Casting couch: Difference between revisions
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{{short description| |
{{short description|Soliciting sex for employment in entertainment}} |
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[[File:Backroom Casting Couch, Original, Scottsdale, AZ.jpg|thumb|A physical casting couch depicted in a [[pornographic]] [[film set]]]] |
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The '''casting couch''' is the practice of requesting [[sexual favors]] by an employer or person in a position of power and authority from a job applicant or subordinate in return for a job or for career advancement. |
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| ⚫ | The '''casting couch''' is a [[euphemism]]<ref>{{cite web|first1=Claire|last1=Fallon|accessdate=2019-11-17|title=The 'Casting Couch' Euphemism Lets Us Pretend Hollywood's All Right|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-casting-couch-euphemism-lets-us-pretend-hollywoods-all-right_n_59e51bcbe4b0ca9f483a0fb2|date=18 October 2017|website=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref> for the practice of soliciting [[sexual favors]] from a [[job applicant]] in exchange for [[employment]] in the [[entertainment industry]], primarily [[acting]] roles.<ref name="Variety">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/features/casting-couch-hollywood-sexual-harassment-harvey-weinstein-1202589895/ |title=Casting-Couch Tactics Plagued Hollywood Long Before Harvey Weinstein |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=2017 |accessdate=17 November 2019|first=Thelma|last=Adams|author-link=Thelma Adams}}</ref> The practice is illegal in the United States. Predominantly male [[casting director]]s and [[film producer]]s use the casting couch to extract sex from aspiring actors in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and other segments of the industry.<ref name="Variety" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/10/13/_1956_casting_couch_expos_shows_little_has_changed.html |title=In 1956, a Fan Magazine Published a Four-Part Casting Couch Exposé. It Didn’t Go Well. |work=Slate |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41614221 |title=Exploring the casting couch culture of LA |work=BBC |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1991-10-15/entertainment/ca-565_1_casting-couch |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=15 October 1991 |accessdate=9 January 2018 |title=Scenes From the Home of the Casting Couch: The Talk of the Country Has Hit a Nerve in the Industry That Creates the Images of Women in Popular Culture |author=Elaine Dutka}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/19/moguls-and-starlets-100-years-of-hollywoods-corrosive-systemic-sexism |title=Moguls and starlets: 100 years of Hollywood's corrosive, systemic sexism |first1=Pamela |last1=Hutchinson |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 19, 2017|access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> The term ''casting couch'' originally referred to physical [[couch]]es in the [[Casting (performing arts)|casting]] office, but is now a [[metonym]] for the phenomenon as a whole. In Japan, the casting couch is called ''makura eigyou'' ({{lang-ja|枕営業|lit=the pillow trade}}).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashcraft |first1=Brian |title=Adult Video Star Talks About The Casting Couch In The Anime Industry |url=https://kotaku.com/adult-video-star-talks-about-the-casting-couch-in-the-a-1835319789 |accessdate=7 June 2019 |work=Kotaku |date=7 June 2019}}</ref> |
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== Legality == |
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| ⚫ | The |
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The casting couch is illegal under [[Law of the United States|United States]] and [[Law of California|California law]]. In the United States, the majority of [[lawsuits]] related to the practice are [[Settlement (litigation)|settled]], resulting in a lack of [[case law]].<ref name="Borcherding">{{cite book |first1=Thomas E.|last1=Borcherding|author-link1=Thomas Borcherding|first2=Darren|last2=Filson|editor-first1=Michael|editor-last1=Davis|editor-link1=Michael Davis (philosopher)|editor-first2=Andrew|editor-last2=Stark|title=Conflict of Interest in the Professions|date=November 1, 2001|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-512863-5|pages=268–274|chapter=Conflicts of Interest in the Hollywood Film Industry: Coming to America - Tales from the Casting Couch, Gross and Net, in a Risky Business|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GZvmCwAAQBAJ}}</ref> |
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== Etymology == |
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In Japan, the casting couch is called '''''makura eigyou''''' (枕営業, "the pillow trade").<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashcraft |first1=Brian |title=Adult Video Star Talks About The Casting Couch In The Anime Industry |url=https://kotaku.com/adult-video-star-talks-about-the-casting-couch-in-the-a-1835319789 |accessdate=7 June 2019 |work=Kotaku |date=7 June 2019}}</ref> |
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In ''[[The Atlantic]]'', linguist [[Ben Zimmer]] described the casting couch as "a [[metonym]] for the skewed sexual politics of [[show business]]", which has been [[Normalization (sociology)|normalized]] into a [[cliché]] due to the prevalence of sexually aggressive men with positions of authority in [[Hollywood cinema]] and [[Broadway theatre]]. The term has ceased to refer to actual couches since the 1960s, as the lack of a couch in a casting director's office provides [[plausible deniability]] of the phenomenon.<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite web|first=Ben|last=Zimmer|authorlink=Ben Zimmer|accessdate=2019-11-17|title='Casting Couch': The Origins of a Pernicious Hollywood Cliché|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/10/casting-couch-the-origins-of-a-pernicious-hollywood-cliche/543000/|date=16 October 2017|website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> |
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*[[Weinstein effect]] |
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== Economics == |
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[[File:Prisoner's Dilemma conceptual numbers matrix.svg|thumb|Example [[payoff matrix]] of the [[prisoner's dilemma]] in [[game theory]]. Between two players (actors), the matrix depicts the [[expected utility]] of cooperating (not providing sex) and defecting (providing sex).{{efn| |
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In this example matrix, the indicated [[expected utility]] values correspond to the following situations: |
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* '''5''': The actor provides sex, and has a higher chance of obtaining the role. |
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* '''3''': The actor does not provide sex, and has an average chance of obtaining the role. |
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* '''1''': The actor provides sex, and has an average chance of obtaining the role. |
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* '''0''': The actor does not provide sex, and has a lower chance of obtaining the role. |
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}}]] |
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According to economists [[Thomas Borcherding]] and Darren Filson, the high [[risk]] and [[Returns (economics)|returns]] in Hollywood cinema encourage the casting couch phenomenon. The possibility of high returns incentivizes unestablished actors to accept minimal [[wage]]s in exchange for roles. With the exception of a few extremely talented actors, producers are unable to evaluate the [[aptitude]] of the vast majority of qualified actors due to [[uncertainty]]. As a result, some actors give sexual favors to producers to obtain a perceived advantage in the [[Casting (performing arts)|casting]]; the casting couch functions as a counterpayment that effectively reduces their wages. This creates a [[conflict of interest]] in which corrupt producers substitute aptitude (an unquantifiable variable) with sexual activity in their decision making.<ref name="Borcherding" /> |
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Actors who submit to the casting couch are not guaranteed roles, as there is an abundance of actors who consent to the practice. An actor's decision of whether to provide sex is comparable to the [[prisoner's dilemma]], and results in a [[tragedy of the commons]] in which sex is needed to obtain film roles from producers who demand it, but fails to provide an advantage relative to other actors who offer sexual favors. If the provision of sex were voluntary and performed with the consent of all parties, the casting couch would be a ''[[quid pro quo]]'' exchange and a [[victimless crime]]. However, the practice is illegal in the United States and likely involves some degree of [[sexual exploitation]] or [[sexual harassment]]. Actors who do not participate in the casting couch are subject to [[externalities]], including reduced [[employability]].<ref name="Borcherding" /> |
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Borcherding and Filson argue that the casting couch became less prominent after the [[Hollywood studio system]], which enforced long-term [[employment contract]]s for actors, was eliminated on [[antitrust]] grounds in ''[[United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.]]'' (1948). Long-term contracts gave producers stronger [[bargaining power]], which was used by corrupt producers to extract sex from actors more effectively.<ref name="Borcherding" /> |
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== In media == |
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''The Casting Couch'' ({{circa}} 1924), a classic title in the [[stag film]] genre,<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Linda |author-link=Linda Williams (film scholar) |title=Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible", Expanded Edition |date=1999 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=9780520219434 |pages=68–69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3wAe48_yfNUC |accessdate=17 November 2019 |language=en |chapter=The Stag Film}}</ref> was an early depiction of the casting couch as a [[pornographic]] [[Trope (cinema)|trope]] that later became mundane as it grew in popularity.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Mark|last1=Hay|accessdate=2019-11-17|title=Porn from the 1920s Was More Wild and Hardcore Than You Could Imagine|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59k785/porn-from-the-1920s-was-more-wild-and-hardcore-than-you-could-imagine|date=5 April 2018|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref> In the ten-minute film, a [[casting director]] tells a young actress to wear a [[swimsuit]] during an [[audition]], spies on her in a [[voyeuristic]] manner while she undresses in a different room, and enters the room to solicit sex from her. The actress initially rebuffs his advances with disgust, but returns to the director after taking advice from a book named ''How to Become a Movie Star''. She performs [[fellatio]] and [[vaginal intercourse]] in exchange for a role in his film; the latter takes place on a couch. ''The Casting Couch'' concludes with an [[intertitle]] that states, "the only way to become a [[Movie star|star]] is to [[Man-on-top position|get under]] a good director and work your way up".<ref name="Williams" /> Zimmer credited the film with popularizing the term ''casting couch''.<ref name="Atlantic" /> |
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* [[Sexual capital]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{notelist}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 10:34, 19 November 2019
The casting couch is a euphemism[1] for the practice of soliciting sexual favors from a job applicant in exchange for employment in the entertainment industry, primarily acting roles.[2] The practice is illegal in the United States. Predominantly male casting directors and film producers use the casting couch to extract sex from aspiring actors in Hollywood, Broadway, and other segments of the industry.[2][3][4][5][6] The term casting couch originally referred to physical couches in the casting office, but is now a metonym for the phenomenon as a whole. In Japan, the casting couch is called makura eigyou (Japanese: 枕営業, lit. 'the pillow trade').[7]
Legality
