casting couch

[kas-ting kouch, kah-sting]

noun

Informal.

1. a couch in the office of a casting director, supposedly used with actors or actresses who are promised roles in exchange for sexual favors.

2. the supposed practice of casting actors or actresses in exchange for sexual favors.

   young women who have suffered the casting couch.

casting couch

noun

1. informal,  a couch on which a casting director is said to seduce women seeking a part in a film or play

Word History and Origins

Origin of casting couch¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Harvey Weinstein, through his lawyer, is attempting to restore the old, hateful narrative of the ‘casting couch.’

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“The casting couch is not a crime scene.”

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After all, “the casting couch is not a crime scene.”

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“The casting couch” is a term that has been used to denigrate successful women in Hollywood for a century — how could any woman rise to the top without “offering” favors to the men who invariably ran the industry?

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Because the casting couch is not a crime scene.

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