Cute Mary Jane Stewardess Revealed Sexism In Her Workplace

This stewardess/flight attendant spokesperson told an incredible story based on her own experiences. I selected her to be one of the people who presented their 1960s experiences for my six part primetime television series Making Sense Of The Sixties which ran on public television in 1990. The interviews were made in 1989 with people reflecting back on that time.
My goal in the series was to let people who I called extraordinary/ordinary people, people who had grown up in the 1950s and 1960s, express their feelings and their memories to younger people who were in their late teens and early 20s in the 1990s. In other words, to the children of the baby boom generation.
Approximately 40% of the baby boomers (over 80 million Americans) said in a poll that they participated in the events of the 1960s.
I selected individuals representing a variety of points of view, political and social.
This woman made radical changes in her life as she grew more comfortable becoming a leader in the flight attendant’s union and as a woman who objected to some of the ways that she was treated in the workplace and outside of it. She experienced what she called "pretty girl" sexism of all kinds on almost every day basis. Although she did not express aggressive anger, I can remember that in her interview, she became very vocal when talking about how she felt how men and the airline industry treated her and her colleagues.
While she did not consider herself a feminist or a particularly political women's rights advocate, she certainly defined herself as someone who no longer accepted how she had been treated and was glad she had worked to make changes.
If you would like to see other clips from the interviews that my team and I did in 1989, search the words "making sense of" on my KZbin channel and many clips will pop up.
To support my efforts to create more clips please donate to me at www.patreon.com/allinaday. Join my channel and get access to my perks:
/ @davidhoffmanfilmmaker

[@ginnashupper725]

I love this woman. I can relate to a lot of what she had to say. I joined the workforce in the early 80's. Sexism ( and sexual harassment) were the norm. And I get it. I get tired at times of asking for help with all the housekeeping once I am home from a long day at work.😁

[@DrumandPianoDude]

What a beautiful, stately, articulate lady! Hearing her perspective was really amazing. With her high level of intellect, that time period must have been tough for her.

[@tesscastro2652]

David- great interview from a great time in history. Thanks for your "time capsules" ❤️

[@JWF99]

This was very interesting, and btw as someone who was 21yrs old in 1990, I appreciated "Making Sense Of The Sixties" thought it was brilliant! Thanks David👍

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

Thank you for sharing your experience Jim. David Hoffman filmmaker

[@JWF99]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker You bet David!👍was my pleasure

[@johnshepherd708]

David, Thank you for this interview. It is very much reflective of the time and shows the similarity of what we are experiencing today. My Wife was a flight attendant during that era and the pressures of the job and the public were difficult and controlling. Add to this the extreme changes in our society with the war, political assassinations, student and social unrest for equality, one can understand the pressures. These women were caught between two worlds, one being controlled by an earlier generation with affluence and the next generation of change. That change was a threat to the controlling class and it was their function to crush that change. It is the very same dynamic today. Society, corporate structures and the political machine do not welcome change and will try to suppress all costs. We have made many strides forward since that time but it has always been an uphill battle. Some areas of our society are worse off today than they were at the end of the 1960's. All you have to do is look at the current social issues and the headlines with regard to our Supreme Court and you can see the unrest. It is astounding and destructive. Will we be talking about the same struggle 50 years from now? Let's hope not. We are better and more capable than that as a society.

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

I do agree with your evaluation John. It is very much reflective of the time which is why I posted it. David Hoffman filmmaker

[@johnshepherd708]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker David, Thanks for your response. More importantly, thank you for your life's work and posting it here. It is very much appreciated....best regards...John

[@gonojo]

I would love for you to do a follow up with this lady to see how things have changed since this interview

[@richarddaily93]

This was a fascinating education, David. I was born in '54 and watched all the changes with amazement!

[@alicepotter8165]

Wonderful podcast. It is making me revisit that time of my life.

[@db5823]

She's nailing it, even if the interviewers aren't exactly listening very closely. She's very aware and sensitive to a lot of what was going around her at those times. Pros: The economy, with strong wages and financial security. The rebellions that allowed people to break from constricting norms and give voice to the more voiceless. Cons: The sexism and social inequalities. The conservatism and authoritarianism, the entrenchments of classism and racism.

[@moonlighteternal8024]

Gee, I loved that interview! What an insightful person!

[@Kevin_Carlson]

This lady reminds me of jazz singer Anita O'Day. Her facial expressions and manner of speaking are similar in interviews.

[@perrybarton]

She always reminds me a bit of Polly Draper, who played Ellyn on thirtysomething. 😎

[@Kevin_Carlson]

@@perrybarton You're right! Polly Draper was great in Thirty Something.

