Counter Culture Waitress Blog

Bagdad Cafe

America is fascinated with the diner waitress. Her image, attitude and demeanor have been created and showcased by Hollywood since the 1930s. How could we forget powerhouses like Joan Crawford in Michael Curtiz’s 1945 film, Mildred Pierce, the trashy Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934), and the hard working Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s 1974 film, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (which was also the inspiration behind the hit TV show Alice)? What about the “no substitutions” waitress in Five Easy Pieces, the quirky charachters in Bagdad Café, the sensible Helen Hunt in As Good As it Gets, and the courageus Susan Sarandon in White Palace? Whether it’s Rosie, selling paper towels in the 1970s or Flo on Alice screaming, “Kiss My Grits!” diner waitresses are a staple in the American media. Who are your favorite media waitresses?