Ambassador Of The Air
So, I finally got into a mental headspace where I wanted to read something more cerebral than porn or schmoop (What? Two months solid of proof-reading appallingly written and mindlessly boring undergrad theses is enough to put anyone off SRS READING for a few weeks!) and started off reading AMBASSADOR OF THE AIR: THE AIRLINE STEWARDESS, GLAMOUR, AND TECHNOLOGY DURING THE COLD WAR, 1945-1969 by Victoria Vantoch, and I can tell you now, having read only the Abstract and the Introduction, I am already fangirling like whoa. To my shame, I will admit that the title had me thinking "Why on earth would someone write a PhD on trolley dollies FFS?", but I was oh so wrong. This thing is well-written and super-intelligent and feminist and thought-provoking, and ties stewardesses into post-war global politics, American expansionism and Cold War propaganda. My brain is sparking off like fireworks and doing mental cartwheels of glee.
Here, have the first paragraph of the Abstract:
During the postwar era, the airline stewardess reached her heyday as an icon of American womanhood. This complex icon was portrayed as more than a wife-in-training or a “sex object”; she was also represented as sophisticated, smart, independent career woman. And this airborne icon had international significance. As the post-Sputnik Soviet-American propaganda war intensified, the stewardess also served as increasingly important icon of national identity abroad in the global culture war.
She's already referenced Susan Bordo (which, um, is on my not-yet-read bookcase *blush*) and a host of other interesting-looking feminist commentaries which are likely to go on my Amazon list.
Holy fuck, this woman is awesome. I think she and Misha-boy mutually won the lottery when they found each other. I am officially crushing helplessly on the pair of them.
More when I have time. For now, I need to go write a justification for my uber-bosses of why I want to drop to working a four-day week. I don't think "I've paid off my mortgage and now I want more time to spend reading porn and digging my weed-covered allotment" is gonna cut it, somehow. I also need to find a way to ensure that these hours come off a particular part of my role without saying "Manager X is an incompetent two-faced cunt, and getting out from under her would improve my life immeasurably". Especially since Manager X is one of the ones who will see this application, and she has to be willing to sign off on my reduction of hours. Tricky.
Here, have the first paragraph of the Abstract:
During the postwar era, the airline stewardess reached her heyday as an icon of American womanhood. This complex icon was portrayed as more than a wife-in-training or a “sex object”; she was also represented as sophisticated, smart, independent career woman. And this airborne icon had international significance. As the post-Sputnik Soviet-American propaganda war intensified, the stewardess also served as increasingly important icon of national identity abroad in the global culture war.
She's already referenced Susan Bordo (which, um, is on my not-yet-read bookcase *blush*) and a host of other interesting-looking feminist commentaries which are likely to go on my Amazon list.
Holy fuck, this woman is awesome. I think she and Misha-boy mutually won the lottery when they found each other. I am officially crushing helplessly on the pair of them.
More when I have time. For now, I need to go write a justification for my uber-bosses of why I want to drop to working a four-day week. I don't think "I've paid off my mortgage and now I want more time to spend reading porn and digging my weed-covered allotment" is gonna cut it, somehow. I also need to find a way to ensure that these hours come off a particular part of my role without saying "Manager X is an incompetent two-faced cunt, and getting out from under her would improve my life immeasurably". Especially since Manager X is one of the ones who will see this application, and she has to be willing to sign off on my reduction of hours. Tricky.