On a Delta flight a while ago, there was a moment in the safety video that made me laugh. My laugh was the only one I could hear, so I didn’t know if people were accustomed to it or they weren’t as struck by it. I attributed the humor to weird aesthetic on my part.

The flight attendant, with high cheeckbones, a highly worked-on face, and soft drag queen vibe wags her finger across the screen at you for even considering a smoke on the airplane (at the 1:50 mark).

On the return flight, I found myself eager to see that moment again. I was relieved to read the New York Times showing a picture of her and indicating that there’s a fan base built up. Not a convention I would attend due to apprehension over viewing a peer group in this context (when you gaze into the mirror/void it stares right back into you).

There’s a cute moment where a male flight attendant is given an artificial glint on his teeth after demonstrating how the seat may be used as a flotation device (at 4:01). This safety video has over 2.85 million views on YouTube. So, good job, Delta, at putting in little triggers that cause people to wonder “What WAS that?” and compel us to follow-up later.

ADDENDUM: After typing this up, I found a YouTube video of CNN covering “Deltalina” as a sensation back when the video only had 300,000 views in March 2008. The finger-wag and the glint in the teeth were deliberate hooks and are remarked on by the host, actress Katherine Lee, and the Delta marketing dude. So, cutesy little quirks, or deliberate research-based elements to play off the authority/captive dynamic?