A disturbing trend?

[questor]

Happeh, you're totally correct. if you're quoting others, or referring to facts that need to be checked, references are in order. when a person gives an opinion based upon his observations no references should be required, else almost all posts would have to be referenced.

[pgrmdave]

Since you obviously can't be bothered to do any of your own research, I did it for you. I googled 'tv guide' (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=tv+guide) Then I went to Yahoo TV (http://tv.yahoo.com/) where it showed me the listings for prime time.

 

On the networks at primetime tonight are the following shows:

 

ABC:

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

My Kind of Town

Desperate Housewives

 

CBS:

Cold Case

Living With the Dead (2002)

 

FOX:

The Simpsons

Family Guy

Family Guy

American Dad

Local Programming

 

NBC:

Dateline NBC

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Crossing Jordan

 

UPN:

Local Programming

 

WB:

O (2001)

Local Programming

 

(I limited myself to only the big networks, simply because cable tv is very varied (think Showtime to Nickelodeon), and has too many channels to be reasonably listed here.)

 

Of those programs, only one (Desperate Housewives) involves overtly sexual themes, with 'O' having one sexual scene, if I remember correctly, so I don't consider it having sexual escapedes as its central theme. The local programming, obviously, cannot be accounted for. So, there are a definite 12 total combined hours of non-sexual themed shows, with a possible 17 if the local programming is not sexually themed. There is a definite 1 hour of sexually themed shows playing, with a possible 6 hours, if everything that is local programming is sexually themed.

 

So, now given this information, we see that, at best, only a scant 5.5% of shows during prime time are sexually themed, while at worst, 30% of shows are sexually themed. My guess is that the local programming is both governed largely by the feelings of the people who are local to it, and that it is more than likely similar to the makeup of the rest, i.e. 5.5% of the local programming is sexually themed.

 

Here is some real data for you to work with. I don't know where you are seeing this glut of sex on television, I surely haven't seen it.

[IrishEyes]

Two things -

 

questor/Happeh - pgrmdave is an Administrator of a SCIENCE forum. We are used to dealing with facts in this science forum. That is why he asked for actual data. Yes, you are allowed to voice your opinion, of course. But if you do so, please be prepared to support that opinion with some sort of facts or data. That's actually in our FAQ. Read it if you don't believe me. ;)

 

Dave - That was good info, and I'd agree with that if all of the nights were filled with similar programming. However, I think you cited 'today', which is Sunday, right? Traditionally, Sunday is filled with much more family friendly fare than other nights. Looking through the guide myself (I'm not posting it all though, you guys can check for yourself), it appears that other nights are not so family friendly.

 

On an aside, I used to love shows like CSI, and had no problem letting the family watch as well, since it was about forensic science. But a year ago or so, it started showing more 'shock crimes', usually sex related, and the kids were no longer allowed to view it. Big shame, since the oldest actually wants to do forensic pathology, but I felt the sexual undertones and innuendos in most shows were too much for a 12 year old. Many other shows have done the same. I could call them out specifically, but I think most of you can think of examples on your own. Shows that would still be very interesting without so many sexual tones still seem to veer toward it, because, well, let's just be honest - sex sells.

And many series, while they are not explicitly about sex (like CSI) still have shows that deal with sex. Geez, there's an entire Law&Order series dealing wtih just 'violent crimes', usually sex related.

[Happeh]

Of those programs, only one (Desperate Housewives) involves overtly sexual themes, with 'O' having one sexual scene, if I remember correctly, so I don't consider it having sexual escapedes as its central theme. The local programming, obviously, cannot be accounted for. So, there are a definite 12 total combined hours of non-sexual themed shows, with a possible 17 if the local programming is not sexually themed. There is a definite 1 hour of sexually themed shows playing, with a possible 6 hours, if everything that is local programming is sexually themed.

