it and don't make me. 351 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: Don't make a guzzle it. Let me let me enjoy 352 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: my my flight. Um. Well, before we wrap this up 353 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,399 Speaker 1: and ask for everyone out there's opinion on this, I 354 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: don't want to give credit to two of our sources 355 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 1: because we leaned on them a lot. Um Femininity and 356 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: Flight History of Flight Attendants is a book by Kathleen 357 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: and Barry, and that's where we got a lot of 358 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: our information about sort of the ideal woman part of 359 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: the podcast. And then a paper called Male Serritesses by 360 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: Phil Timeyer provided a lot of the information about um, 361 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: the male stereotypes and the court case action. So and 362 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: if you do have extra time on your hands, I 363 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: highly recommend going and reading about those uh, those court 364 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: cases about male flight attendants, because to me, that was 365 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: the most surprising, uh stuff to learn about flight attendant history. 366 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: We know so much about the history of female flight attendants. 367 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: Man men had, men had a hard road to ho 368 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: in the in the skies. But now we can all 369 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,439 Speaker 1: be in disguise together together. All right, let's do some 370 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: listener mail. I've got one here from Jonathan and it's 371 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: about the male nursing pot cast. He writes, it's always 372 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: an interesting and sometimes touchy subject, as men are not 373 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: marginalized as a minority in everyday life as women are. 374 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: But place a man in the nursing profession and suddenly 375 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: there are issues he has to deal with which could 376 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: possibly distract from his responsibilities. I would like to caution you, however, 377 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: on using the term male nurse. The referred term is 378 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: men in nursing. Perhaps this is a matter of semantics 379 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: that some people believe that saying male nurse is actually 380 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: reinforcing the stereotype that a normal nurse is female. A 381 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 1: nurse is a nurse. There shouldn't be a need for 382 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,360 Speaker 1: a qualifier, because you do still implies that you're modifying 383 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: the noun to denote something unusual atypical. Would you a 384 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: normal everyday conversation, say to with a friend, I have 385 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: an appointment at two o'clock with my female doctor. So yes, 386 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,719 Speaker 1: that's a very good point, Jonathan that, uh, we had 387 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: to kind of put male nurse to differentiate in the podcast. 388 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: But when it comes in the day, a nurse is 389 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: a nurse, A teacher as a teacher, a doctor's a doctor. 390 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: I've got an email here from Molly. Is it make 391 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 1: It's not you? Unless you're in a polyamorous relationship, because 392 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: this is about polyamory, and Molly writes, my husband and 393 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: I have been in a polly slash open relationship for 394 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: almost a year. We both have very different sexual needs, 395 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: and while the rest of our relationship is amazing, this 396 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: one detail was corrupting everything with feelings of isolation, resentment, 397 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: and frustration. We realized that this wasn't either of our 398 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: faults and we were just very different. We had some 399 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: friends in really positive open relationships at different kinds, and ultimately, 400 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: after a lot of counseling and work on communication skills, 401 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: we decided to give it a go. My husband has 402 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: more of a true emotional relationship with her girlfriend and 403 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,120 Speaker 1: they're pretty serious. I really like her and she does 404 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,239 Speaker 1: the things with him that I don't want you, so 405 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: the time we get together is doing things we wanted 406 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: you together. I've had a few less serious relationships. I 407 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: am looking less for the emotional side more for the physical. However, 408 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: I need to really trust someone, so there's definitely still 409 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 1: an emotional aspect. We meet each other's potential partners and 410 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: we find find this helps reduce the jealousy and it's 411 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: easy to create this amazing fantasy person in your head 412 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 1: that your partner is running off with, but when you 413 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: meet them in real life, you see they're human with 414 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: good and bad things, just like everyone else. So far, 415 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 1: it has worked out really well for us. As you 416 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: said in the podcast, it takes crazy levels of communication, 417 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: which has sent our satisfaction in our relationship through the roof. 418 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: We really listen to each other and try to find 419 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: feasible ways to meet each other's needs. We still have sex, 420 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: but we are no longer dependent on each other to 421 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: meet that need. So again, we do it now because 422 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: we want to, not because we have to. We are nonbelievers, 423 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: so it really wasn't a moral question for us. We 424 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: just realized we had a problem that could destroy an 425 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: otherwise amazing partnership, and we chose to fund an unconventional 426 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: way just solve the problem. So thank you for that insight, Molly, 427 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: and you Molly, and if you guys have any oles 428 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: or women I shouldn't say girls, whatever inclusive term you whatever, yes, 429 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: whatever you want to say, You can email us at 430 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: mom stuff at how stuff works dot com. 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