{"id":92121,"date":"2019-07-01T14:25:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T18:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/liberals-and-conservatives-have-wildly-different-tv-viewing-habits-but-these-5-shows-bring-everyone-together\/"},"modified":"2019-07-01T14:25:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T18:25:25","slug":"liberals-and-conservatives-have-wildly-different-tv-viewing-habits-but-these-5-shows-bring-everyone-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/liberals-and-conservatives-have-wildly-different-tv-viewing-habits-but-these-5-shows-bring-everyone-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberals and Conservatives Have Wildly Different TV-Viewing Habits \u2013 But These 5 Shows Bring Everyone Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liberals and Conservatives Have Wildly Different TV-Viewing Habits \u2013 But These 5 Shows Bring Everyone Together<\/b><\/p>\n

Shemar Moore in \u201cCriminal Minds\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s been a lot of concern about how conservatives and liberals consume their news from sources that merely confirm their preexisting beliefs<\/a>. The result, supposedly, has been a disintegration of a shared reality and a fracturing of the nation\u2019s political life.<\/p>\n

But does this trend<\/a> extend to the shows we choose to watch on TV to relax and unwind?<\/p>\n

Since 2007<\/a>, the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California has been tracking how Americans\u2019 favorite TV shows are connected to their attitudes on a host of hot-button political issues. <\/p>\n

In each of these studies \u2013 including our most recent one<\/a> \u2013 we found that people with different political beliefs seem to be drawn to different types of TV entertainment. <\/p>\n

But in the most recent study, there was also a distinct overlap: certain shows that appealed to everyone across the political spectrum. These programs, we found, tend to have a quality that, at the very least, hints at some shared values in a polarizing age.<\/p>\n

Preferences of \u2018Blues,\u2019 \u2018Purples\u2019 and \u2018Reds\u2019<\/h2>\n

For the study, we surveyed more than 3,000 people using a national sample designed to represent the U.S. population. <\/p>\n

Respondents were asked about their entertainment preferences, viewing behaviors and their feelings about specific television shows. They were also asked about their happiness, political beliefs, voting history and personal traits. <\/p>\n

Using a statistical clustering analysis<\/a>, we identified three ideological groups in the United States that share common attitudes and values, regardless of voting history or political party preferences. <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Blues, who have liberal attitudes toward abortion, the environment, guns, marriage and immigration, make up 47% of the population. This group has the most women<\/a> and the largest number of African Americans. They\u2019re also the least satisfied with their lives.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Purples, a swing group comprising 18% of the population, hold positions across the political spectrum. This group has the largest share of Asians and Hispanics, and those in it are the most religious and the most satisfied with their lives.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Reds make up 35% of the country and hold conservative views on most issues. They\u2019re sympathetic toward the police and skeptical about affirmative action, immigrants and Islam. Reds have the highest proportion of senior citizens.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Each group demonstrated its own particular taste in media and entertainment. <\/p>\n

    Blues like many more TV shows than Reds and are open to viewing foreign films and TV series, as well as content that doesn\u2019t reflect their values. Many Blues enjoy watching \u201cModern Family<\/a>,\u201d \u201cThe Big Bang Theory<\/a>,\u201d \u201cThe Simpsons<\/a>,\u201d \u201cSouth Park<\/a>\u201d and \u201cLaw & Order: SVU<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Purples are the most voracious TV viewers and enjoy more about the viewing experience than other groups. They appreciate the educational value of TV programming and are the most likely to say they take action based on what they learn about politics and social issues from fictional movies and TV shows. Their favorite shows include \u201cThe Voice<\/a>\u201d and \u201cDancing with the Stars<\/a>,\u201d but they also like \u201cSaturday Night Live<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a favorite among Blues as well \u2013 and \u201cDuck Dynasty<\/a>,\u201d which is preferred by Reds.<\/p>\n

    Reds say they seldom watch entertainment TV, but when they do, many claim they watch for an adrenaline boost. They prefer the Hallmark, History and Ion channels far more than others, while their favorite show is \u201cNCIS<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

    The shows that bring everyone together<\/h2>\n

    And yet there was some significant overlap. <\/p>\n

    Five shows that all three ideological groups watched include \u201cAmerica\u2019s Funniest Home Videos<\/a>,\u201d \u201cBones<\/a>,\u201d \u201cCriminal Minds,\u201d \u201cMythBusters<\/a>\u201d and \u201cPawn Stars<\/a>.\u201d Four of these shows were well-liked, but \u201cPawn Stars\u201d was actually one of the least-liked shows in our sample of 50. (We concluded that \u201cPawn Stars\u201d had the dubious distinction of being the most hate-watched show in America.)<\/p>\n

    But what about those four shows that everyone seems to like? What common elements might they share? <\/p>\n

    My suspicion, one that we\u2019ll explore in the next iteration of this study, is that all four of these shows \u2013 and even \u201cPawn Stars,\u201d to an extent \u2013 value truth.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBones\u201d and \u201cCriminal Minds\u201d are classic police procedurals: whodunits that follow a string of clues to arrive at a fact-based conclusion. \u201cMythBusters\u201d is entirely about the delights of scientific skepticism and the quest for truth. And I would argue that the clips seen on \u201cAmerica\u2019s Funniest Home Videos\u201d remain appealing after all these years precisely because they\u2019re so raw and unscripted; we all delight in real human foibles, the stuff that we think we couldn\u2019t make up if we tried. Even in \u201cPawn Stars,\u201d customers discover the true market value of their treasured items. <\/p>\n

    In a cultural moment defined by moral panic around fake news and alternative facts<\/a>, perhaps it shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that the neutral ground Americans of all political stripes have chosen is storytelling devoted to finding the bad guy<\/a>, debunking the myth and exposing how silly humans can really be.<\/p>\n

    Johanna Blakley<\/a>, Managing Director, The Norman Lear Center, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    The post Liberals and Conservatives Have Wildly Different TV-Viewing Habits \u2013 But These 5 Shows Bring Everyone Together<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    Liberals and Conservatives Have Wildly Different TV-Viewing Habits \u2013 But These 5 Shows Bring Everyone Together<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n