Flight Attendants Furious Over "Sexist" Russian Ad, Nude Calendar

By Brian Fairbanks on Jul 5th, 2010 | Comments (20)

An Australian flight attendants union, probably still fuming over a series of television ads featuring scantily-clad crew members, have publicily trashed a new Russian airline for their "sexist" TV spot.

The two-minute clip -- along with a calendar featuring a nude photo (seen at left) -- outraged the Flight Attendants Association of Australia:

“This type of provocative advertising using cabin crew in this light is not tolerated in Australia and should not be acceptable anywhere else,” Ms Davidson said.

“Such suggestive advertising portraying cabin crew as part of the product they’re selling sends wrong messages and puts cabin crew at risk of sexual harassment and abuse – all for a $10 air fare...."

Well, cabin crew members are part of the product, but only in the customer service sense. No one should be pinching any asses as they move up the aisle.

Via.

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Comments ( 20 )

Bah, she's probably ugly anyway.

Twolane commented on Jul 05 10 at 4:25 pm

This is sexist and so is your stupid blog post. Posts like this make me never want to read Hooksexup again.

@at commented on Jul 05 10 at 4:43 pm

I second @at's comment.

fish commented on Jul 05 10 at 5:27 pm

Gross, Hooksexup. Shame on you.

mer commented on Jul 05 10 at 7:27 pm

Looks like there was just a typo. Geez, people.

Name commented on Jul 05 10 at 8:10 pm

I don't understand what's wrong with this. I really enjoy soaping and lathering my breasts in a string bikini while I slave over large transportation vehicles. They're just being realistic to how women look and behave.

Ferberzz commented on Jul 05 10 at 10:34 pm

Ferbezz, I think they're upset because it's exploitative and sexist. I mean, these are everyday workers shown to basically be tempting swimsuit models; picture yourself as one of the flight attendants. How will your job change? Most likely, there will now occasionally be some men who take it literally and, as I said, grab asses as they pass by on the plane. I've always been interested in exploring where that fine line is between "legitimate" sexuality and offensiveness, and hopefully we can keep the discourse less YouTube-y.

brianfairbanks commented on Jul 05 10 at 10:39 pm

Not totally getting why Hooksexup is getting so much hate in the comments.... Exploiting the sexual side of flight attendants is nothing new for the airline business. Watching the ad myself, I don't think they crossed a line, but I'm not the one whose opinion counts. If a sizable amount of employees were offended, something is clearly wrong with the ad. I don't know much about Australian culture, but I wonder if that might be why I find this less offensive. It could also very easily be because I'm a male who has never and will never be a flight attendant. It's also highly unlikely that someone will exploit my sexuality to sell airline tickets.

Me commented on Jul 05 10 at 11:47 pm

@brian fairbanks... hmm, think Ferbezz might have been a little sarcastic there?

Sarcasm? commented on Jul 06 10 at 12:43 am

Yes, yes, but it gave me an opportunity to clarify for some other people...

brianfairbanks commented on Jul 06 10 at 12:53 am

One of the best television ads i've ever seen, hands down.

Haha commented on Jul 06 10 at 2:06 am

Only someone as simple and dull as Brian Fairbanks can think that an ad - from Australia, no less, that would never have been seen outside of that country without the Internet - will suddenly inspire men worldwide to start grabbing the ass of any flight attendant in their vicinity. Any man that is going to grab a flight attendant's ass was going to do it whether or not the ad or calendar was made. It's manufactured outrage, and in the hands of someone as inept as Fairbanks, it's poorly manufactured.

CE commented on Jul 06 10 at 3:55 am

Regardless of right or wrong did anyone else notice how many ass and crotch shots there were? If the ad was made in the US it would have been all fake tits.

jack commented on Jul 06 10 at 8:09 am

So, I drafted the press release by the Australian Flight Attendant's union, then? I wrote the article in the Telegraph? Right. "Manufactured outrage." (You'll note I didn't say anything about the ad, only that although the cabin crew is part of the "product," they shouldn't have to have their asses grabbed. I only responded that I thought people in Russia who SAW the ad could potentially let it get to their heads that this is acceptable behavior on the airline. That's it. Obviously, these people are probably going to do it anyway, but I can understand why flight attendants might be upset if their own airlines are encouraging it.)

brianfairbanks commented on Jul 06 10 at 8:43 am

To clarify: when I wrote "I only responded," I meant in the comments, which is separate from the story and was in response to someone who has since removed his/her comment saying "flight attendants should just deal with it, blah blah." No, they shouldn't have to work at a company that seemingly wants to roll back the clock to a different, more harassment-filled era.

brianfairbanks commented on Jul 06 10 at 8:48 am

CE, what's your point? That the airplane workers should just shut it or join the religious right as anti-porn crusaders? That's what your "argument" sounded like to me anyway. Oh and "if the men were going to pinch ass they were going to pinch ass with or without the ad" is a circular, senseless argument.

@at commented on Jul 06 10 at 12:34 pm

Sex sells. Sales generate corporate revenue, which keeps those flight attendants in a job. Or is the goal here for the Aussies to take up the market share of the Russian airline? Have these ads really increased the already high baseline obnoxious sexism of the passengers from Russia?

Redme commented on Jul 07 10 at 12:21 pm

As a legitimate ad, it's offensive. As a stand alone video, you have to admit it's kind of hilarious, and incredibly, incredibly Russian. It's probably mostly aimed at keeping passengers from thinking about the number of Russian planes that have crashed in the past year anyway.

Mosva commented on Jul 07 10 at 11:50 pm

Who want to fly to Russia?

ChiMike commented on Jul 08 10 at 10:17 am

hate comments here is questionable.i find every article here acceptable..except when it comes to discussing about football..oops,i mean soccer.sorry Americans

zhariff commented on Jul 10 10 at 10:39 am

Flight Attendants Furious Over "Sexist" Russian Ad, Nude Calendar

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