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Violence in Playboy magazine: a longitudinal analysis.
1Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1353.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|August 1, 1987
Summary
This study found that violent content in Playboy magazine from 1954-1983 was rare, with depictions decreasing in recent years. The findings challenge claims of increasing violence in such publications.
Area of Science:
- Media Studies
- Sociology
- Content Analysis
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding the societal impact of violence depicted in adult magazines like Playboy.
- The Attorney General's Commission on Pornography and Obscenity has highlighted potential harms from the fusion of sex and violence in media.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and analyze the prevalence of violent content in Playboy magazine over a 30-year period (1954-1983).
- To determine if the amount of violence depicted in the magazine was increasing or decreasing over time.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive examination of all cartoons and pictorials in Playboy magazine issues from January 1954 to December 1983.
- Quantitative analysis of violent depictions, calculating averages and ratios relative to total content and pages.
Main Results:
- Violent cartoons averaged 6.92 per year (0.58/issue); violent pictorials averaged 1.89 per year (0.16/issue).
- The ratio of violent content to total content was low (25.2/1000 cartoons, 8.6/1000 pictorials).
- A curvilinear trend was observed, indicating a decrease in violent depictions in later years of the study period.
Conclusions:
- The overall incidence of violent cartoons and pictorials in Playboy during the analyzed period was infrequent.
- The observed decrease in violent content contradicts arguments for increased censorship based on rising violence in such magazines.