Silly though this may sound, I sometimes wonder if the lack of respect engendered by the antics of some flight attendants during the flight may cause passengers in an emergency evacuation, to ignore their implored instructions.
Many low cost carriers have their flight attendants act the fool and even supply them joke books to "entertain" the masses. Virgin Blue in Australia are known to throw a toilet roll down the aisle and gaily ask the passengers to have a competition to guess how long is the bit of paper.
Same airline gives its flight attendants free reign to make up their own "jokes" such as telling passengers that the aircraft is going to a different destination than they expect.
The captain and first officer are dressed in "casual" khaki garb, leather jackets and baseball caps and are called "Mate" by the flight attendants. The idea is to project to the blue singlet and thongs bogans down the back that this is a FUN FUN FUN airline.
Suddenly there is a emergency evacuation and the pretty, young, and well endowed flight attendants suddenly try and put on stern expressions and squeak in loud voices GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT! You are bloody kidding says the bogans - wait till I get my carry on baggage and booze.. No respect for authority even in an emergency. Because the airline image is anti-authority - its FUN, see?
Contrast that scene with a highly professional flight and cabin crew dressed in proper airline uniforms readily recognisable as authoritive figures whose orders over the PA demand to be obeyed without question.
The image of authority is vital to frightened or even aggressive passengers. Some LLC project the opposite image and this can prove disastrous when the chips are down.