Local travel agency owner and movie publicist Marjorie Perry watched the Sept. 25 debut of the new ABC series "Pan Am" with particular interest, because the show is about her former life. Perry worked as a flight attendant for Pan American World Airways from 1966 to 1986.
The show passed Perry's muster.
"Please know nothing on the show is far-fetched. These are crew members' stories," Perry said by email. "A lot might not seem realistic, but it is."
Perry said the show nailed the aspect of the flight attendants as sex symbols.
"I can't tell you how many men wanted to date a Pan Am stewardess. I always came home from a trip with many business cards," Perry said. "If there was no home number on the back, you knew he was married."
Perry said Pan Am required her and her colleagues to pass regular weight and grooming checks. Sometimes she had to fly for 12 hours while wearing 3-inch heels.
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She said the one aspect of the show that bothered her is how young members of the cockpit crew are.
"Our pilots looked like our fathers. They were WW II vets. Some very handsome, but in their 50s," Perry said. "I don't think even after they retired in the late 60s that we ever had pilots that looked that young. Certainly not in the left seat."
Csongor perks up UA football games
University of Arizona senior Stephanie Csongor adds some zany life to home football games with brief, live sideline reports that stream on the Arizona Stadium video boards. Csongor holds trivia contests, gives weather reports and reads ads, giving fans something to keep them occupied during timeouts.
"I think she's very good," said UA public address announcer Jody Oehler. "I'm sure as the season goes, we'll see her shine even more, but seems like a natural to me."
With an amiable delivery, Csongor, 21, seems fit for a career in broadcasting, which she says she's only recently started to consider. The UA tapped her for the position after using her to host videos for a social media marketing campaign that spread the word about campus services.
The job seems like a dream gig, but it's by no means easy. Csongor says she reports for duty more than four hours before kickoff on game days to host pregame festivities outside the stadium, and must be on constant alert throughout the game for timeouts that start her segments.
"It's a lot of standing," Csongor said, adding that she doesn't mind because she loves the role.
"I can't believe I've got this opportunity," she said.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
