February 16, 2024
History professor contributes to PBS documentary airing Feb. 20
Phil Tiemeyer, associate professor of history, was interviewed and served as historical advisor for the PBS American Experience documentary "Fly with Me," scheduled to air at 8 p.m. CST on Feb. 20.
"Fly with me" tells the story of the pioneering women who became flight attendants at a time when single women were unable to order a drink, eat alone in a restaurant, own a credit card or get a prescription for birth control. The job offered unheard-of opportunities for travel and independence. These women were on the frontlines of the battle for gender equality in the workplace.
"[Flight attendants were] being marketed, basically, as a Barbie doll, and yet doing more and more complex work," said Tiemeyer. "There's a fundamental incompatibility between these two things."
Tiemeyer, an expert on flight attendant history and civil rights, wrote the award-winning book "Plane Queer: Labor, Sexuality, and AIDS in the History of Male Flight Attendants."
A "Fly with Me" trailer is available on PBS's website as is a detailed press release.