September 18th, 2012
No Boys Allowed: FC Barcelona Bans Male Flight Stewards
We won’t be seeing Sanchez strip whilst flying anymore. Wait. Did we ever actually see that or was it just a dream?
On a day when the footballing world throws itself into a tizzy over Champs League ish, we would like to take this opportunity to break some news of our own: Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reports that Barca has told Turkish Airlines it wants only female flight attendants in the cabin from now on.
Before you blow the sexism whistle, here ye here ye Kickettes. The reason for the XY chromo restriction is ‘cos Messi and his posse are kinda over male flight crews bothering them for their siggys and free swag whilst in flight – something we can totes relate to. Obvi.
According to the newspaper, the airline has heeded the request by guaranteeing all-women cabin crews for future Barca flights. It says “a handpicked crew, made up of 20 female flight attendants,” has been chosen. No one from the Kickette crew was handpicked, it’s worth noting incredulously.
This is still pretty sexist. Why do they assume all men will ask for autographs and no women will?
Flight attendants should behave professionally either way.
Flipside to this: my husband was working in a hotel recently where the Colorado football team – not sure what they're called – were staying. They were forlornly hanging out bored in the lobby where the occasional guest would look at their tracksuits funnily but nobody asked them for anything. They looked sad
Yeah, right. Both I and my spouse have worked in several few hotels in Europe and the US where professional sports teams would stay, have team meetings and eat. We were all warned in no uncertain terms that autographs/photos/etc would not be tolerated and everyone kept to that – even when working behind bars where the Irish rugby team was knocking back industrial quantities of beer back in the day when real men weren't carb conscious. I am 1000% sure that Turkish airlines could issue a similar rule if necessary.
Yeah… this is a totally sketch excuse. This reeks of ****phobia and looking for random hook-up access.
I don't know, in the end of the day, they are famous, so even if they all are women, I am sure some will ask them? this is weird! or just women don't as much as men! still they will ask! perhaps they might asked for attendant who don't know much about football although might sound not that much applicable instead of asking for no men vs women! it sounds sexist to be frank even if they didn't mean it.
Barcelona assuming that the women wouldn't ask because of their gender (e.g. Barcelona's assuming that women dont't know who they are/wouldn't ask because they're women) or is it because the women attendants that have been on their flights tended not to ask for autographs/items?
Sorry. I'm not buying that excuse. I think they've just come up with that "reasoning" to try & keep the WAGs from getting too upset about he REAL reason they want only females. :p
This sounds ridiculous. Just smh.
I think this whole thing is fantastically hilarious, and I refuse to deal with it in a serious manner. I do not doubt that they are tired of being mobbed for autographs where ever they go, but I just love their way of dealing with it! So, they don't think there are women stalkers? Or is it that they just prefer them? Haha gotcha!
Barca the perverts.
So, Delusional, you see and hear things that don't exist then?
[...] Barcelona doesn’t want male flight attendants on their flights, which they say is down to all the autograph begging guy flight attendants do. Okay then. // Kickette [...]
[...] Barcelona doesn’t want male flight attendants on their flights, which they say is down to all the autograph begging guy flight attendants do. Okay then. // Kickette [...]
Because, as we all know, it is physically, psychologically and naturally impossible for there to be football fans among the womenfolk …
or women are just more professional?
or they're just a bunch of perverts?
Hahahaha! Yes, that's probably it…
Pfft. As if. Women can be just as finicky as men. Hell, female fans are just as likely to ask for photographs and autographs as male fans, as well as flirt, but am sure the players don´t mind when it´s a woman doing it.
Airline has given in and said it will choose only women with no interest in football to serve as flight attendants, which the team is pleased with … but which also begs the question why they don't just pick flight attendants, of both genders, who have zero interest in football. Unless, of course, it's got nothing to do with pushy fans and more to do with the players just want an all-woman crew.
And then everyone will be all shocked when Barca´s hit with a (false) sexual harassment lawsuit. They´re just setting themselves up for drama.
I hope that cheaters, liars, actors (Barca) will lose highly with Spartak today
How ridiculous! It's not that difficult to explain to your staff not to bother guests.
I used to work at a five star hotel where we were told, up front, that mingling with or bothering any celebrity/VIP would result in getting fired. They enforced that (not on me, tho) without question.
Precisely.. it wouldn't be hard to enforce, especially if the client has suggested they have experienced some problems.
Uhhhh. What? I used to work at a restaurant where we got high profile celebrities in all the time, and we all knew that asking for autographs etc. was a fireable offense. Problem solved.
This is still pretty sexist. Why do they assume all men will ask for autographs and no women will?
Flight attendants should behave professionally either way.
If i was one of those female flight attendants i’d breakdown crying & yelling as soon as a player set one foot inside the plane. And if Cesc looked at me i’d faint or blackout…. I wish i was one of the attendants.
