GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Potentially offensive content in movies has sparked debate about the standards used to determine movie ratings and the obligation of theater owners to limit the access youth have to R-rated films. A Gallup poll conducted July 16-18 measured public reaction to potentially offensive movie content. The findings reveal Americans are most offended by content containing racial stereotypes or graphic violence and somewhat less offended by frequent profanity or gender stereotypes. They are least offended by nudity or sexual content.
Public Offended by Stereotypes, Violence, and
Profanity
The public frowns most heavily on negative racial stereotypes in
movie content, as 62% say they find such material extremely or very
offensive. Another 22% find it somewhat offensive. Only 15% think
negative racial stereotypes in movies are not too offensive or not
offensive at all. There is little difference between whites and
nonwhites in their reactions to racial stereotypes. Sixty-seven
percent of nonwhites find negative racial stereotypes offensive in
movies, compared to 61% of whites.
Graphic violence in movies is very or extremely offensive to 54% of the public, while only 21% tend not to be offended. Frequent profanity (swear language) on screen is extremely or very offensive to 49% of Americans. Only 24% say such "blue language" is not too offensive or not offensive at all. Negative gender stereotypes in movies also receive bad reviews from the American public. Forty-seven percent find negative gender stereotypes very or extremely offensive, while just 20% find them not too offensive or not offensive at all.
Gender plays a role in the opinions of the public about gender stereotypes, profanity, and graphic violence in movie content. Men find all of these issues less offensive than do women. Fifty-three percent of women find gender stereotypes extremely or very offensive, while 42% of men have the same reaction. This 11% gap persists with regard to profanity in movies, as 54% of women find it extremely or very offensive, compared to 43% of men. Sixty-five percent of women find violent content in movies extremely or very offensive, while only 40% of men react the same way -- the largest difference observed between genders.
It should be noted that respondents' income and education are also related to what Americans find offensive in movie content. For example, 71% of those with postgraduate education (master's degree or higher) find negative racial stereotypes in movies extremely or very offensive. This percentage drops to 56% among those with a high school education or less. Additionally, where negative gender stereotypes in movies are concerned, 42% of those with incomes over $75,000 find such content extremely or very offensive, while 52% of those making under $20,000 feel the same way.
Nudity and Sexual Activity Found Least
Offensive
Only 38% of Americans say they find nudity in movies "extremely" or
"very offensive." Twenty-six percent of the public thinks nudity in
movie content is "only somewhat offensive," while 36% think nudity
is "not too offensive" or "not offensive at all." Americans also
indicate not being overly offended by actual sexual activity in
movies. Just 45% find such material extremely or very offensive
while 29% find it not too offensive or not offensive at all.
Age appears to be a major factor in public opinion of nudity and sexual content in movies. Only 22% of younger Americans (those aged 18-29) find nudity in movies extremely or very offensive, compared to 72% of those aged 65 years or older who give the same responses. The gap increases in the case of sexual activity in movies. Eighty percent of older Americans (65 years and older) find sexual activity in movies extremely or very offensive, while just 25% of 18- to 29-year-olds feel the same way.
Survey Methods
The results below are based on telephone interviews with a randomly
selected national sample of 1,031 adults, 18 years and older,
conducted July 16-18, 1999. For results based on this sample, one
can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error
attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus
3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
We'd like to know how you would feel about certain types of content in movies. If you happened to go to a movie and it included [ROTATE A-F] -- how offensive, if at all, would you find that -- extremely offensive, very offensive, only somewhat offensive, not too offensive, or not offensive at all? How about if it included ... [ROTATE A-F]?
A. Frequent profanity, meaning swear language| Extremely offensive | 24% |
| Very offensive | 25 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 27 |
| Not too offensive | 11 |
| Not offensive at all | 13 |
| No opinion | * |
| 100% |
B. Graphic violence
| Extremely offensive | 27% |
| Very offensive | 27 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 25 |
| Not too offensive | 9 |
| Not offensive at all | 12 |
| No opinion | * |
| 100% |
C. Nudity
| Extremely offensive | 19% |
| Very offensive | 19 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 26 |
| Not too offensive | 14 |
| Not offensive at all | 22 |
| No opinion | * |
| 100% |
D. Sexual activity
| Extremely offensive | 24% |
| Very offensive | 21 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 25 |
| Not too offensive | 13 |
| Not offensive at all | 16 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
E. Negative racial stereotypes
| Extremely offensive | 31% |
| Very offensive | 31 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 22 |
| Not too offensive | 8 |
| Not offensive at all | 7 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
F. Negative gender stereotypes
| Extremely offensive | 20% |
| Very offensive | 27 |
| Only somewhat offensive | 29 |
| Not too offensive | 9 |
| Not offensive at all | 11 |
| No opinion | 4 |
| 100% |
* less than 0.5%
