A weekly look at sex and culture, by the numbers
As a culture, we spend a lot of time watching TV. We also spend a lot of time thinking about sex, so it’s no surprise that the two go hand-in-hand. This week’s Sex By Numbers takes a look at this cozy cultural marriage.
150: Number of college students in a recent study that watched a variety of TV shows—including 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Tudors—and then answered questions about their attitude toward women. The study found shows that with a strong female lead can “eliminate the negative effects of sexually violent media.”
38: When asked who or what influences them most in regards to sex, 38% of respondents said their parents were the main influencers; just 9% named the media or TV as the most influential.
24: Number of hours that a Japanese satellite adult TV channel aired a “breast squeeze” benefit to raise money for AIDs awareness.
1st: This week, Fatma Nabil became the first female Egyptian news presenter to wear a hijab on air. Despite the fact that 70% of Egyptian women wear the veil, it’s generally not seen on state television.
$15 Billion: Despite what TV coverage of the RNC might lead you to believe, Americans in conservative states are still getting frisky; a study found that the rate of purchase of sex toys (which generates $15 billion annually in the U.S.) was highest in states that are “generally considered socially conservative.”
25%: In a bold move by the Scottish government to increase the rate of early breast cancer detection by 25%, TV adverts showing the graphic and visible effects of cancer on breasts are now being targeted to Scottish women.
10: Number of installments in a new TV series which will seek to debunk common sex myths—like whether or not there is a scientific explanation for beer goggles. The self-proclaimed authority on all things sexual? Playboy TV, of course.
8: Number of years since HBO’s Sex and the City went off the air. Despite this, Newsroom creator Aaron Sorkin still felt the need to not-so-subtly lambast the series on his show’s season finale.