An editorial in a major paper mention Mia Farrow and, in passing, said, "Ms. Farrow is an actor ..."

This was a new usage to me. I thought actor was male, and a female would be an actress.

Am I off-base here?

They've been calling actresses actors for a while now. Perhaps a decade.

Yes, I've seen this trend for a while, too. At some point it became demeaning to use the female form of the word, somehow implying that the male form of the word carries with it a greater prestige or professionalism. I think it's hooey . . . but if they all wish to be called actors, so be it.

Well, it is kind of odd to have a different name for the same occupation. The woman who installed my cabinets was not a carpentrice, and you are not called a librarienne.

It is not all that odd.

You do have waiters and waitresses, stewards and stewardesses, kings and queens and gender names for royalty on down the line.

quote: Well, it is kind of odd to have a different name for the same occupation. The woman who installed my cabinets was not a carpentrice, and you are not called a librarienne.

Yes, but a carpenter or librarian, regardless of gender, can do exactly the same job. On the other hand, it's a bit tricky for a male actor to fill a female role, or for a female actress to play a male part.

(And yes, I know that it has been done occasionally, as in Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire. But that in no way refutes the generality.)

To my knowledge, I've only seen women called actresses. On the other hand, I don't read a lot about actors and actresses, so obviously I've missed the evolution of the word "actor." Interesting. I can't imagine why that's changed.

Ok, how about the following?

Ballerino

Tailor vs. Seamstress

Schoolteacher, Attorney, Accountant, Engineer

Hairdresser vs. Stylist

As for actors filling female roles - during the middle ages, that was standard. Remember "Shakespeare in Love" where Gwyneth Paltrow played a man playing a woman? Or Viktor/Victoria with Julie Andrews doing the same, but in very different eras.

Bob

It may have something to do with when women started working in those occupations. For the oldest profession, you have prostitutes/etc. versus gigolos

Priest versus priestess

It also seems that the drive to be politically correct is eliminating many of these female specific job titles. "Actress" appears to be on the way out. "Policewoman" used to be pretty common, and now it seems practically obsolete.

You'll know we have gone off the deep end when they replace the Oscar for best actress with the rather unwieldy Oscar for best female actor.

quote:

It may have something to do with when women started working in those occupations.

Waiters and waitresses do the same job, as do stewardesses and stewards. My guess is that these jobs were originally almost exclusively single gender, hence the gender specific name. A similar phenomenon is the "male X" occupations, like male nurse and male model.

Priestess is infinitely preferable to "woman priest". At least when the politically correct brigade use "actor" about female performers they do not use "woman actor". It is arguable that "actress" suggests something fluffy and daffy and dizzy. I'm not sure I'd agree but I can see the point of view.
I do hate that use of "woman" as an adjective. It is used frequently in the British media - women bus drivers, women MPs, etc.
Priestess also evokes something of the sacrifical goat, with throat-slitting and tall hats. They had more fun in the old days, didn't they?

quote:

They had more fun in the old days, didn't they?

It is my understanding that the term "actress" in the 18th and 19th centuries was a euphemism for prostitute. Much as is the term "model" in Soho today - although I have noted its gradual disappearance over the past 30 years or so, simply to be replaced by the lady's name and maybe nationality.

And for the benefit of those who do not know London, Soho is not just a Red Light District, neither is it especially sleazy. Indeed, some of London's finest pubs and restaurants can be found betwixt the four circuses. I often walk around Soho if I have time to kill; it is one of my favourite London villages.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard English:

quote:

They had more fun in the old days, didn't they?

It is my understanding that the term "actress" in the 18th and 19th centuries was a euphemism for prostitute. Much as is the term "model" in Soho today - although I have noted its gradual disappearance over the past 30 years or so, simply to be replaced by the lady's name and maybe nationality.

It sounds as if your research has been exhausting... er exhaustive.

And while I think about it , here's one of my limericks from the OEDILF...

An adventurer's a brave man and bold,
Of whom stirring stories are told.
But an adventuress
Well that's rather less
For she's only after his gold.