 

So, now given this information, we see that, at best, only a scant 5.5% of shows during prime time are sexually themed, while at worst, 30% of shows are sexually themed. My guess is that the local programming is both governed largely by the feelings of the people who are local to it, and that it is more than likely similar to the makeup of the rest, i.e. 5.5% of the local programming is sexually themed.

 

Here is some real data for you to work with. I don't know where you are seeing this glut of sex on television, I surely haven't seen it.

 

This is your problem as a scientist. You believe that the facts you gather prove your point. They do not.

 

If you want to go at this as a scientist, then you already have a problem. Your sample includes 12 shows from a limited period of time. I think any scientist would say your study is flawed because your sample base is inadequate.

 

TV shows are made for different audiences. The Prime Time audience is rich yuppies. The TV networks will show you what rich yuppies need to see so they buy what the advertisers are advertising. What about everyone else? What about poor people? What about women? What about children?

 

I can tell you that almost 90% of the MTV network, targeted at children, is based on promoting sex. If you look at the popular MTV shows The Real World or Road Rules, you will find that the shows are mostly voyeristic child pornography. They take kids who are anywhere from 18 to 25 or so and encourage them into sexual situations. The camera crews for these shows are watching young children have sex, then they broadcast what they can get away with. If it was someone else, it would be called child pornography.

 

During the day, women stay at home and watch the soaps. The lifetime channel is devoted to womens programming. Both of the genres are based on sexual situations. There are many more women sitting at home watching TV and being sexually influenced than their are scientists watching prime time TV and not being sexually stimulated.

 

What about the Jerry Springer show? They have people on their who strip off their clothes and show their boobs to the TV audience. They pixelate the boobs but we all know what we are looking at. What about the show Cheaters? The entire show is voyerism on adults having sexual affairs. I have seen women giving oral sex to men, pixelated, I have seen a man with his organ bobing up and down, caught in the act of sex. I have seen bumping and grinding and moaning, pelvis's pixelated of course. As if pixelation stops a person from reacting to the rythmic movements and sounds of sexual activity.

 

Overall, the majority of society sees sexually stimulating programs. Using scientists or politicians or corporate people too busy to watch TV, is another flaw in your short list of TV shows.

 

Scientists think everyone is like them. They base their science on the idea that everyone is like them. Of course the results will be flawed. Scientists are the minority in any society. Education is hard and usually restricted to the elite of the society.

[pgrmdave]

Your sample includes 12 shows from a limited period of time. I think any scientist would say your study is flawed because your sample base is inadequate.

 

I chose prime time because I was responding to this statement:

 

when you watch prime time TV, what percent of the shows do not have sexual

escapades as their central theme?

 

Thus, I chose prime time television. I only looked at one day because I was only really trying to prove that it doesn't take much to find valid information. Furthurmore, I only looked at the major networks because they have the largest audience, and thus have to appeal to the largest audience. And Irish already pointed out that Sundays are often more tame than other days.

 

If you look at the popular MTV shows The Real World or Road Rules, you will find that the shows are mostly voyeristic child pornography. They take kids who are anywhere from 18 to 25 or so and encourage them into sexual situations. The camera crews for these shows are watching young children have sex, then they broadcast what they can get away with. If it was someone else, it would be called child pornography.

 

So, they show sexual situations of people who are 18 or older....that isn't child pornography.

 

I can tell you that almost 90% of the MTV network, targeted at children, is based on promoting sex.

 

90% is a quantifiable figure, are you sure of that figure, or is it hyperbole?

 

What about the Jerry Springer show? They have people on their who strip off their clothes and show their boobs to the TV audience. They pixelate the boobs but we all know what we are looking at. What about the show Cheaters? The entire show is voyerism on adults having sexual affairs. I have seen women giving oral sex to men, pixelated, I have seen a man with his organ bobing up and down, caught in the act of sex. I have seen bumping and grinding and moaning, pelvis's pixelated of course. As if pixelation stops a person from reacting to the rythmic movements and sounds of sexual activity.

