casting couch

American  

[kas-ting kouch, kah-sting] / ˈkæs tɪŋ ˌkaʊtʃ, ˈkɑ stɪŋ /

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.

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casting couch British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of casting couch

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Not the women testifying as the defense paws through their personal journals and former marriages, not the countless others whose experiences are diminished by his “casting couch” defense and not the industry that has been trying to figure out a way to move forward from an exploitative culture that even Weinstein has publicly condemned.

From Los Angeles Times

Some thought the sculpture looked like a “casting couch” and it was temporarily relocated in 2017 in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal.

From Los Angeles Times

Fairrie said what she found most interesting about Jackie Collins was that despite her adventures, she also had experiences as a young woman that "perhaps weren't entirely comfortable" on the casting couch, "in an era where women were expected to look and behave in a certain way".

From BBC

Ms. Marvel writer G. Willow Wilson, another forum member, described it as one of the key avenues for breaking into comics — but for women, a place with a “casting couch atmosphere.”

From The Verge

Now, the 62-year-old actress is reflecting on the '90s era with displeasure as she recalls the ways in which she was critiqued for her appearance, long before the #MeToo movement shone a light on Hollywood's casting couch.

From Fox News