Fortmueller, Kate2022-07-122022-07-122022https://necsus-ejms.org/vintage-furniture-the-significance-of-the-casting-couch-as-industry-gossip-and-rumor/https://mediarep.org/handle/doc/19977Hollywood gossip circulates through both formal publications and informal interpersonal networks. In this article, I argue that both types of gossip and rumor are essential for understanding Hollywood’s business inefficiencies. Focusing primarily on the role of informal gossip, I explore its importance for aspirant networking and, as #MeToo reporting revealed, as a warning mechanism for women who must navigate the predatory men of Hollywood. Tracing the history of casting couch lore as a particular genre of gossip, I show how informal gossip can empower women working in Hollywood yet also retrench gendered hierarchies.engCreative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 GenericHollywood industrycasting couch#MeToorumor79110.25969/mediarep/188272213-0217