Parents' Group Slams TV 'Sexualisation'

The Parents Television Council has again criticised the representation of teenage sexuality on US television. The campaign group carried out a study which examined the level of "sexualisation" in the 25 most popular programmes among 12- to 17-year-olds. The report looked at sexual innuendo, "erotic kissing" and "erotic touching", "implied intercourse" and "implied nudity".

It allegedly found that underage females are shown taking part in a higher percentage of sexual activities than adults are and only 5% "communicated any form of dislike for being sexualised". The report also claimed that 93% of the sexual situations involving underage girls represented an "unhealthy" sexuality, that 98% occurred outside of a "committed relationship" and that 73% were used as a punchline or in a humorous context.

According to the Los Angeles Times, shows which stood out in the report included Glee, The Vampire Diaries, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. The PTC's president Tim Winter also expressed concerns about MTV's upcoming series Skins.


The PTC has repeatedly criticised MTV's new remake, calling the show "dangerous". The organisation criticised the show's marketing for showing instances of "drug use and casual sex".

"Despite the MA-rating for Skins, MTV appears to be deliberately targeting teens with its marketing campaign," argued Winter. "Skins may well be the most dangerous show for children that we have ever seen."

He also claimed that the campaign "makes light of lying to parents" and promotes "harmful, irresponsible, illegal and adult-themed" behaviour. "The trailers we have seen thus far make sexual objects of almost every single one of its characters," he continued. The PTC has previously expressed concern about the show, accusing it of being part of a "sexualisation" of television.

Winter said: "The results from this report show Tinseltown's eagerness to not only objectify and fetishise young girls, but to sexualise them in such a way that real teens are led to believe their sole value comes from their sexuality.

"TV executives have made it their business to profit off of programmes that depict teen girls blissfully being sexualised by casual partners... Clearly there are inherent dangers in having a cultural milieu that accepts and encourages this sexual contradiction of encouraging underage girls to look sexy, yet realising they know very little about what it means to be sexual."

However, the organisation TV Watch, which is backed by a number of networks, said: "Parents understand that all programming is not for all children and, according to polling solely conducted among parents, take seriously their efforts to ensure their children view what is appropriate based on their age, taste and values. What is increasingly difficult to take seriously is a patchwork of studies characterised by vagaries and omissions, apparently intended to raise money because the group has the word 'parents' in its name."