Pushing the Envelope: Using Sex to Increase TV Ratings
Over the past few years the amount of sexual content in the television programs watched has risen by 56 percent. This is because sex sells. As channels and companies compete to come out with the hottest new show or movie, they push the limits adding things that were once considered taboo.
In the 1950s, popular shows were those that emphasized ideal families and family togetherness, like Leave It to Beaver and I Love Lucy… Next came the 1960s and the invention of Technicolor. This opened the door to all new shows such as I Dream of Jeanie and Gilligan’s Island. These shows still emphasized family.
As the 1970s approached, drug use was becoming more widespread, so producers created shows aimed towards younger kids to keep them off the streets. Some of these shows were Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and The Jeffersons. Next came the 1980s and shows like Alf, Who’s the Boss, and The Wonder Years. In the early 1990s family oriented shows like Saved by the Bell and Full House became popular.
At the same time there were also shows that started to become more open-minded towards the topic of sex, such as Beverly Hills 90210 and Dawson’s Creek. Now shows with some sort of sexual contentin every episode, like Paradise Hotel, The O.C., Nip/Tuck, Skin, and MTV’s Real World and Road Rules, are growing in popularity. Students have their own idea of what shows are the best. Some of the favorite shows among students are The O.C., The Simpsons, Seinfeld, That 70s Show, King of the Hill, Friends, Smallville, 7th Heaven, Jackass, and Punk’d. Why are these shows the most popular among students? Crown Point High School Alumni Heidi Thompson says it’s because “they can keep me interested and make me laugh.” Tere are other reasons to watch these shows besides for humor. Crown Point High School Alumni John Bizanes says it’s because “they are funny and informative and apply to my life.”
A study done by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation n 2001 found that 75 percent of programs include sexual content and about six scenes per hour contain sexual talk and/or behavior. ONe out of every ten scenes that included sexual content included a teenager. Also young teens, ages 13-15, rank entertainment media as the top source of information about sexuality and sexual health. Furthermore, three out of four teens say “TV shows and movies make it seem normal for teenagers to have sex.”
Have they gone too far? Aaron Spelling seems to think so. In an intervew with Daniel Frankel, an E! Online News reporter, Spelling said, “I abhor (detest) some of these teenage movies. Spelling, who produced many of the shows that started the trend of open-mindedness towards sex in teen entertainment, such as Charlie’s Angels, Beverly Hills 90210, and Melrose Place, says that these shows are crossing the line. As time goes on and new shows come and go, people will wonder what will be next in TV and movies.
