Why is it becoming “cool” to not use the words that we already have, which are gender-specific?

I have noticed for the past few years that there seem to be no more “actresses”. “Actress” seems to have taken on a slightly negative connotation; to be serious about her career, a theatre/film woman must be an “actor”. I was brought up in a world where the feminine of actor was “actress” with no connotation at all, and I slowly got used to the fact that I might not see the word any more.

And just now, I was watching an ad from Archies, promoting yet another day. (If they don’t promote all these Sister-in-Law-of-Your Second Wife Day, how will they sell all those cards?)..it says it’s Daughter’s Day on Sept 23…and the slogan says, My Daughter, My Hero.

Whatever happened to the perfectly valid word, “heroine”? And what bad connotation does IT have now?

Is this all supposed to be part of integrating achievement or profession-oriented words to the same gender? And if so, what’s wrong with choosing the feminine gender as default?

Well, I suppose it’s the way the language is evolving…I am waiting for the day when it will no longer be cool to call myself a woman…it will be the done thing to call myself a man….

actress, heroine, murderess, seamstress,laundress,dictatrix…bye-bye, all of you! You longer exist!