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indiantelevision.com Team
MUMBAI: Teenage female characters and sex are the main ingredients that spice up the prime time slot of broadcast network TV series, according to a report titled: TV?s Newest Target: Teen Sexual Exploitation - The Prevalence and Trivialization of Teen Sexual Exploitation on Primetime TV.
The report is released by Parents Television Council (PTC), an advocacy group in the US. The 2013 report is third in a series; the previous editions being launched in 2009 and 2010.
The PTC report released this year looked at scripted original programs aired during primetime. Around 238 episodes for a total of 194.5 hours were analysed for four different months between 2011-12, concentrating on indentifying all sexual dialogue and depictions associated with females as well as scenes containing sexual exploitation.
The report stated that 33 per cent of the content ?rose to the levels of sexual exploitation? while 63 per cent of the total episodes had varying levels of association of females and sexual content.
Prominent shows that are mentioned in the report include Last man standing, Family Guy, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Private Practice among others. An inverse relation existed between the age of a female and the frequency of instances of sexual exploitation, according to the study. Most broadcasters for these shows such as Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS etc. did not have any rebuttal for the claim made. They were also mum on a previous report that was released by the PTC that violence remained a prime time delicacy to broadcast.
Pornography and stripping were the leading topics used as humour content. "Young people are having difficulty managing the distinction between appropriate and inappropriate sexual conduct and TV?s confusing messages are one reason," said PTC board member Delman Coates.
The study also noted that ?numerous? scenes had more than one female and underage girls (below 17) were the highest targets out of the total scenes depicting female sexual exploitation with 23 per cent. In terms of content, sexually violent scenes were popularly given to underage females while pornography to adult females.
However, the report also clarified that out of the 268, only 19 were depictions while the rest were references to such instances. The report further states that the norm is to trivialize the issue which would have been otherwise had serious repercussions. It also highlights the constant association of humor with sexual exploitation and shrugging it off as ?entertainment?.
An interesting thing to ponder and debate upon is the effect such scenes have on young men and women regarding the female sex. To support the claims it has made, the report has also given examples. One example from Law and Order: Special Victims unit talks about the vaginal and anal rape of a woman as well as mutilation of her face and fingers using power tools.
The PTC is a non-partisan, non-profit grassroots organization that protects children and families from graphic sex, violence and profanity in entertainment.
Said Tim Winter, President, PTC: "The PTC Report 2013 is intended to shed light on a new and very troubling trend. We?re seeing a growing amount of primetime television programming that is sexually exploitative; and much of that content is being used as a punch line to a joke. It is a matter of concern, as such content can have serious implications on kids."
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