PTC Urges End to Sexualization in Media

New research that finds females are more sexualized in TV than in films. The PTC says: Enough is enough! A new research study from from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California shows that female characters in TV and movies are “more likely than males to be shown in sexy attire, and with some nudity,” and that female characters “were more likely to be shown scantily clad and partially naked in broadcast, cable, and streaming content” than in movies. (Read the full study here.) “USC’s Annenberg School deserves huge applause for producing such a comprehensive report and for highlighting the troubling findings. Specifically related to the PTC’s mission, the Annenberg report exposed Hollywood’s sexualization problem. Females, and particularly young girls, need positive role models that they can aspire to. Instead, the data shows TV’s persistence at showing scantily clad or nude female characters, which science has shown to adversely impact viewers,” said PTC President Tim Winter. “Our own research found that underage female characters on prime-time broadcast television are more likely to be presented in sexually exploitative scenes than adult women, and the appearance of underage female characters in a sexually exploitative scene increased the probability that the scene would be presented as humorous. “Hollywood, the world is watching your example. What you portray on TV and in film truly matters. “We applaud the extraordinary effort undertaken by Dr. Stacy Smith and the other members of the talented USC/Annenberg Team, and we echo their call for positive change. Given this new evidence, we are asking people to sign our petition at www.4EveryGirl.com that calls on the entertainment industry to create a media environment where young girls feel valued and are defined by healthy media images of themselves.” The Parents Television Council’s “4 Every Girl Campaign” seeks to call attention to and reverse the sexualized media messages that are having a devastating impact on young girls. To learn more about 4Every Girl, click here.