Jump to content

Deltalina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2600:1006:b169:6e88:1a6:47ba:2ba5:8a2b (talk) at 01:31, 20 March 2015 (→Public appearances). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Deltalina at a Pam Ann performance in October 2010 at The Tabernacle theater in Atlanta, Delta Air Lines' headquarters city
Deltalina on the Delta/Coca-Cola float in Atlanta Pride, October 2009

"Deltalina" is the nickname given to Katherine Lee, flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and since 2008, main presenter of Delta's onboard safety videos. The first Deltalina safety video was released in February 2008[1] and quickly became popular not only on board but also became one of the most-watched videos on YouTube soon after its release.[2]

With her high cheekbones, and broad, welcoming smile, Lee was soon compared to Angelina Jolie and the nickname Deltalina (from "Delta" + "-lina") appeared on blogs and YouTube comments.[3]

Safety videos

The videos are praised for their ability to get passengers to pay attention to them, through several techniques:

  • the beauty of Lee herself[3]
  • through unexpected elements in the video's "plot"[2]
  • through humor — including Lee's famous finger-wag when warning passengers that "smoking is not allowed"[2] and a computerized sparkle on the teeth of flight attendant Perry de Vlugt when he demonstrates the proper use of a life vest[3]

The unorthodox videos made the news in the United States (for example, in USA Today, CNN, Wired), Netherlands (De Telegraaf)[4] and Belgium (De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad).[5]

The videos were criticized in the book How to Do Things With Videogames by Ian Bogost because, in Bogost's opinion, the attention that is paid to the videos is given to Lee and not to the actual safety instructions.[6]

In 2012 Delta produced two new safety videos in which Lee is not the presenter, but in which she does appear in a cameo role, admonishing against smoking on board with her famous finger wag.[7][8]

Public appearances

Prior to her fame as "Deltalina," Lee appeared giving live safety briefing[9] in the May 22, 2007[10] episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show when the entire show took place aboard a Delta flight.

In September 2008 Lee shot a series of humorous instructional videos for the Atlanta Falcons football team, shown on the large screens at the Georgia Dome in advance of each home game. The videos' theme was "Delta Safety First".[11][12]

In March 2009, Lee helped celebrate the opening of the heliport atop the W Hotel Downtown Atlanta, accompanying developer Hal Barry and his wife in a helicopter which landed there, kicking off the party. Tycoon Barry, inspiration for the protagonist in the Tom Wolfe novel A Man in Full, intended to commute between downtown and his estate 50 miles (80 km) further south.[13] In the same month Lee appeared both in print and video to help kick off the relaunch of Delta's inflight magazine, Sky.[14]

In 2011, Lee served as spokesperson in an infomercial for Healthy Trim, a diet supplement. In May 2009, Lee appeared on CNN offering travel tips.[15] In the November 2012 Lee appeared in a print ad for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, which appeared in Delta Sky Magazine.[16]

Personal life

She was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to a Puerto Rican father and a German mother. Her father was in the military, and the family moved around. Lee graduated from Stone Mountain High School in Metro Atlanta in 1992.[17] Lee continues to work as a Delta Air Lines flight attendant.

References

  1. ^ "Delta's In-flight Safety Video". YouTube. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Latest Articles from Z107-7 with opinions from , and more". Z107-7. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Will 'Deltalina' get passengers to watch airline safety video? - USATODAY.com". usatoday.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Deltalina breekt door". telegraaf.nl. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Stewardess schittert in instructiefilmpje" ("Flight attendant shines in instructional video"),  De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad, 24 March 2008
  6. ^ "How to Do Things With Videogames". google.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. ^ "New Delta safety videos, Deltalina is back". Atlanta Business Chronicle. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  8. ^ 11Alive Staff, WXIA (12 November 2012). "Deltalina is back in new Delta air safety videos". 11Alive. Retrieved 10 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Deltalina on Ellen". YouTube. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  10. ^ date: "This Day in Ellen History", Ellen show, May 22, 2010
  11. ^ "DELTALINA WAGS HER FINGER AT THE DOME", "Peach Buzz", Access Atlanta (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), September 24 2008
  12. ^ "Delta, Official Airline of the Atlanta Falcons", Delta Air Lines, September 26, 2008
  13. ^ Leon Stafford, "It’s easier to get a lift downtown: New helipad provides way to beat traffic", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2009-03-11
  14. ^ "Deltalina welcomes you to the new Sky Magazine", Sky magazine, Delta Air Lines, March 26, 2009
  15. ^ "Breaking News Videos, Story Video and Show Clips - CNN.com". cnn.com. 29 May 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  16. ^ Delta Sky Magazine, November 2012 (no online version available)
  17. ^ Jennifer Brett, "'Deltalina,' a real Delta employee, is loving the safety spotlight", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 25, 2008
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Deltalina&oldid=652447045"