Regardless of the overwhelming heterosexuality of main-stream news representations, portrayals of homosexual and lesbian people on tv are becoming significantly more widespread since 1997 whenever Ellen became 1st tv program to possess a gay leading character. This enhance is seen in the introduction of homosexual characters on many programs such as for example Spin City, ER, Dawson’s Creek, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in addition to implies that consider homosexual figures in leading functions such as for instance Will and Grace and it is All Relative. In addition, cable channels have actually included programs such as for example Queer as Folk, Six Feet Under, and Oz that depict homosexual characters much more plot that is complex sufficient reason for more explicit sexual habits.

Even though the existence of lgbt figures might have increased recently on both commercial broadcast and cable companies, it’s ambiguous just exactly how often television addresses the intimate issues and issues of intimate minorities.

As noted previously, when homosexual and lesbian figures have actually been incorporated into programs, they usually have usually been portrayed in asexual contexts. Furthermore, nearly all of exactly exactly what happens to be posted up to now about homosexuality and tv happens to be qualitative (including show that is single studies), concentrating on exactly exactly exactly how particular programs have actually portrayed homosexual figures. Although many content analyses have actually evaluated the actual quantity of sexual content shown on tv generally speaking (Cope Farrar & Kunkel, 2002; Greenberg et al., 1993; Kunkel et al., 1999, 2003; Kunkel, Cope Farrar, Biely, Maynard Farinola, & Donnerstein, 2001; Sapolsky & Tabarlet, 1991; Ward, 1995), none have actually reported in the prevalence of intimate portrayals and explore sexual dilemmas linked to gays, lesbians, or bisexuals.

This paper is targeted on factors assessing nonheterosexual content that had been included as an element of two bigger content analyses examining intimate content more broadly on US tv.

Information through the 2001 2002 and 2002 2003 tv periods are accustomed to respond to questions in regards to the prevalence and regularity of intimate behavior and intimate talk relating to nonheterosexuals. Especially, the information analyses address two research that is broad: (1) as to the extent are nonheterosexual sexual themes, particularly intimate behavior and speak about sex, found in tv development general and exactly just what patterns emerge across system genres, system kinds, and prime time versus nonprime time development? (2) When nonheterosexual sexual content does happen, what’s its regularity and exactly how does it differ across genres, sort of system, and prime time versus nonprime time development?

System Examples

A 3 composite week sampling plan ended up being utilized to have two large yearly random types of tv programs of best interest to adolescents and therefore were comprehensive of all portions for the tv industry. Programs had been taped from 11 channels 6 commercial broadcast companies (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, and WB) and 5 cable sites (BET, Cinemax, HBO, MTV, and Showtime). Since the content analyses had been section of a bigger research study on tv visibility and adolescent sexuality, a few sites had been included due to their interest young audiences including UPN, which televises a considerable quantity of programs with young African American characters (age.g., The Steve Harvey Show, Moesha, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, One using one); WB, which tailors its development to white youth, with programs such as Gilmore Girls, 7th paradise, Sabrina, and Smallville; and MTV, which ultimately shows music videos as well as other programs (age.g., dating truth programs) watched by numerous teenagers and adults.

Composite week sampling designs have now been found in past analysis that is content to get representative types of tv development (Kunkel et al., 1999, 2001, 2003; Madden & Grube, 1994; Wallack, Grube, Madden, & Breed, 1990; Wilson et al., 1997). This sampling strategy involves randomly choosing times of the week or particular time slots for recording over many weeks to cut back prospective bias that may be introduced if all taping had been done within a calendar week that is single. Recording for the test happened mainly more than a 7 period in the fall each year week. Because season premiere episodes are staggered for the month of September, we started taping when all nonsyndicated series had been showing episodes through the season that is current. Each week, three various days of the week had been arbitrarily chosen for taping from all 11 channels, along with a week associated with the week represented 3 times within the test. The 8 hour time block for taping extended from 3:00 p.m. (from which time youth that is most are away from school) to 11:00 p.m. (through prime time). The entire process of recapturing chaturbate ebony females missed episodes (like those which is why the satellite sign had been lost or even the show was pre empted by sporting or any other events that are special proceeded through the winter season.