Poll: Too Much Sex, Violence In Movies, Music, TV Shows But Most Oppose Government Censorship Of Entertainment

Echoing the concerns expressed by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., in his stinging rebuke of Hollywood, a sizable majority of Americans believes there is too much violence and sex in movies, television and music.

But they favor stricter industry regulation rather than government censorship of entertainment, a Los Angeles Times poll has found.

When asked if they agreed with Dole, who recently scolded Hollywood for mass-producing entertainment that he described as “nightmares of depravity,” 71 percent agreed with the Kansas Republican’s stark assessment, while only 23 percent disagreed.

Indeed, 61 percent of the 1,109 adults polled nationwide June 9-11 said that the content of American entertainment is getting worse, while 9 percent viewed it as getting better.

The poll results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

But while Americans are clearly disturbed by the level of sex and violence in the media, they resist having the government impose Draconian rules.

Over half of those surveyed believe there is a greater danger to society from the government imposing undue restrictions on entertainment than in any hurtful material produced by the entertainment industry.

While Dole provoked intense protest from the entertainment industry when he slammed some rap groups and such films as “Natural Born Killers” and “True Romance” for what he said were their depictions of “mindless violence and loveless sex,” he nonetheless tapped into the frustration of many Americans alarmed at graphic sex and violence in the media.

The poll found that this concern is held across the political spectrum - not just with the far right, which Dole has been trying to cultivate since mounting his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Americans think that violence in entertainment is a serious problem. But they have many other things on their minds when asked to name the principal causes of violence in society. And they do not rank the entertainment industry as one of the top reasons.

“Things such as drugs, poor parenting, bad economy and family breakdown are much more likely to be mentioned,” poll director John Brennan said. “Movies, TV programs and rap music are far down the list of causes.”