When did they start calling 'actresses' 'actors'?

Question

I remember that men were 'actors' and women were 'actresses'...lately. I've noticed that they are ALL actors now.

How long until waitresses are called waiters?

Answer 1

When?
thursday, May 12, 1988.

How long?
They're all called "servers" now.

Answer 2

Political correctness has made fools out of all of us. In most fields the "person" instead of man or woman has become laughable; however, in the area of actors though, it was by choice as the term actresses seemed to denote a less serious form of the art, and it was a bit sexist as the word actor is neither male nor female, like doctor, proctor or professor, so as women are also actors, and no one has ever called a woman doctor a doctress, why should women actors be called anything other than actors. It was in this case a fact of correcting the English misnomer and not political. You can decide what you wish to call your waiting person, I doubt it will change. Flight attendants are a different thing also. There was the time when all flight attendants were female, hence stewardess (on ships they were all men-stewards) as that was overcome with equal opportunity, they simplified it by calling them all flight attendants. Ships, I don't know.

Answer 3

It happened during the Women's Movement 70's. Actress is a derogatory name (it minimizes the Actor in the Actress). So they all want to be called Actors (which is what they do regardless of male or female).

I don't believe this will happen to waitertresses being called waiters.

Answer 4

Who cares? It's like worrying about why there were never never parentesses, or bank tellerettes, or store clerkettes and checkeresses. Besides, it helps avoid confusion. Rene Auberjonois (Benson, Deep Space 9, the original Father Mulcahey in the movie M*A*S*H) now cannot accidentally be called an actress because of his name, as Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker, Heat of the Night) sometimes was early in his career. And it is now perfectly appropriate to call Glenn Close an actor. Life is complicated enough. If something makes things a little easier, just go with it!

Answer 5

Good point. I think it's a union thing. Ever since they figured out that Actors usually make more money than Actresses, without even taking their clothes off, they decided to call everyone an Actor. In their mind, they are diffusing the historical sexism that is rampant in that industry.

Answer 6

Where have you been?

Unisex labels have been common for many years.

There are no stewardesses on airplanes anymore. They are all flight attendants.

No more waitresses or waiters. They are all servers.

No more ladies of the evening. They are all personal relaxation therapists (just kidding, guys).

Although I think most relabeling attempts are pretty ridiculous, it's the world we live in today.

Answer 7

It started in the 1970s with the so-called Women's Movement, and picked up momentum in the 1980s with the Politically Correct. Personally, I think it stinks.

Answer 8

its consistent with maximum different professions, that's all a woman accountant would not call herself an accountantess a woman well being care expert doesnt call herself a doctoress a woman shopkeeper would not call herself a shopkeeperess studentess? artistess? architectess? or is it which you only want to moan approximately political correctness.

Answer 9

They've started doing that? well, now it's gonna be totally impossible to tell if an actor is a guy or a girl, especially if there name can be both genders.

Answer 10

That happened the same day they made stewardesses flight attendants. I'm blind and deaf and now I dont know which ones I can flirt with without having them dump the coffee in my lap.