New Study Finds Women and Girls Underrepresented and Oversexualized in Media

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has recently issued a report of the results of studies conducted about gender in media. The results can be viewed here (PDF). Among them:

Study 1: G-rated movies from 1990-Jan. 2005:

• Fewer than one out of three (28%) of the speaking characters (both real and animated) are female.
• More than four out of five (83%) of the films’ narrators are male.
• 85.5% of the characters in G-rated films are white, 4.8% are black, and 9.7% are from “other” ethnicities.

Study 2: G-, PG-, PG-13, R-Rated Prevalence and Portrayal, 1990-2006

• 73% of the characters are male. This translates into a ratio of 2.71 males to every 1 female.
• Females were over five times as likely as males to be shown in sexually revealing clothing, which was defined as attire that enhances, exaggerates, or calls attention to any part of the body from neck to knees.
• Females were nearly three times as likely as males (10.6% vs. 3.4%) to be shown with a thin figure.
• Style of presentation affects how females are featured in G-rated films. Animated females are more likely to be shown in a thin and sexy light than are live action females.

Rainbow Brite got a “backlash” makeover…

From here, where there is more data and analysis.

–Ann Bartow