Abject Apology : August 2001 : Performed by an Airline Attendant to Placate Air Rage

Melissa Laing 2005   
2.56 min single channel video

Abject Apology : August 2001 : Performed by an Airline Attendant to Placate Air Rage, arises from a reported case of air rage when a Japanese flight attendant spilled whiskey on a passenger’s shirt on an international flight from Tokyo. The passenger demanded that the flight attendant crawl the length of the plane gangway in apology. The work focuses on the performed apology and the abasement of self that was required from the airline flight attendant. In the video a mechanised ‘baby’ doll in a flight attendant uniform, crawls across the carpet. The groan of the mechanism provides the sound track for the re-enactment of the flight attendant’s physical shaming and domination by the passenger. The use of a doll reinforces the flight attendant’s complete subjectification to the passenger.