[@tamarrajames3590]

Thank you David, this was very interesting to listen to. In my first two jobs as a waitress, we quickly learned to go to the linen closet in pairs, because if we were alone the Boss would grope you. Later I managed the record department Kelly Dejong Records, and they hired a male assistant for me…he started at $1.00 hr more than I was paid. I approached the store Manager about me being paid less than a person I was training. I was told it was the company’s wage policy and there was nothing he could do to raise my wages…so I quit. Having males of a certain age in authority over you as a young woman frequently meant that you could expect to be fondled or groped if the opportunity arose. You also could expect to have overly familiar things said to you. We have come a long way, but not far enough yet.🖤🇨🇦

[@ginnashupper725]

Yes! My manager use to call me "Jugs" because of my breast. We have come a long way though. We made it through!

[@Otto45]

This is ridiculous.. I feel ashamed to be a man, after reading all these experiences. : (

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@Otto45 Your post would indicate that you are one of the good guys. It was a different time, with very different views on the roles of men and women. Casual sexism and abuse of authority were commonplace. There was no mechanism for reporting harassment or inappropriate touching if it didn’t progress to rape or sexual assault. It was the woman’s fault for working, or she dressed too sexily, or she was asking for it. Most rapes went unreported because the victim’s reputation was put on trial before her assailant was. Much of what we take for granted today, as offensive and actionable situations were simply the way it was. Women were constantly being called honey, or dear, or sweetheart by male superiors…and rarely heard their own names. The world needs more men who react like you do to these things.🖤🇨🇦

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@ginnashupper725 Ahhhhh the good old days. We made it through, and things ARE better now, not perfect, but better.🖤🇨🇦

[@stevenfranks3131]

"It didn't make for harmony; but it did make for change...."

[@matthewfarmer6830]

Good to see this, thanks for sharing David Hoffman film maker.👍👍🙂

[@wymanwilson6975]

Men are from Mars , women Venus as the old story goes lol

[@Stoudman]

"There was an awareness that things weren't good; they weren't fair, they weren't equal; there had to be changes." This feeling is of course underscored by a famous MLK Jr quote: "The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed (our) community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone." (Note: I only removed a word because some people will try to get such a comment removed simply because it mentions that word, even if it is literally from a quote by MLK Jr.)

[@spidermonkey3333]

Simply fascinating. Keep'em coming!

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that KZbin is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker

[@spidermonkey3333]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I enjoy your content, but sadly I'm not in a position to support you monetarily. I do share your videos when I feel the subject matter would touch someone I know.

[@andyhofmann8510]

What a charming lady. A remarkable interview. A gentle soul, a testament for us, to learn to be better. My sister and I had to wear wooly lambskin coats (wooly inside) with colorful embroidery, as 8 and 9 yrs olds. I thought nothing of it then, but our collie did not like them at all, woulnd't let us pass and barked at us (Still rerember the distinct sheep smell on it) My parents finally gave up on the coats.

[@cherylcallahan5402]

*David Hoffman Cute Mary Jane's affected her growing up (Roe vs Wade) appreciate your videos Listening 🌟 from Mass USA TYVM 💙 David*

[@tesscastro2652]

Hey Cheryl. Nice to see ya here. Wish i asked you in other channel comments how you get bold type on ur keyboard lol. My samsung10 doesn't have the option- i can't find out how. Have a great day in Mass. Im in CT. HAPPY Mother's Day. 😉

[@Smartiebob317]

Yes Cheryl, how did you do this?

[@conrad4667]

Viewers should know that while they might have a common root, the term “free love” at 5:29 is not the same as the term “free” used at 9:29. 5:29 free love means unattached sex, while at 9:29 it means uninhibited, not necessarily related to sex at all.

[@anitaelghandor7295]

So true,brings change,👍

[@rztrzt]

I love Mr Hoffman's videos, they all seem to be from a more civilized time.

[@whwhywhywhywhywhywhy]

Especially the part where the interviewer mentions city's burning down and MLK being recently assassinated

[@tazzioboca]

Where they used lightsabers instead of blasters.

[@jessbarclay472]

What a WONDERFUL interview. Isn’t it sad, that not a lot has changed, despite the liberating 60’s. As a person born in the early 60’s, these fights still go on for equality & to be heard. I’m one of those (seemingly) angrier females who speaks up & gives her opinions & argues with men. My hubby though for feminism & equality still forgets that I have an opinion to be voiced-but in his defence he has health reasons for his forgetfulness. Still, it’s frowned upon for women to voice their opinion’s. Not much has changed.

