The Jet Sex: Airline Stewardesses and the Making of an American Icon

In what is likely the first book to fully explore the legacy of airline stewardesses%E2%80%94and, yes, the profession's pioneers still prefer that term over the more contemporary "flight attendant"%E2%80%94Vantoch in this surprisingly dull book, presents a cultural history of a bygone era that defined and later redefined the American woman, focusing on the "golden years" between the 1930s and 1960s, when the stewardess represented "the quintessential wife to be" and was considered a "national heroine". Subject to strict beauty and age requirements, plus rampant sexism that mandated retirement upon marriage, the industry gradually evolved to include African-Americans. The image of the stewardess, meanwhile, carefully cultivated by elaborate marketing and advertising campaigns,morphed from the "respectable virgin" into a glamorous, seductive sky stripper. The women became symbols of the American way during the Cold War and unionized to fight industry discrimination. Vantoch (The Threesome Handbook), whose mother was an Eastern Airlines stewardess, spent eight years researching this book and interviewed hundreds of former stewardesses. But she somehow manages to turn this colorful and juicy swirl of sex, social politics, and international intrigue (complete with a sassy pink cover) into a narrative as dry as a textbook. (Apr.)