 

What about Spongebob Squarepants? What about the Daily Show? What about Mythbusters? What about I love the 70s? What about the Crocadile Hunter? What about Ed, Edd, and Eddy? There are hundreds, if not thousands of television shows. To try to say that they are all sexual by talking about only the sexual ones is faulty, and similar to trying to find out how many people own phones by conducting a phone survey.

[questor]

a one night's posting of shows on prime time shows exactly that....one night. not very repesentative for scientific purposes. why not take the whole week except for Sat. and

Sunday. eliminate the news shows, just stick to the network shows from 7 p.m. -11 p.m.. actually watch each show and see and hear what happens. CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX.

Happeh is correct on all counts. the programing may differ in different areas, but during the day you get Jerry Springer, the soaps, the judges and other trash. do your stats again

so we can get a truer picture. i didn't want to pursue this because i knew some people couldn't recognize sex and violence when it was happening.

[IrishEyes]

do your stats again so we can get a truer picture. i didn't want to pursue this because i knew some people couldn't recognize sex and violence when it was happening.

You make me laugh, questor. Dave pulled those stats because of YOU, and now you're trying to slam him for it? :hihi: YOU were the one that made the initial claim, but failed to follow it up with any hard data. Dave actually went and did the work for you, and you're going to complain about it?

If you don't like it, then YOU can go through the guide and list all the shows, and tell us why each one should be on your 'sex and violence' list.

[Dundasbro]

canadians embracing homosexual unions, the increase in the divorce rates in developed contries, abortions, the unending growth of the adult industry past the profitability of mainstream movie entertainment

Whats wrong with homosexual unions, abortions and divorces?

You one of "gods people"?

[alxian]

heck no, "god" is a nice fabrication of the romans (or perhaps an older institution) best suited to control the mass with a irrational averssion to certain activities and ways of thinking.

 

what i'm saying is according to those god [fearing] people the world is heading to heck in a hurry.

 

and am pointing to the media, instant influencial media like TV (where the pictures are faster than rational thought) and internet as being focal points by which anyone can maneuvre thinking of the masses in any means they see fit to best profit themselves.

 

 

but more specifically i was saying how some stuff like nudity and sex violence etc on tv was getting through, people could be induced through constant reenforcement of these ways of thinking (a form of brainwashing no doubt) to use the media as tools to further their own gain [teaching the individual through near rote absorbtion of these skills from tv and movies], gaining power, shame and guilt free by emulating the actors on TV and in movies.

 

but what if thats the way it should be?

 

the media could be as powerful as to compare it to a persistant goverment, establishing those thought paterns on the fly into our sponge like minds we've evolved over millenia to absorb by submitting to authority.

 

is TV the ultimate authority?

 

shouldn't people [society and individuals being separate competing entities in a not entirely symbiotic relationship, where some of us a parasitic and even poisonous to society] have the right to do whatever is necessary to survive and prosper? whats wrong with greed debauchery and sloth etc? as long as individuals pull their weight in society and don't infringe on the "equal" rights of others?

 

why should "we" frown upon and brow bash the "freaks" and "deviants" in society? for they are we and we have as much right to our idiosyncrasies and pervertions and minor legal transgretions as even the most uptight conservative or othodox christian [who according to some are a minority and no longer the moral standard for the "rest of us", the paris hiltons and madonnas and j-los replaced them long ago].

 

people revere tv (massmedia) more than the holy mother church (god) or state (gov't). which in reality means those forces who wish to control the masses have to do so through control of the media.. if they all shout through the same hole how can they hope to control anything? their collective voices are drowned out. what does this mishmash of conflicting signals do to people? dunno. and thats why i made this thread, to get an idea from y'all what you think the media is doing to the people. is it an effective tool to control a population far too big and self indulgent to listen to church or state?

[Dundasbro]

Great answer, sorry about the misunderstanding. :hihi: