what is a casting couch?

Question

The term used frequently in Cinema Industry.

Answer 1

The casting couch is a euphemism for a widely recognized sociological phenomenon that involves the trading of sexual favors by an aspirant, apprentice employee, or subordinate to a superior, in return for entry into an occupation, or for other career advancement within an organization.

This practice is thought to be a phenomenon in careers which are highly desirable and traditionally difficult to break into, primarily the movie, television, advertising and music industries. Such trading of favors may be considered an abuse of power, and become a wider sex scandal if deemed newsworthy.

"Casting couch" is also less-commonly used as a general term for the difficult casting process that actors and actresses go through when trying to land roles. The "casting couch" concept in many respects is connotative of the entertainment industry, but may apply to any industry for which entry is highly desirable and competitive.

In her 1991 book You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again, Oscar-winning producer Julia Phillips attempted to expose many of the underground Hollywood institutions, and confirmed that "casting couch" mentality was alive and well in Hollywood.
In 2005 India TV's India's Most Wanted, an investigative TV show, caught Indian Idol host Aman Verma and longtime Bollywood acting legend Shakti Kapoor in a "sting" operation, and accused them of abusing their positions to force women to have sex with them. They even produced video evidence of Kapoor making advances on a planted girl. Verma, Kapoor and most of the Bollywood industry have defended themselves, calling India TV's claims unfounded and sensational, and claim that the video footage of Kapoor is misleading.
In 2006 Zhang Yu, a Chinese actress, released 20 graphic sex videos that she made herself to document her allegations that she won many of her roles through the casting couch. [1]

Answer 2

Casting Couch is a place where Aspiring actress having sex with a producer in order to get a movie. It is also a sex scandal.

Answer 3

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RE:
what is a casting couch?
The term used frequently in Cinema Industry.

Answer 4

Here is a very concise to the point answer.

casting couch:

a couch in an entertainment executive's office on which aspiring actresses are reputed to perform sexual acts in exchange for desired roles; broadly : the practice of abusing one's power to obtain sexual partners

Answer 5

The place where an aspiring actress would have sex with a producer in order to get cast in a movie.

Answer 6

Dont think it really happens much today in Hollywood - never saw any evidence of it. Maybe in really skeezy productions no actress would want to be in anyway.

Now, in a Clinton White House on the other hand....