Ada Quonsett
21st Jan 2008, 21:03
Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok - Guardian Unlimited (http://www.guardian.co.uk/)
Monday January 21, 2008
Female flight attendants in Thailand today demanded the government pull a steamy new soap opera from television schedules after just three episodes as they say it demeans their profession.
Unions representing cabin crew from the national carrier, Thai Airways International, and the private operator, Bangkok Airlines, are to make a formal complaint to the culture ministry over the show which began last week.
The Air Hostess Wars shows flight attendants scheming for the affections of a suave and handsome married airline captain, who embarks on an affair with one of their number.
Angry cabin staff say the love triangle portrayed in the programme, which leads to fighting in the aisles and scenes of passionate sex on stopovers, bears no relation to real life and portrays them in a bad light.
"This soap opera is insulting and damaging to the reputation of flight attendants," said Noppadol Thaungthong, a Thai Airways cabin crew member leading the union's action. "It's all about sex and air hostesses beating each other up in the cabin because of love and jealousy. This kind of thing never happens."
In the protest letter prepared for the culture minister, Khunying Khaisri Sri-Aroon, the attendants argue the show's viewers may be discouraged from flying because of the damage the drama does to their image.
"People will be afraid to fly with us if they see these scenes with flight attendants slapping each other," said Somsak Srinual, acting president of the Thai Airways labour union. "Women don't fight. They just argue."
The seething flight attendants also maintained that the soap - with its tales of jealousy, revenge and cat fights - would turn off young Thais aspiring to join the profession.
"My daughter watched the show and has started to look down on my job," said another flight attendant, Pichitra Taveerat. "She asked me: 'Is it true that everyone at your job is fighting over guys?' I didn't know what to answer."
A culture ministry spokesman said he could not comment on the protest as officials had yet to see the nature of the cabin crew's complaints about Thailand's Channel 5 broadcast. But Channel 5 said it had no plans to withdraw the popular soap, with four more episodes due to screen this week. It might, however, consider editing out scenes deemed to be offensive, it added.
Monday January 21, 2008
Female flight attendants in Thailand today demanded the government pull a steamy new soap opera from television schedules after just three episodes as they say it demeans their profession.
Unions representing cabin crew from the national carrier, Thai Airways International, and the private operator, Bangkok Airlines, are to make a formal complaint to the culture ministry over the show which began last week.
The Air Hostess Wars shows flight attendants scheming for the affections of a suave and handsome married airline captain, who embarks on an affair with one of their number.
Angry cabin staff say the love triangle portrayed in the programme, which leads to fighting in the aisles and scenes of passionate sex on stopovers, bears no relation to real life and portrays them in a bad light.
"This soap opera is insulting and damaging to the reputation of flight attendants," said Noppadol Thaungthong, a Thai Airways cabin crew member leading the union's action. "It's all about sex and air hostesses beating each other up in the cabin because of love and jealousy. This kind of thing never happens."
In the protest letter prepared for the culture minister, Khunying Khaisri Sri-Aroon, the attendants argue the show's viewers may be discouraged from flying because of the damage the drama does to their image.
"People will be afraid to fly with us if they see these scenes with flight attendants slapping each other," said Somsak Srinual, acting president of the Thai Airways labour union. "Women don't fight. They just argue."
The seething flight attendants also maintained that the soap - with its tales of jealousy, revenge and cat fights - would turn off young Thais aspiring to join the profession.
"My daughter watched the show and has started to look down on my job," said another flight attendant, Pichitra Taveerat. "She asked me: 'Is it true that everyone at your job is fighting over guys?' I didn't know what to answer."
A culture ministry spokesman said he could not comment on the protest as officials had yet to see the nature of the cabin crew's complaints about Thailand's Channel 5 broadcast. But Channel 5 said it had no plans to withdraw the popular soap, with four more episodes due to screen this week. It might, however, consider editing out scenes deemed to be offensive, it added.