The casting couch is illegal under United States and California law. In the United States, the majority of lawsuits related to the practice are settled, resulting in a lack of case law.[8]
Etymology
In The Atlantic, linguist Ben Zimmer described the casting couch as "a metonym for the skewed sexual politics of show business", which has been normalized into a cliché due to the prevalence of sexually aggressive men with positions of authority in Hollywood cinema and Broadway theatre. The term has ceased to refer to actual couches since the 1960s, as the lack of a couch in a casting director's office provides plausible deniability of the phenomenon.[9]
Economics
According to economists Thomas Borcherding and Darren Filson, the high risk and returns in Hollywood cinema encourage the casting couch phenomenon. The possibility of high returns incentivizes unestablished actors to accept minimal wages in exchange for roles. With the exception of a few extremely talented actors, producers are unable to evaluate the aptitude of the vast majority of qualified actors due to uncertainty. As a result, some actors give sexual favors to producers to obtain a perceived advantage in the casting; the casting couch functions as a counterpayment that effectively reduces their wages. This creates a conflict of interest in which corrupt producers substitute aptitude (an unquantifiable variable) with sexual activity in their decision making.[8]
Actors who submit to the casting couch are not guaranteed roles, as there is an abundance of actors who consent to the practice. An actor's decision of whether to provide sex is comparable to the prisoner's dilemma, and results in a tragedy of the commons in which sex is needed to obtain film roles from producers who demand it, but fails to provide an advantage relative to other actors who offer sexual favors. If the provision of sex were voluntary and performed with the consent of all parties, the casting couch would be a quid pro quo exchange and a victimless crime. However, the practice is illegal in the United States and likely involves some degree of sexual exploitation or sexual harassment. Actors who do not participate in the casting couch are subject to externalities, including reduced employability.[8]
Borcherding and Filson argue that the casting couch became less prominent after the Hollywood studio system, which enforced long-term employment contracts for actors, was eliminated on antitrust grounds in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. (1948). Long-term contracts gave producers stronger bargaining power, which was used by corrupt producers to extract sex from actors more effectively.[8]
In media
The Casting Couch (c. 1924), a classic title in the stag film genre,[10] was an early depiction of the casting couch as a pornographic trope that later became mundane as it grew in popularity.[11] In the ten-minute film, a casting director tells a young actress to wear a swimsuit during an audition, spies on her in a voyeuristic manner while she undresses in a different room, and enters the room to solicit sex from her. The actress initially rebuffs his advances with disgust, but returns to the director after taking advice from a book named How to Become a Movie Star. She performs fellatio and vaginal intercourse in exchange for a role in his film; the latter takes place on a couch. The Casting Couch concludes with an intertitle that states, "the only way to become a star is to get under a good director and work your way up".[10] Zimmer credited the film with popularizing the term casting couch.[9]
See also
Notes
- ^
In this example matrix, the indicated expected utility values correspond to the following situations:
- 5: The actor provides sex, and has a higher chance of obtaining the role.
- 3: The actor does not provide sex, and has an average chance of obtaining the role.
- 1: The actor provides sex, and has an average chance of obtaining the role.
- 0: The actor does not provide sex, and has a lower chance of obtaining the role.
References
- ^ Fallon, Claire (18 October 2017). "The 'Casting Couch' Euphemism Lets Us Pretend Hollywood's All Right". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ a b Adams, Thelma (2017). "Casting-Couch Tactics Plagued Hollywood Long Before Harvey Weinstein". Variety. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ "In 1956, a Fan Magazine Published a Four-Part Casting Couch Exposé. It Didn't Go Well". Slate. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ "Exploring the casting couch culture of LA". BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ Elaine Dutka (15 October 1991). "Scenes From the Home of the Casting Couch: The Talk of the Country Has Hit a Nerve in the Industry That Creates the Images of Women in Popular Culture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Hutchinson, Pamela (October 19, 2017). "Moguls and starlets: 100 years of Hollywood's corrosive, systemic sexism". The Guardian. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ Ashcraft, Brian (7 June 2019). "Adult Video Star Talks About The Casting Couch In The Anime Industry". Kotaku. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d Borcherding, Thomas E.; Filson, Darren (November 1, 2001). "Conflicts of Interest in the Hollywood Film Industry: Coming to America - Tales from the Casting Couch, Gross and Net, in a Risky Business". In Davis, Michael; Stark, Andrew (eds.). Conflict of Interest in the Professions. Oxford University Press. pp. 268–274. ISBN 978-0-19-512863-5.
- ^ a b Zimmer, Ben (16 October 2017). "'Casting Couch': The Origins of a Pernicious Hollywood Cliché". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ^ a b Williams, Linda (1999). "The Stag Film". Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible", Expanded Edition. University of California Press. pp. 68–69. ISBN 9780520219434. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ Hay, Mark (5 April 2018). "Porn from the 1920s Was More Wild and Hardcore Than You Could Imagine". Vice. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
External links
- A selection of contemporary articles regarding the casting couch in the American silent film industry from Taylorology.
- A storytelling podcast about the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century by Karina Longworth.