# Is The Word "Actress" Sexist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290 "2010-01-24T23:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/21 "2010-01-25T02:41:02Z")
Why stop there? Why even bother having separate awards for males and females? Isn’t that as sexist as any term used to refer to women actors? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/22 "2010-01-25T02:55:03Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > It’s not a matter of gender distinction. It’s a matter of distinguishing genuinely skilled performers from eye candy. Megan Fox is an actress. Meryl Streep is an actor. Is that really supposed to be the inference? So if someone asks who your favorite actress is and you say Meryl Streep you’re missing the point of the question…? I’ve never in my life had a hint of that, and (no offense) would guess most people haven’t either. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/23 "2010-01-25T02:56:02Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Is that really supposed to be the inference? So if someone asks who your favorite actress is and you say Meryl Streep you’re missing the point of the question…? > > I’ve never in my life had a hint of that, and (no offense) would guess most people haven’t either. 😕 I’ve also never heard that distinction before this thread. I figured it was just going out of style for the sake of linguistic streamlining, not any particular attempt at conquering sexism. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/24 "2010-01-25T03:10:07Z")
What’s wrong with being sexy? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/25 "2010-01-25T03:29:51Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Is that really supposed to be the inference? So if someone asks who your favorite actress is and you say Meryl Streep you’re missing the point of the question…? Many people use the word “actress” to refer to even serious female actors in everyday conversation, so making the distinction in such a case would be needlessly pedantic. However, when you’re holding an awards ceremony to celebrate the acting ability of female performers, you should bear in mind that the word “actress” has certain connotations (eye candy, casting couch, etc.) that can easily be avoided by using the term “female actor”. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/26 "2010-01-25T03:32:27Z")
I agree it’s a word that is going out of style. Like my favourite gender distinction is aviatrix. If I was a man and an aviator, I’d rather be an aviatrix, 'cause that’s a cooler word. However if I was a queen, Queen Elizabeth, I’d make myself king because everyone knows it’s better to be king than queen. Unless of course you’re playing chess ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/27 "2010-01-25T03:33:02Z")
This is seriously the first time I’ve ever encountered the word “actress” as being a negative thing. I can’t even recall ever hearing an actress referred to as an actor. Personally I think it is an ugly sounding word, though; “actrix” would be better. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/28 "2010-01-25T03:33:08Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not a matter of gender distinction. It’s a matter of distinguishing genuinely skilled performers from eye candy. Megan Fox is an actress. Meryl Streep is an actor. So by that standard, are Keanu Reeves and Leonardo diCaprio actresses, too? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/29 "2010-01-25T03:42:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So by that standard, are Keanu Reeves and Leonardo diCaprio actresses, too? Well, whatever the male equivalent of “actress” is ;). That brings us to the title question of the thread. IMO, it’s not sexist in and of itself to call Jessica Alba an actress rather than an actor, but it’s worth noting that it means “female eye candy/casting couch bimbo” and that there’s no term for “male eye candy/casting couch bimbo”. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/30 "2010-01-25T04:34:50Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Well, whatever the male equivalent of “actress” is ;). > > That brings us to the title question of the thread. IMO, it’s not sexist in and of itself to call Jessica Alba an actress rather than an actor, but it’s worth noting that it means “female eye candy/casting couch bimbo” and that there’s no term for “male eye candy/casting couch bimbo”. Except that - as you yourself said earlier - many people do say actress when they mean a serious female actor. And no one but you has has ever heard of your alternate meaning. Can you find some cites of people making that distinction? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/31 "2010-01-25T04:35:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > An actress portrays women, while an actor portrays men. Divine was an actress. By that reasoning, [so is John Travolta](http://www.collider.com/entertainment/article.asp/aid/4865/cid/13/tcid/1). > [@Max the Immortal](#): > > Many people use the word “actress” to refer to even serious female actors in everyday conversation, so making the distinction in such a case would be needlessly pedantic. However, when you’re holding an awards ceremony to celebrate the acting ability of female performers, you should bear in mind that the word “actress” has certain connotations (eye candy, casting couch, etc.) that can easily be avoided by using the term “female actor”. Right. Whether or not “actress” is an appropriate synonym for “serious female actor” pretty much depends on the opinion of whoever’s using the word. I certainly wouldn’t think it was appropriate to get offended by “actress” as a disparaging term if it’s not being used in a disparaging way, but neither is it appropriate to get offended by “female actor” because you think it’s excessively PC. > [@chrisk](#): > > I’ve heard the fact that the original word ‘actor’ in Latin was gender-neutral put forward as an argument for avoiding actress. Dunno where this “fact” comes from: the Latin word “actor” is a grammatically masculine noun. The feminine equivalent in Latin, as **Argent Towers** notes, is “actrix”. