The Girlfriends S6/E5: Wed to the Wings

In the 1960s, marriage could cost a stewardess her job. As a result, United Airlines flight attendant Celeste Brodigan lives a double life, hiding her husband from management. When the truth is discovered, the airline begins watching her every move until Celeste stands up for herself and her marria…

The Girlfriends S6/E4: Wings of Change

In 1950s America, airlines refused to hire Black women as stewardesses. When Patricia Banks Edmiston is repeatedly rejected, she refuses to stay silent. By calling in civil rights leaders and taking on Capital Airlines, Patricia launches a landmark discrimination case that reshapes the skies and th…

The Girlfriends S6/E3: The Golden Age

In the 1960s, stewardesses were forced to retire at 32, no matter their skill or experience. When Patt Gibbs and her colleagues publicly challenge the age rule, they confront a culture that values women only while they look young. The fight turns personal when a beloved mentor is quietly pushed asi…

The Girlfriends S6/E2: Losing It

Behind the cocktails and movie stars, stewardesses’ jobs depended on staying under strict weight limits. When Patt Gibbs is suspended for gaining a few pounds, a company doctor hands her diet pills with potentially dangerous consequences. As women push their bodies to extremes, Patt begins to fight…

The Girlfriends S6/E1: On Air

In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But ever…

Introducing The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret me…

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Nadya & Pussy Riot Punk the President

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: When Nadya Tolokonnikova saw her country Russia change under President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime, she knew she had to do something.  She started the iconic ski-mask-wearing art protest collective Pussy Riot. On February 21st, 2012, …

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Hélène Outwits the Nazis

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Germany. Spring 1945. The writing is on the wall for the Nazis. And thousands of women are marching along dirt roads. If they stop walking, they’ll be shot. Their route is lined with piles of corpses. It’s a death march. Among these women are T…

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Lu Ann Escapes the Order

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: When Lu Ann Cooper was just fifteen years old, she was told to drop out of school and marry her first cousin. She would be his fourth wife.  Lu Ann grew up inside the so-called Kingston Clan, a religious sect where, Lu Ann claims, every man is …

Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Solves, At Least, 86 Cold Cases

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Brady’s job running Baltimore County’s SVU was a frustrating one. The sexual violence crimes she and her team were investigating were just the tip of the iceberg. Her department was sitting on thousands of unsolved rape cases, dating back d…