common sense often goes out the window with this stuff and it's difficult to know where to draw the line (as with fisherman in the CBC link). there is no Very Good Reason for having a special word for a female waiter or aviator or executor. on the other hand, why should I have to specify the gender of actor I need for my leading lady when the perfectly serviceable word actress is at hand? "And the Oscar® for Best Actor in a Woman's Role goes to..."