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/32 "2010-01-25T06:08:46Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Is that really supposed to be the inference? So if someone asks who your favorite actress is and you say Meryl Streep you’re missing the point of the question…? > > I’ve never in my life had a hint of that, and (no offense) would guess most people haven’t either. 😕 This thread is the first I’ve heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/33 "2010-01-25T09:47:49Z")
We’re all getting far afield here and reading way too much into it. It’s the Screen **Actors** Guild. The award is _called_ The Actor. It is given by Actors (i.e. members of the union) to Actors to celebrate Actors Acting. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/34 "2010-01-25T11:40:27Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Wonder when “waitress” will go away? I wonder when she will come back, 'cause I’m getting damned hungry! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/35 "2010-01-25T14:11:51Z")
So why isn’t it the Screen Actors & Actresses Guild? An actor is an actor is an actor. There is no need to distinguish if Sallyi Field is an actor or actress. Her name clearly lets you know. If it’s someone whose name is ambiguous like Chris Doe, then use “female (or male) actor.” William Safire came up with this idea decades ago, and it makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/36 "2010-01-25T16:23:19Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > That brings us to the title question of the thread. IMO, it’s not sexist in and of itself to call Jessica Alba an actress rather than an actor, but it’s worth noting that it means “female eye candy/casting couch bimbo” and that there’s no term for “male eye candy/casting couch bimbo”. > [@Max the Immortal](#): > > However, when you’re holding an awards ceremony to celebrate the acting ability of female performers, you should bear in mind that the word “actress” has certain connotations OK, so then you’re saying Marion Cotillard, Helen Miren, Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Ellen Burstyn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford (to name a few) are all “female eye candy/casting couch bimbos” and not “serious female actors”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/37 "2010-01-25T16:32:52Z")
I know some… women in theatre who prefer ‘actor’ and some who don’t care. It’s not sexist in terms of being demeaning to women; it would be equally demeaning to men, wouldn’t it? If it’s sexist, it’s only because it introduces gender into a discussion where it might not be relevant. I am also pretty sure this discussion goes back before the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/38 "2010-01-25T16:44:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I know some… women in theatre who prefer ‘actor’ and some who don’t care. It’s not sexist in terms of being demeaning to women; it would be equally demeaning to men, wouldn’t it? If it’s sexist, it’s only because it introduces gender into a discussion where it might not be relevant. I am also pretty sure this discussion goes back before the 1970s. I’m not sure I agree with this. I believe it’s really part of a wider movement to give professional women their due and move away from titles which feel demeaning, not because they’re incorrect in themselves, but because of negative associations with attitudes in the past. Hence, an Air Steward is a professional flight attendant, skilled in first aid and dedicated customer support, whereas an Air Stewardess is a pretty girl who sashays down the aisle, showing her cleavage as she leans across you to buckle you in. An actor is a skilled, talented theatrical professional, an actress is a pretty girl who’s there as a romantic foil to the lead man. She’s also probably of dubious morals and has been known to sell her skills on the casting couch, along with her bare breasts in tabloid newspapers. I exaggerate, but you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/39 "2010-01-25T16:52:06Z")
I completely diasagree that there’s anything demeaning about “actress,” or that it denotes anything more than gender. It’s also not exactly the same thing as removing the gender distinction from most other professions, because in acting, the specific gender actually matters. Actors play male roles, and actresses play female roles. They are different specializations. “Actress” designates an acting _specialization_, not a difference in seriousness or importance or ability, and that specialization cannot include male actors. I think the trend towards actresses complaining about the word and insisting on being called “actors” is a pretentious, obnoxious affect, but then, these ARE actresses we’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290/40 "2010-01-25T17:32:11Z")
Of course there are also roles that are _not_ necessarily gender specific. So it’s more about who is playing the roles than what roles they are playing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-actress-sexist/526290.md?page=3)