[@genieNotinabottle]

Always such great content!💕💕💕💕❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️💕💕🙏🏽🌸💯💯🌺💯🌸❤️

[@lanacampbell-moore6686]

Thanks Mr Hoffman❤

[@marafolse8347]

I get the sense that, earlier in his career, David was focused very much on the subject of his films, on what he wanted out of the interviewee. I can understand this, but it does lead to a large number of leading questions, and a refusal to be flexible, to get the story the subject is most equipped to tell.

[@rebeccatracy245]

That was AWESOME !!

[@cherialbaugh1741]

Mr. Hoffman thank you. Listening to her speak I knew I was a child growing up in the south aftrt a move from the North, at the time she experienced the sixties. I think she completely missed the question about the consequences of the actions of the sixties. The sixties established leniency lack of consequences a more casual do anything do anything attitude in behavior. And it wasn't just for themselves they wanted everybody to be doing it causing it causing lack of acceptance for what they called the establishment. The change of the Catholic Church to a new world order from our traditional beautiful Latin masses took place in the sixties. Women's rights took place in the sixties. If you go back in history there were many women that accomplished great things that did not demand that laws be changed or every woman be like her. I was a flight attendant until 2018. At least until covid anybody could say anything and ask anything of a flight attendant and she was right about this in 1991, during this interview. Many women really in really enjoyed this type of dialog. And then others like myself would quietly remind them about the new sexual harassment laws.

[@NajSinghs]

"It does take #extremes to move a little." 🔥💪❤💯

[@luciehanson6250]

Thanks!

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

I thank you once again Lucie for the support you give me. When I posted this, I knew that this lady and her experiences would affect you. David Hoffman filmmaker

[@OldHeathen1963]

The march of progress is not a straight line. I wonder how old she was here🤔 I'm guessing near my mom's age. Born 1937.

[@laciehamblin4524]

It’s 2022 and I honestly think not much has changed since for women, and we are being labeled as feminists just is another way for men to downgrade us. But I will teach my son to treat women equally and I think the younger generations of 2022 and on equality is slowly but surely getting better over time. Women still do not make as much as a man does…unless we do a “man’s” job. In my opinion I think a “woman’s” job should be paid just as much as a “man” job does. If that makes sense…even though I hate labels.

[@BitcoinWillFixEverything]

I love Mr Hopkins videos, but I do not like this woman, or should I say I do not like her ideas at all. Lots of misinformation here. Encouraging a daughter to be a firefighter or cop as she states at the end of the video is a terrible idea. The types of people cops deal with are monsters, and they'll eat her alive. And women firefighters simply did not have the strength or body mass to do the job as effectively as their male counterparts. I know this because I'm a 20-year firefighter and I love women and think they're very bright, smart, but simply lack the muscle mass of the average male. Female doctors and lawyers are wonderful and I've used both. She seems to think that people didn't want to hear what she had to say as a flight attendant because she was female. That's ridiculous. I would rather hear what a female pilot has to say than a male flight attendant. It was her low-level job, and not her sex that made the difference in her example. She's very good at being a victim apparently, even when the explanation is much less sinister than she would like it to be.

[@sicooper4230]

Inclined to agree. As a husband i would be horrified if my wife wanted to be a firefighter..not because i doubt her but because my protective instincts kick in and i want our kids to be close to mom. I know in these times that there should be no boundries but until you find your soulmate and have great kids....it will make you think in a different way.I want her home..because i love her too much to lose her.

[@florenomorence1492]

So if a woman passes all the physical fitness tests for a traditionally "man's job" would that make it ok for her to be a firefighter, cop, soldier, etc?

[@BitcoinWillFixEverything]

@@florenomorence1492 since the 1980s, test standards have dropped substantially and dramatically. Which, to the public's detriment, have allowed lesser candidates to get hired. Not only are weak women hired, but weak men, as well. Not to mention educational standards have also been lowered.

[@JasonKinne]

Wonderful person! Amazing mind!

[@wymanwilson6975]

She’s still gorgeous. It’s a shame people can’t respect women. But me being a man? I would never complain if a woman sexually harassed me 😬

[@riceburner4747]

🤔 Hmmm, so much to comment on. She's unaware how nice she HAD it as an attendant. I dated a woman who made reservations & she was able to retire in her fifties! "Mary Jane"got her job on her good looks. She's never suffered a day in her life! So if you are unattractive, u couldn't GET a good job. THAT'S sexist! Attendants today have it the worst EVER w/unruly passengers over mask wearing. I'd LOVE to know why she divorced? Ten to one, her FUTURE husband is wealthy. MY opinion was she has a silver spoon in her mouth, (materialistic?) & THIS is why she is so unaware of her surroundings. Just saying.

