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Abstract
A content analysis was conducted to assess the overall presence and nature of sexualcontent and gender roles within commercials aired on cable television. An examination ofcommercials from two mens, two womens, and two general audience cable networks revealedapproximately 13% of cable television commercials include sexual content. The analysis alsouncovered significant relationships between network type and presence of sexual content, thenature of sexual content, and the nature of gender portrayals. Overall, general audience networkshad the highest proportion of sexual commercials and some of the most explicit content. Inaddition, while commercials on male networks were expected to be more sexually explicit thanthose on female networks, very few differences were found. As a result, the findings provide amuch-needed sense of prevalence and perspective on sex in advertising on cable television. Theresults also provide a basis for further research on sex in advertising.