Change to FAA rules, or safety violation?

I have been flying Continental recently, as this gives me a direct flight to NJ for my current project. As I am not eligible for upgrades, I was glad that I could get my second favorite seat, in the exit row. I was surprised to notice on both the flight up, as well as the return flight, that not of the cabin crew came to the exit rows to give the usual (FAA mandated?) exit row pep talk. On one flight this would have been useful as it would have alerted the crew to the fact that the passenger next to me, luckily only two of us on this side of the plane, did not have her seat in a fully upright position during take-off.
Kind of makes you uncomfortable when you see that the crew are a little slipshod in their attitude.