That this Virgin Atlantic advert strikes me as really sexist?

[badgermonkey]

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KS_6HHQ7jOA

"Still red hot", ffs? Are we really still using the Alpha Male pilot surrounded by bimbo stewardesses stereotype? And I know it's set in 1984, but the 'still' in the tagline suggests that they're playing on the image still.

I think the pilot would have looked better in a white pilot outfit

he looks a bit like a gay lift attendant

Yes, it's hugely empowering to wear - and be required to wear - 4 inch heels and a short skirt to work, to be letched at by men and to trot obediently alongside the important male pilot to boost his ego. Just what I'd want a daughter of mine to aspire to. Well, at least they know their place - as eye candy and servants for men. Nope, nothing sexist about that.

Virgin is great to fly with, great to work for etc etc. Virgin is all about fun, what's wrong with a bit of sex and glamour. RED HOT!!

Just for the record badgermonkey, its flats in the air - heels would be dangerous on the shoots

badger I think we're onto a losing battle here.

To me the ad says "all you important men who travel on business - get your secretary girls to book you onto Virgin for your next high powered business trip because we have the most fuckable stewardesses".

The ogling bloke saying he needs to change his ticket is particularly sad.

Still never mind eh?

yeah but it's EXPLICIT that it's all right imo

it's the insidious nature of 99% of advertising that offends me, not the comedy sexist routines

e.g. you are fat / smell / ooze / don't iron well enough / only spend hours every day scrubbing for limescale / are bloated / not shiny enough / not new and lemonscented

that shit sucks, this is just benny hill

This is a good ad, not sexist, just funny.

I think its a great ad.

We do have male stewards and female piolts you know! This is 2009! The ad was meant to be funny - loosen up ladies!

a Very funny ad.nothing more or less.not worthy of social scientist hand wringing discourse

i think it's hilarious - very deliberately cheesy and poking fun at all that pilot-as-sex-god and glam-trolley-dolly baloney. made me laugh out loud.

i rather think it says 'book with us, we can't promise you membership of the mile high club like every airline who uses this imagery seriously, but we'll look after you and leave you smiling anyway'.

think your irony gauge may be faulty...

and i'm a hand-wringing social scientist

ah but clearly your irony gauge is evidently fully functional

and if you're ever unlucky enough to get to rip off a pilot's uniform, make sure you are close enough to the shower to shove him in quick. long haul bus driver is not good. neither is short haul jet jockey.

i like to think so, scottishmummy...

i was talking to OP though lol, hope i didn't offend you...

hell never got any uniform ripping malarkey when they upgraded me

ah, you'll be the 'virgin' they are referring to...

abso-feckin-lutley i am as chaste as they come (phnwnar)

It's a cool ad IMO. The women are strong, powerful (head to toe in red too, v. powerful colour)and owning the place. and loving it. Very Charlie's Angels. And all the men are made to look like dribbling idiots! Hardly sexist.

And probably just what people need in a time of credit crunch misery. Perhaps even the makers assumed that we are so waaaay past the suffragette movement, feminisim, post-feminism etc and comfortable with women being whatever they want to be nowadays that a bit of irony would be fun?

The hairdos are quite bad though!

They're not so much babes as perfect physical specimens. The pilot is older because we wouldn't want to be flown by a 22 year old. He knows what he's doing. The women could be 40, it doesn't matter, they're just hot. Everyone is sexy and confident and good at what they do. That's the full point they're making. Plus, watch some retro styling and chuckle.

they do have that colgate ring of confidence...

well job done from Virgin point of view.ad got noticed folk talking.some lentil munchers bumpin gums

what's wrong with the hairdos lotster?

I found it pretty sexist - I know its meant to be retro but how convenient that that = putting lots of leggy blondes in their ad.