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Uses of Sex Appeals in Prime-Time Television Commercials

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Abstract

This study examines how sex appeals employed bymale and female models were utilized in Americantelevision commercials. It centers on the physicalcharacteristics and behavior of models appearing during primetime network programs, including bodilyshape, clothing revealment, physical contact, sexiness,attractiveness and physical as well as verbal innuendo.The study was based on 505 coding units sampled from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the major broadcastnetworks taped during a composite week of programming.The racial background of models was as follows:Caucasian (89.3%), Black (10.1%), Hispanic (.2%), Native American (.2%) and Asian (.2%). Resultsindicate that these commercials generally were notdominated by sex, although 12% of models appear in somestate of undress, and 8% feature sexually-orientedconduct. As both male and female models were depicted asequal sensual beings, females were presented as sexobjects more often than males.

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  1. Carolyn A. Lin
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Lin, C.A. Uses of Sex Appeals in Prime-Time Television Commercials. Sex Roles 38, 461–475 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018714006829

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