TV Gets Sleazier, Study Finds

TV Gets Sleazier, Study Finds

NewsMax.com Wires
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (UPI) – A new study concludes that 75 percent of prime-time TV shows in a recent six-month period contained a reference to sex.

A similar study two years ago counted sexual references in 66 percent of prime-time shows.

The new report, titled "Sex on TV: Content and Context," was based on a survey of 1,114 prime-time shows on the major networks and several cable channels from October 1999 to March 2000.

It concluded that, while sexual references were commonplace, references to "safe sex," and the risks and responsibilities of sex, were infrequent – showing up in just 10 percent of prime-time shows.

The report, issued Tuesday by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, found that sexual references are most dominant in movies, where researchers noted such references in 89 percent of the programs aired.

Eighty-four percent of comedies and 80 percent of soap operas included sexual content. "Reality" shows featured sexual content 27 percent of the time.

Dramas were most likely to talk about risks and responsibilities, dealing with those issues 15 percent of the time. Comedies dealt with those issues only 5 percent of the time.

"In shows with more serious sexual content, there are more references to risks and responsibilities," said Drew Altman, president of the foundation.

Altman said TV was "not a sex education class," but research indicates that TV and other entertainment forms are one of the top sources people turn to for information about sex. When programs make sexual references, they should "use the opportunity" to talk about safe, responsible sex, he said.

"Sexual content that some might regard as bad really does get through to kids," said Altman. "But positive messages can get through too."

The study concludes that youth-oriented shows tend to refer more often than others to the serious side of sexual activity. One-third of shows dealing with adolescents considering having sex included a reference to risks and responsibilities.

The report did not single out a program or network that presented more sexual references than the rest, but it did commend some programs for presenting "responsible messages" about sex.

"Some of the most popular shows on TV do a good job of incorporating a safe-sex message," said Victoria Rideout, vice president of the foundation.

She mentioned the NBC drama "ER" as a case in point.

In a companion study, the Kaiser Foundation reported on a survey of 3,500 people who saw an episode of the medical drama dealing with HPV, human papillomavirus, more commonly known as genital warts.

Awareness of the virus among those who saw the show rose from 24 percent to 47 percent. In a follow-up study two months later, 38 percent had retained the information about HPV.

Altman left no doubt that sex is a permanent feature of the prime-time TV landscape.

"There is going to be sex on TV," said Altman, "and there is likely to be more and more sex on TV."

He said there was no role for government in addressing TV programming issues, so if anything is to be done about the proliferation of sexual references in prime time, it will be up to parents and TV industry professionals to do it.