Bloody Virgin advert

[ComeAlongPond]

Have you seen it? With all the gorgeous female air hostesses floating around looking nice and waiting on the man in the first class cabin, before joining the group of male pilots on the plane at the end?

I complained about it to my friend, who said, "Why? Most pilots are male and most stewards are female. Or gay men."

Aaaahhhh.

Anyway. I just wanted to point it out here where my frustration will be shared. And nobody will go, "But that's just how it is, isn't it, nowt wrong with that..."

(Sorry if it's already been posted by the way, I haven't checked.)

My thoughts exactly. I am still on my Christmas break at my parents' and every time it comes on tv I start grumbling.

All women are stewardesses and none are pilots. According to the last two Virgin ads.

Virgin ads are getting notoriously bad. Even one for Virgin insurance in a car park that I have to go to for work has a girl in a rubber cat suit striking a whip. Not sure what it has to do with car/home insurance though.

Me too, Jess (on Christmas break at parents', I mean). Are you a student?

On a positive note, though, my little brother (13) watched it, leapt up with glee, pointed at me and crowed, "Sexist! That advert is sexist!" He has been triumphantly telling everyone about it.

(He's been asking me recently, "Do you think this is sexist?" "What sort of thing is sexist?" and while he always listens he always says he would never have thought of it alone. I think he's pretty proud to have noticed some sexism unprompted )

That's nice Pond.

That bloody stripper ad for Virgin is pissing me off too. My dad going "oh look, you can tell she's really enjoying herself", and me extracting my eyebrows from the ceiling.

Which stripper ad is that, ElfPants? Is that the one with the "fans"?

Hi Pond-no, not a student. Just lots of holiday to use up and family to visit.

It's the one with the round plastic things with prices on. And the smiling naked woman. One free with every purchase, I believe.

Oh and the music "The Stripper" of course, hence me calling it that.

Ah, I see, Jess. Well, you give me hope that when I have to venture into the world of... deep breathe... real life, there will still be holidays

Wow, I didn't realise that plastic round things ad was Virgin too. In that case I shall take some smug satisfaction that at least it was a shite ad.

ElfPants - that was the one I was thinking of but the only word I could think of to describe what she was holding was 'fans'. Terrible ads, the lot of them. The latest could be a good ad but I can't stand the stereotyping of the staff that they always seem to do in their ads. For what is normally an innovative company, their ads are really pretty poor.

ComeAlongPond - the problem is when you're working is being able to take the time off. I still have 2 weeks holiday left to take before the end of March & I really don't know when my boss will let me take it. I had something like 37 days this year (carried over 4 from previous year) and took 3 weeks off in March to go to Australia. I was told 'never again' when I got back! 37 days doesn't seem like a lot when you're a student, I imagine, but it's a helluva long time in the world of work.

In Australia, when you've worked for so many years, you get 3 months fully paid holiday to take. I met a few people who were travelling on their long service award holidays. I definitely think we should introduce that here!

I took a 3 month career break a couple of years ago to go travelling but that was unpaid. So if you do get itchy feet when you're at work, most employers are quite amenable to the idea of career breaks now, I think.

god, that ad with the fans... at the end, when they hold the frame of her open-mouthed, is the perfect replica of the 70s blow up doll. Perfect selling point for any women booking a flight... oh women don't do that do they, they only serve drinks to men on the flight

Ah, hang on though, the ad, it's burlesque isn't it, that's not stripping at all is is?

Or so they'd have us believe, if the machismo-machine is still turning the wheels of the porn-pandemic ever onward

aviatrix - They may contract out their advertising, but no TV ad is going to get aired that hasn't been approved by executives in the company. Ad agencies come up with ideas and execute the campaigns, but the company will retain the decision making over the tone and direction. They aren't unwilling victims.

The adverts are slickly made. But in no way does the one with the "fans" give me the impression of it being for an airline, which is poor marketing.

The other one is just exasperating, but when I mention this to people in RL they just look at me like