one of my aunts (eye candy in her day) got a job working for PanAm right after WWII (in dublin)
eye candy was a job requirement.
she wanted to be a stewardess, but back then PAA(as it was called in dublin) required stewaress to be RN's.
so she got relatives here to sponser her (and got a job)ie, transfered to NY office of PAA, and started in nursing school.
where she met a handsome young man, and married. and so dashed her plans for being a stewaress, since they were required to be unmarried! she continued to work as ticket agent, but was forced out when she became pregnant, (as they did in those dark days of the past.)
back then (right up to mid to late 1960's, stewardess had to be under 35, thin, trained and qualified as RN (back then, 2 years of college and 2 years of 'internship' before getting RN licence, and unmarried.
they had to look attractive (and look available.. no wedding rings permitted)
(and yeah, no air line was willing to take any of the military qualifed women on as pilots post WWII-- they were all basicly forced into retirement.. or to open their own businesses, or to work as stunt pilots in air shows. )
IF the job was for safety (as it is supposed to be by FAA regulations) then why the eye candy requirement? (under 35, thin, unmarried, and attractive. --really, attractive was an important part of the job 'qualifications' )--so, too, was 'under 35' as a job requirement.. (did pilots get booted at 35? did ship stewards? no. did pilots have to weigh in, (and get grounded if they gained 10 lbs?) no..
to me, stewardess is the whole 'coffee tea or me' required to be sex object, but also required to be skilled--the real job requirement by FAA standards were for safety, etc..
flight attendent now can work till they retire. (no age requirements) can work after they get married, and can work while pregnant --as long as doctor approves..their doctor, not company doctor! and flight attendend are sometime men, and men and woman earn the same salary..
its not so long ago none of that was true.
so yeah, i see the term as connoting very different ideas!
