TV sex scenes doubled since ‘98
WASHINGTON – The number of sex scenes on American television has nearly doubled since 1998, a new study has found, as seven in 10 programs on cable and broadcast networks now contain an element of sex.
The shows that had sexual content were found to average at least five sex scenes per hour, according to the study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The most popular shows among teenagers – saucy serials like “The OC” and “Desperate Housewives” – are more likely than other programs to feature sexual innuendno or images.
“The study validates what parents know intuitively: Well, duh, yes, there is more sex on TV,” said Kathleen Abernathy, a member of the Federal Communications Commission. “We need to give parents better tools. With 200 channels, I feel out of control.”
In plot lines and dialogue on TV shows, specific references to safe or responsible sex have fallen off since the foundation’s last study was conducted three years ago. Among the top 20 highest-rated shows for teens, only 10 percent of those with a sexual content mentioned the risks or responsibilities of sex.
The study, which examined a representative sample of a week’s worth of programming, was presented in a forum with television executives, advocacy groups and child behavioral experts. The report did not render judgment on whether an increasing amount of sex on TV is harmful to children, but Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., offered a pointed view during a speech at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“We don’t teach our children that healthy relationships involve drunken, naked parties in a hot tub with strangers – but that’s what they see when they turn on ‘The Real World,’ ” Obama said, citing the long-running reality show on MTV. “When they’re fed a steady diet of these depictions over and over again from the time they’re very young, this behavior becomes acceptable. It even starts seeming normal.”
Researchers for the Kaiser Family Foundation, a philanthropic health care organization, analyzed more than 1,100 programs that aired earlier this year on the three broadcast networks as well as those on Fox, the WB, PBS, Lifetime, TNT, USA and HBO. The sex scenes have nearly doubled since a similar study was conducted seven years ago, researchers said, from 1,930 to 3,783.
More than half of all scenes depicting intercourse involved characters in an established relationship, the study said, while 15 percent involved people who had sex just after meeting.
At the same time, younger characters are less likely to be seen having sex. The study found that 89 percent of those depicted having intercourse on television appeared to be at least 25 years old. One in 10 were teenagers, which was down from one in four in the 1998 study.
Still, some members of Congress have placed pressure on TV networks and cable companies to fight indecency. But television executives said the burden also rests on parents to pay attention to the types of programs their children are watching.
“My show is for adults,” said Neal Baer, the executive producer of the NBC drama “Law & Order: SVU.” “It is one of the most adult shows on television. These are not shows for children.”
If Congress intervenes and dictates what types of story lines can be used on television, he said, such sensitive topics as gun violence or abortion could be overlooked. TV offers a unique way to tackle challenging subjects, he said, and audiences of all political backgrounds watch.
“It’s not just the liberals who are watching ‘Desperate Housewives.’ It’s red states, too,” Baer said, referring to the political term for Republican-dominated states. “It’s not just liberals who are buying pornography. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.”
Despite ever-evolving technology, where shows can be downloaded on the Internet and watched on mobile devices, teens still watch the bulk of their programming on traditional televisions. Researchers said that children ages 8 and above spend an average of three hours a day – or more than 20 hours a week – watching TV.