THAILAND: A Thai soap opera about flight attendants stirs anger among stewardesses

Record ID: 203827

  • Title: THAILAND: A Thai soap opera about flight attendants stirs anger among stewardesses
  • Date: 27th January 2008
  • Summary: TELEVISION SCREEN SHOWING "WAR OF ANGELS" ACTOR AND ACTRESS LYING ON BED FAMILY WATCHING "WAR OF ANGELS" ON TELEVISION BOY AND A WOMAN WATCHING MORE OF "WAR OF ANGELS" PLAYING ON TV
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ZJCYPPAZMZUV3RKFMGAHEXWH
  • Story Text: A famous Thai soap opera called "War of Angels" showcases flight attendents tangled in adultery and cat fight schemes, prompting the country's stewardesses to protest the drama by delivering a petition to the government.
    The producer of a sexy Thai soap opera about young air hostesses promised longer skirts and fewer catfights on Tuesday after real flight attendants complained the show was sexist and should be yanked from the airwaves.
    The makers of "The War of Angels", which portrays stewardesses fighting for the attention of male pilots at a fictional airline, apologised to staff at national carrier Thai Airways who said the show was demeaning.
    "There won't be any more catfight scenes between flight attendants while they are on duty or in uniform in public," Takonkiet Viravan, managing director of production house Exact, told a packed news conference.
    "The skirts our actresses wear are not shorter than those worn by hostesses at other international airlines. But we will make our skirts longer," he said.
    Airline staffers had complained that the fictional flight attendants wore a too-revealing skirt cut above the knee with a front slit.
    The airline's union complained to the Culture Ministry on Tuesday that the prime time show, which has a PG-13 rating, insulted its members and demanded the show be dropped from an army-run television channel.
    "Such distortions could mislead society, especially youths, to misunderstand or hate people in this profession in every airline, including Thai Airways," acting union president Somsak Srinual said in a statement.
    Ministry officials said they had no authority to force the producer or the television channel to scrap the show, but would bring all sides to a Friday meeting to resolve the dispute.
    Exact said it was willing to talk to the union, but pulling the show would violate "the rights of television producers".
    "This soap opera does not encourage people to have an affair. Our message is -- faithfulness to your partner will help the family survive,"
    director Nipon Pewnane told reporters.
    The TV series has been on-air on Army's Channel 5 since beginning of these year and hits top of soap opera series within a week, with charactors of modern lives of sex appeal flight attendants portrayed.
    Fierce war of words, adultery and scuffles alway work to get a serie hit to top rate, and the War of Angels has it all. But for the real Thai lives of flight attendant they are not agree of what illustrates in the film.
    Airlines staffers also complained that the fictional flight attendants wore a too-revealing skirt cut above the knee with a front slit.

    "I hope most of the audience can distinct between fiction and the real life in this job" said Siriwan Yoisakul, steawrdess of domestic airline Nok Air, who said usually she doesn't watch soap opera.
    The most angry airline staffs are from Thai flag carrier, who say the uniform in the soap are close to look alike Thai Airways.

    "It is not possible to be like that in real life,"say Athip Nonthkatragoon, a Thai Airways steward.
    The makers of "The War of Angels," which portrays stewardesses fighting for the attention of male pilots at a fictional airline, apologised to staff at national carrier Thai Airways who said the show was demeaning.

    "There won't be any more catfight scenes between flight attendants while they are on duty or in uniform in public,"
    Takonkiet Viravan, Managing Director of production house Exact, told a packed news conference.
    But reserves that the skirts their actresses wear are not shorter than those worn by hostesses at other international airlines. Nevertheless Takonkiet said the production will make their skirts longer.
    The airline's union complained to the Culture Ministry on Tuesday that the prime time show, which has a PG-13 rating, insulted its members and it demanded the show be dropped.

    "Such distortions could mislead society, especially youths, to misunderstand or hate people in this profession in every airline, including Thai Airways," said in a statement by Acting President of the union.
    Ministry officials said they had no authority to force the producer or the television channel to scrap the show, but would bring all sides to a Friday meeting to resolve the dispute.
    Exact said it was willing to talk to the union, but pulling the show would violate "the rights of television producers".

    "This soap opera does not encourage people to have an affair. Our message is faithfulness to your partner will help the family survive," director Nipon Pewnane told reporters.
    The "War of Angels" is one-hour on-air between 08:30 and 09:30 hours of Tuesday to Thursday everyweek, which considered a TV prime time after news bulletine when family programmes are hit on screen.
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