[@mikesmith-nj1ij]

I think you make some fair comments. It's never either totally good or bad. In history, you should comment on the times as they were then... not through today's lens. As you say...she had it better as people were hired for looks even more then than now, but it still certainly happens.

[@whwhywhywhywhywhywhy]

You don't have to RANDOMLY capitalize works. Just saying. Being attractive doesn't mean the sexism is ok thought

[@monicabeach6909]

I applied in 1988 for a flight attendant job. I’m only 5’2, it was a no go!

[@jiveturkey9993]

I think you went a little too hardcore on her when you say she's never had to suffer a day in her life. We've all had to suffer through tragedy and Trauma I'm sure she is no different. In fact there's actually a 50% chance that she may have seen way worse than we have.

[@andyhofmann8510]

you have no idea what this was about

[@user-de2zo1bw4d]

To say this about violence that, I don’t like that out hurts people but extremes are necessary for small changes, is very disturbing to hear. Victims of violence and oppression don’t have the right to victimise and oppress either 🙏🏽 We need to defend victims, not create new ones in the process.

[@albongo3949]

What wild cycles

[@AdornedGrace]

This sounds so nice until they have responsibility of power. The ancients knew what would happen.

[@marksc111]

???

[@73challenger5031]

If child rearing at home and our educational system would focus on everyone becoming self-sufficient, a whole host of societal problems would be minimal.

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

I'm reading your comment and wondering if you are keeping up on what China is doing with their educational system. For example in the medical space they are now spending as much money on sophisticated research and on AI as the United States for the first time. Soon they will surpass us in medical sophistication and scientific research. Well we became self-sufficient (your definition) they would kick our butts in the world of science, medicine, rocketry, and so much more. David Hoffman filmmaker

[@73challenger5031]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I'm thinking maybe you didn't get my meaning. If men and women were encouraged to be stronger individuals, they wouldn't expect their significant-other to clean up after them or do their laundry or fix their car, etc.

[@manp1039]

since then society changed language of what was called fireman to now we refer to firefighter.

[@johntrezza8067]

Army unit Iwas in slated for Vietnam as a Lt. Got changed for Military Police in Twin Cities during the late 60’s . Became first Swat Teams in the US faced with snipers, looter’s and nasty rioters, not fun as a peace keeper.!!!

[@suem6004]

Sorry to say but not a good interview. Lots of leading questions. Reasking the same questions. Equality in the air? But she is not a trained pilot and should not get the same salary. Maybe stewardess related questions ie weight restrictions, height restrictions, their mini skirt uniforms... did the stewardesses fight that if so how? All well and good to talk vaguely about other people but hone on her personal experiences which the interviewer did a bit but maybe more. Seems she skipped over the whole drug culture killing so many of those bohemian funloving honest hippies. But in the 1990s drugs were rampant in schools and all the high crime and destroyed lives... hmmm she forgot about that drugs 'killed' many. Guess the rose glasses thing.

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

You see it as you do so but I would like you to understand this is completely unedited. No one sees an unedited interview but some of my subscribers ask to present them from time to time. Questions are very often asked twice to give the person a chance to respond again and only one of them would be used in the film if used at all.

[@stevenqbosell]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker thank you that comment was kinda out of pocket it’s an UNEDITED interview…. What do you expect? This is how production works buddy

[@spidermonkey3333]

@Sue M Checking the focus, zooming in on her one eye, jostling of the camera. All factors that, for me, made the interview more real, not to mention her actual responses.. but to each his own.

[@mares3841]

Go Girl!

[@porgyt7177]

The irony in this title

[@rachelpurdy3854]

She thinks way 2 much But hey what do I know I am stupid She better enjoy her time If she had 2 lift 200 lbs like a man Shecwouldcwant her little flight attend job back.. No hate mail 2 me Just depressed and giving my 2 cents to the group.

[@Burnintrees384]

My mother regularly threatens me to cut my hair while I sleep. She’s as conservative as it gets and I love it.

[@yashkapoor2k]

There are no buildings in the sky, so can't blame Spidey for not helping her.

[@black2785]

Wow

[@phantomstrike4949]

1991

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

1989.

[@phantomstrike4949]

10:31 mentioned it 1991

[@JWF99]

@@phantomstrike4949 I believe he was saying that it will be 1991 when people are seeing this

[@grannygroovy8008]

Point Becky...🤮

[@LawandaFinch]

This lady sounds very liberal!