The Casting Couch

Casting Couch: When a person of lower status must perform sexual favors for a superior in order to advance their career especially prevalent in the entertainment industry.

As Ricky, a long-time casting director in Hollywood, you had seen many women arrive with dreams of stardom, only to fall victim to the casting couch. You had been working as a casting director for about ten years—a job you considered the best you ever had, having lucked into it after working at a studio for a while. Growing up in Hollywood with family already in the industry, a friend you had previously helped secured you a job with the Walt Disney Company. Over time, you worked your way up, eventually finding yourself in charge of casting for bigger roles.

There was a constant stream of young women looking for their big break. You used to cast for smaller parts where almost anyone would do, so whoever was willing to sleep with you often got the job. Recently, however, you had been promoted to casting for larger roles that required more in-depth interviews. Occasionally, when you were undecided, you would hold a second audition with the director, and the two of you would "tag-team" the candidates. This tactic made you highly sought after by directors who wanted you as their lead casting director.

Ironically, you felt no sympathy for these aspiring actors; you saw them as untalented girls who believed they deserved success. From your perspective, they should have understood that their looks were their only real asset, as that seemed to be all anyone cared about in most movies these days.