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Casting couch

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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 otherwise for career advancement within an organization.

A "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. The "couch" connotes a comfortable and informal setting common to a 'casting audition,' as opposed to the less comfortable chair that typically connote less desirable job interviews.

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 trade of favors may be considered an abuse of power, and become wider sex scandals if deemed newsworthy.

Common characteristics in the social system

It is reported in almost every possible occupation and situations involving subordinates and superiors, where the superior has significant influence on the future career progression of the subordinate. It involves either the superior asking sexual favor from a subordinate in return for economic or occupational support, or the subordinate luring and seducing ones superior with the aim of bargaining career or economic progression.

The casting couch is not restricted to any one particular gender on either side of the trade-off. In its broadest context it implies all social contracts that involves the exchange of sexual contact in return for economic security or career enhancement. Casting couches are a form of game theoretic trade off in social settings.

Accusations of the "casting couch"

  • 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.

Actor Steven Seagal

Throughout the nineties, Actor Steven Seagal was accused of sexual harassment by employees and prospective actresses. Ned Zeman in Vanity Fair quotes an actress who described Seagal's new spin on the casting-couch lure. According to the woman, Seagal had asked her to take off her top and groped her breasts in order to show her where her spiritual "meridian points" were located.

Actress Jenny McCarthy was one of Seagal's casting couch victims. “They were casting Playmates for Under Siege 2,” she recalled. “I was the last audition, dressed frumpy and plain, the way I usually go, and I walk into his office and it’s only Steven. His office has a huge shag carpet – shag, I’ll repeat that, shag – and a huge screaming casting couch. Casting, casting, casting, casting couch. And he says, ‘Listen, I can’t tell what your body looks like with what you’re wearing, so why don’t you stand up and take off your dress?’”

“I started crying, and I said, ‘My video’s for sale for $14.99, go buy it if you want to see.’ And I ran out to my car, and he grabbed my arm and followed me and said, ‘Don’t ever tell this to anybody.’ I was like, ‘Dude, you are gonna regret this one day.’”[1]

Suspected abuse of the "casting couch"

Several relationships between older executives or stars and much younger budding stars have raised public suspicions about possible unethical dealings.

  • In 1993, it was revealed that Mariah Carey and Tommy Mottola were engaged, having carried on a secret relationship since her career was launched on his Sony record label in 1990. The pair were divorced in 1997. Mottola was later romantically linked to Jennifer Lopez, whose career he also launched.
  • The late pop singer Aaliyah married R. Kelly, her producer, in 1994, after the debut of her first album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. True to that title, Aaliyah was only 15 when she married. The marriage was quickly annulled after it became public knowledge.

Casting couch in other fields

Casting couch is said by some to be prevalent in such diverse fields as corporate management promotions, occupational transfers, educational job placement, review and ratification of PhD works, and social hierarchy within religious cults. The economic nature of arranged marriages presents another implicit social setting for this social phenomenon.

Casting couch throughout history

References to "casting couch"

File:Couch Casting From California Adventure.jpg
A direct reference to the casting couch in a Disney theme park.

Due to the public's fascination with this alleged underground economy, several movie, book, and TV plots deal with sleazy executives attempting to abuse their position.

Bibliography

  • Anderson, C., & Berdahl, J. L. (2002). The experience of power: Examining the effects of power on approach and inhibition tendencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1362-1377.
  • Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. New York: Wiley.
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