Yeah, right. Both I and my spouse have worked in several few hotels in Europe and the US where professional sports teams would stay, have team meetings and eat. We were all warned in no uncertain terms that autographs/photos/etc would not be tolerated and everyone kept to that – even when working behind bars where the Irish rugby team was knocking back industrial quantities of beer back in the day when real men weren't carb conscious. I am 1000% sure that Turkish airlines could issue a similar rule if necessary.
Flipside to this: my husband was working in a hotel recently where the Colorado football team – not sure what they're called – were staying. They were forlornly hanging out bored in the lobby where the occasional guest would look at their tracksuits funnily but nobody asked them for anything. They looked sad
Yeah… this is a totally sketch excuse. This reeks of homophobia and looking for random hook-up access.
So all male flight attendants are gay now? Alrighty then
I never said anything of the sort, but it does seem like the management at Barca thinks so
So complaining that the male flight attendants bothered them for autographs and shirts means that Barca thinks all the flight attendants were gay? Mmkay, you're reaching here
That's not how I read it. I think by insisting on all female Flight Attendents they completely eliminate even the possibility of any gay men being on the flight – with the exception of pilots who don't normally hang out in the cabin with the players. I think homophobia in all leagues is THAT bad. I think the "autographs/shirts" is an excuse because saying they don't want gays around is politically incorrect.
That said, I think this has more to do with random hookups of the team and coaching staff.
I honestly don't understand how gay men popped up into the equation at all.
Except that flight attendants in first class have celeb clients all the time and are trained to be respectful, helpful and DISTANT. They are fired for bothering the celeb clients for autographs/pictures, etc. Additionally, the idea that women would not want autographs, pictures, stuff because these guys are not still stars, is ridiculous. If it was a being bothered about attention. It would be gender neutral statement about a lack of professionalism.
The excuse is BS, deal with it.
It's one thing to say it's sexist but to say it's homophobic is absolute BS, deal with it.
It reeks of homophobia and trying to get random hook-ups and they made of a completely BS excuse to cover it
That is the Deal
Maybe you should stop projecting? And they are world famous footballers, they don't need to hire their hookups.
they have wives/girlfriends/baby mommas and large bank accounts of course they need to hide their hook-ups
Yes Tammyv, Barca players are all homophobic. That's why they have chosen a profession where they have to spend a lot of time with other men in locker rooms. You are sooo reaching. Liste, I know that you don't like Barca, but this is ridiculous. Really. And from where have you gotten the idea that male flight attendants are gay? Isn't that a little backwards?
I have nothing against Barca beyond the rampant racism and diving. They are amazing players when they play and arguably the greatest team of all time.
This reeks of homophobia and trying to hook-up on the DL. The argument in favor of female only flight crew is absurd at best. It has zero creditably as a reason.
As for spending time in locker rooms with other guys, not a single one of those guys either on the squad or in the dressing room is openly gay, correct? So no that is not an argument that invalidates anything. Get back to me when they are openly accepting of any different from themselves.
See, I don't know these gentlemen in person. You jump to conclusions, not I. You're assumption that all the Barca players are opposed to gay people are a clear case of judging other people by your own standards. I still think that if they were so scared of being close to people of their own sex, as you seem to suggest they are, then being a football player is a strange profession to chose for them. Be there openly gays among them or not.
You are just as prejudice as you accuse them of being. Live with it.
This is a Barca team/management decision. They made it which means that it in no way reflects my opinions on any issue. They made the decision to ban all male flight attendants. They did that, not me.
To justify this move, they provided a ridiculous excuse claiming that male flight attendants were unprofessional and could not control their impulses around the players. That they would be so enamored with players that they would violate their training, professional ethics and risk their careers for the players. That assumption in and of it self reeks of homophobia, in addition to the broader messages.
They, then, hand picked an all female crew to serve them which reeks of access to random hook-ups.
Also as stated above, I do think all male flight attendants, like female flight attendants, are anything but professionals. This is not my standard. This is a club decision based on a ludicrous reasoning
Reaching is the word, anon!
No. It's evident that you think so.
I don't know, in the end of the day, they are famous, so even if they all are women, I am sure some will ask them? this is weird! or just women don't as much as men! still they will ask! perhaps they might asked for attendant who don't know much about football although might sound not that much applicable instead of asking for no men vs women! it sounds sexist to be frank even if they didn't mean it.
So what they're not saying is they'd prefer to peel the ladies off them than sign autographs
Sanchez is glorious, but why is his tongue grey?
Re: flight attendant gender – is Barcelona assuming that the women wouldn't ask because of their gender (e.g. Barcelona's assuming that women dont't know who they are/wouldn't ask because they're women) or is it because the women attendants that have been on their flights tended not to ask for autographs/items?
Supposedly because the women attendants they've had on their flights have been far less likely to bother them for autographs, pics etc than the men they've had.
Well… If they had any of the Kickette Army on the flight, the Barca boys would be begging for male staff!!
hahaha too true!
his tongue looks blue imo.. blue gatorade probably. coloured tongues are always prevalent amongst athletes.
lol It makes me think of a kid that just ate a blue popsicle but I suspect you're right about the gatorade.
What a chimp