I think of flight attendants as firemen (or firewomen) serving us drinks and food. Because that's what they are. They will be the ones saving your ass if the situation comes to that.
Yeah. But I'm still trying to figure out what to think of the Sky Marshall on the flight. I guess maybe he/she is like the cop who will be saving my ass when the shit hits the fan.
You could look it up by yourself, but here's the gist of it: the flight attendant's top priority is your safety, not your happiness or comfort. They are trained in emergency procedures and if at all possible they will be the ones who make sure you get out of a cabin full of smoke after a crash. To cite a recent example: http://jezebel.com/no-ones-talking-about-the-flight-attendan...