The Daily Mail has some pictures of an event put on by modeling agency Oriental Beauty, said to primarily be for flight attendant recruiting. Perhaps most interesting is that participants modeled both flight attendant uniforms and bikinis.
What were the requirements to participate?
On its website, Oriental Beauty stipulated that potential candidates had to be at least five foot six in height, although for people with exceptional look, this could be dropped to five foot five.
The women were required to be ‘elegant, slim, have sweet voice and have no scars in the exposed part of their skin.’
Ah, yes, of course, an inch grace for exceptionally beautiful people!
Here’s a video of the “show:”
Bottom line
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d much rather Chinese carriers choose flight attendants based on their education and language skills rather than just their looks. I’ve consistently found the largest language barrier to be on Chinese airlines.
Regardless, this recruiting method is quite a contrast to what we’re used to in the US, that’s for sure!
@Kyle - Was just going to post the same thing.
This reflects the Chinese society as well as the Chinese airlines! They are not there to serve, they are there to show off 'look at me'! Really sad! But I don't mind if they atart recruiting more guys using same methodology!
"I’d much rather Chinese carriers choose flight attendants based on their education and language skills rather than just their looks. I’ve consistently found the largest language barrier to be on Chinese airlines."
That's just because girls with good education and better language skills can find much better jobs than flight attendants.
@tara-those are two different groups of women. Ignorant, usually young, women don't understand what it is to be objectified. As we age and/or grow wiser, we realize how inhumane it is.
For all you pigs, I propose we value you based on a formula combining your income and some multiple of the size of your c**k. Just be grateful we're not counting class or you'd all rank in the bottom 10 percent.
Thanks Jon W, that is indeed what I meant.
Regarding the pageant ... women complain about being treated like nothing more than sexual objects, and yet they participate in the very activities which perpetuate and promote that image. If no women participated in the pageant then the airlines would need to find some other way to select their candidates. Women have the power to stop this demeaning process but they aren't exercising it. I can't...
Thanks Jon W, that is indeed what I meant.
Regarding the pageant ... women complain about being treated like nothing more than sexual objects, and yet they participate in the very activities which perpetuate and promote that image. If no women participated in the pageant then the airlines would need to find some other way to select their candidates. Women have the power to stop this demeaning process but they aren't exercising it. I can't blame an airline for wanting attractive attendants, but I'm not aware of any airline that requires its attendants to wear bikinis and it's really not necessary for the attendants to look like clones, as the woman in the photo do. :)
We can look down on stories like this and claim it's sexism, but the truth is that hiring young pretty and motivated women to work as flight attendants works! If you look at all the top airlines in the world, pretty much all from Middle East or Southeast Asia, all consistently hire young women as flight attendants. They are freshly trained, smile consistently, and are there because they want to.
I will take them...
We can look down on stories like this and claim it's sexism, but the truth is that hiring young pretty and motivated women to work as flight attendants works! If you look at all the top airlines in the world, pretty much all from Middle East or Southeast Asia, all consistently hire young women as flight attendants. They are freshly trained, smile consistently, and are there because they want to.
I will take them over any of the western airlines, where it's all about seniority and job security. Flight attendants here have an attitude, do not assist you with luggage, and many simply don't care about you. I don't care what industry it is, but job security is bad for everyone except the person with the job.
There is an ideal middle ground somewhere between extreme sexism and youth-ism and entitled and jaded attendants guaranteed a job for life by a union.
I do think flight attendants should be physically fit, somewhere near a healthy BMI (for logistics and safety), and be able to be fired or reprimanded if and when they become jaded/hate fliers. There may be a few 20+year veteran F/A's that are still friendly and love their job,...
There is an ideal middle ground somewhere between extreme sexism and youth-ism and entitled and jaded attendants guaranteed a job for life by a union.
I do think flight attendants should be physically fit, somewhere near a healthy BMI (for logistics and safety), and be able to be fired or reprimanded if and when they become jaded/hate fliers. There may be a few 20+year veteran F/A's that are still friendly and love their job, but I haven't met them.
Conversely I don't think Middle Eastern and Asian airlines should only hire a pool of girls they can sexually harass, make miserable, and control every aspect of their lives.
It is not a job many people can manage, physically or mentally, for life. Perhaps all F/A's should be hired on 5 year contracts.
I'm sure if these were guys you'd be much happier Ben ;)
Umm what I'm pretty sure Tara is saying is that she'd rather have female flight attendants chosen based on their competence in one of their primary duties: safety.
And honestly I agree. The large amount of heterosexual male gaze in these comments makes me roll my eyes. Should male flight attendants be hired from modeling competitions too?
Give me a tired 50 year old woman who can keep me safe, get beverage and meal service...
Umm what I'm pretty sure Tara is saying is that she'd rather have female flight attendants chosen based on their competence in one of their primary duties: safety.
And honestly I agree. The large amount of heterosexual male gaze in these comments makes me roll my eyes. Should male flight attendants be hired from modeling competitions too?
Give me a tired 50 year old woman who can keep me safe, get beverage and meal service done efficiently, etc than a 22 year old pretty girl who lacks competence in those things.
@ me very true!
@ tara - So you're trying to say that women shouldn't be CAs? Then, women employment is pretty much zero and all women are back as housewifes.
@ DJ - Because they are "Americans"
You don't experience ugly women in their sixties on a flight from Dubai to London on EK.
Why on earth do American Bloggers give the Daily Mail so much credence? It's the most ghastly tabloid.
This will never end until women stop participating. I know some of you guys want a pretty little subservient thing waiting on you hand and foot while you are flying. I want an experienced attendant who can save my ass in an emergency and I couldn't care less what she looks like or whether or not she smiles when she offers me food.
@Joe oh yes gimme me no zombies but some fatties and oldies are fine, they will just feed me on international long haul and turn down the light for me to sleep. they wont bother to bother asking if you needed anything. they are a status symbol for why all 3 US airlines are ranked 45+th worldwide.
@ Lucky - Hah, they are better compared to labor on QR, making it the worst employment deals in the world. These are very common in mainland China, most industrial & business candidates are picked through personality and looks! It is understandable, because looks can be important on the service industry, you don't want Zombie looking faces on planes, do you?
Thank you Lucky. Just woke up to a cup of coffee and this video and I like it! I think stews should be hired on looks first, then education etc 2nd 3rd 4th--but that's because I'm a total male-chauvinist perv.
Mainland Chinese airlines need better looking gals and this is a start. Next up would be an implant program front and back.
Sure wish US carrier did this and get rid of the old and fat bags they have working international routes.