ADULTERY & THE MEDIA.   Term Paper ID:24926 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Analyzes trends in adultery & impact of media coverage of infidelity among politicians, celebrities, military personnel.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Analyzes trends in adultery & impact of media coverage of infidelity among politicians, celebrities, military personnel. Paper Introduction: ADULTERY AND THE MEDIA Introduction This research paper presents an evaluation of adultery and how it is treated in the media. Incidence and prevalence of adultery are noted. The history of media coverage, values, attitudes, and beliefs, and current media coverage of adultery are discussed. Incidence & Prevalence The National Opinion Research Center reports that 20 percent of American men and 10 percent of American women are not faithful in their marriages and gender is the most constant predictor of marital infidelity. Media reports cite higher percentages. Alfred Kinsey stated that around half of the men and a quarter of the women in his samples had committed adultery. Playboy Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Results showed that for men six predictors of infidelityemerged: the belief that adultery was not wrong; dissatisfaction withfamily life; perception of poor health; recent psychological counseling;admission of drunkenness and smoking. Don Flinninsisted that his sister's case was not one of media manipulation (Capaccio12-13). Examples of media coverage of adultery include tabloid exposure ofFrank and Kathie Lee Gifford. "Painful times for a celebrity couple." Maclean's 5(1997): 66.----------------------- 6 A seemingly idyllic marriage was shatteredwhen a tabloid (The Globe) reported that Gifford had a fling with a marriedflight attendant (Johnson). According to Newsweek, adultery is very hot, but it haschanged. "Bad tendencies." MEDIAWEEK 6.37 (1996): 38.Lippert, Barbara. A Newsweek polldemonstrated that people who condemn extramarital sex, do not think itshould disqualify someone for high office; an extramarital affair was theleast likely to cause a person to vote against the offender. Adultery continues despitemedia coverage and personal values and the media continues to treat itaccording to demand. Attimes legitimate attempts seem to be made, to report latest opinions andvalues as stated by scientists and psychologists, and national surveys.Other media reports may be more interested in sensationalism, than truth.Additional use of the media includes deliberate manipulation of publicopinion to sway court cases. Correlations of .34 between adultery attitudes andbehavior decline to .33 when frequency of church attendance and religiousaffiliation are considered (Greeley 9-13). Marriage counselors state that there seems to be more interest innot getting caught; for a man to get caught is now a sign of stupidityrather than a previous sign of virility. Adler refers to an example of a man who sued his wife for divorce dueto her racy computer messages to a man she had never met, calling heractions adultery. For an Atlanta psychiatrist, Dr. Frank Pittman, authorof a book on infidelity, affairs are not as sexual as imagined andinfidelity has more to do with whom you lie to than whom you lie with.This view is different from the earlier belief that infidelity is mainlyabout sex. Women may not mind as much if theirspouse does not become emotionally involved, and men are more likely tocondone adultery for themselves than for their wives. Scientists are stating that many bird species have relationsoutside the family nest. Attempts are made to explain contributions to adultery. It is estimated that with existing patterns, adultery rates formen will increase to 3 percent and for women they will increase to 15percent (2 percent for working women) (Greeley 9-13). The New Republic 21 .5 (1994): 8.Payne, Gregory, and Kevin Mercuri. "Private lives, public officials: the challenge to mainstream media." American Behavioral Scientist 37.2 (1993): 291-3 2.Rauch, Jonathan. These men may have an increasedmale hormone, testosterone. A man reported that during his 28 year marriage, his wife hadother sexual partners and it would have been unreasonable to object; hestated that people should seek the kind of harmless pleasure that sexshould be (French 26). Women notice that men may have sexwithout love. According to the media, current views ofadultery are that it is wrong, but not as wrong if handled discretely,particularly for public officials. Alfred Kinsey stated that aroundhalf of the men and a quarter of the women in his samples had committedadultery. Family therapists report moreconservatism regarding affairs, rather than being wild and unpredictable,they are more thoughtful. A function of the media is to alert the public of emergingnew trends. "Live and let lie: the case for hypocrisy aboutadultery." The New Republic 217.12 (1997): 24-29.Schneider, William. Others argue that Flinn's case was tried on television withwidespread sympathy generated through this media (Schneider 111 ). The Hite Report concluded that 72 percent of married mencommitted adultery. Different kinds of infidelity are named: those seeking better sex orfeelings of being desirable and respected; those angry at their spouses;those who habitually end up in a stranger's bed with a hangover and lack ofmemory; and those who attach to another in a nonsexual affair. The evolutionists believe that natural selectionor the process by which the strongest genes of a species are passed to thenext generations, is at work. The example of a society out of balance is one wherea sexual harassment charge is more of a news story than when Russia says itwill no longer point nuclear weapons (Carlson 26). Young women are now morelikely to stray than the men. "Cheating." Ladies Home Journal 113.9 (1996): 76-79.French, Sean. These stories lead most major newspapers; the day after theSupreme Court ruled regarding Jones' lawsuit, the story was above theannouncement by Boris Yeltsin at NATO summit stating that he would nolonger target nuclear missiles at the Western alliance. They therefore assume that sexual infidelity meansemotional infidelity as well. Values, Attitudes, & Beliefs Media coverage of values, attitudes, and beliefs are exemplified byRauch, who states that social stability still demands a moral scrupleagainst infidelity and American culture has returned to the pretense thatit doesn't exist as long as it is discreet (24). Itis believed that the prominence of lurid revelations about the antics ofmen in high places, has resulted in voters turning their heads (Adler 54-59). For females, the goal is to select the male withthe best genes and also one who will invest in the offspring. Steyn reports that the media's treatment of the president's allegedsex scandal, has allowed the president to use sex as a shield for otherdissembling (A18). It isbelieved that if a man is with a prostitute, there is something wrong withhim, and if he is having an affair, there may be something wrong with thewife. Psychologists state that men think women onlyhave sex when they are in love, and if they have sex with another man, theylove him as well. Lippert reports that the media's attention to adulterymay be motivated by a societal need to have the issues of fidelity andpower clarified (3 ). An affair is established by a secret intimacy with someoneand lying about it to someone else. "Marital infidelity." Society 31.4 (1994): 9-13.Grossberger, Lewis. Thehistory of media coverage, values, attitudes, and beliefs, and currentmedia coverage of adultery are discussed. The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior in America reportsthat a third of married American men and a quarter of married women haveparticipated in marital infidelity. Factorsincluded are unhappy family lives, low levels of sexual activity withspouse, absence of religious and moral motivation, disorganized or troubledpersonal lives, and addictive behavior. This tendency is exemplified with thecoverage regarding Dick Morris (38). Writers statethat forgiveness is demonstrated regarding Clinton and sexual reports. Somebelieve that prostitution may offer positive alternatives for the wife. Adulterous women appeared to bemore driven by relational problems than by psychological problems. In the past thiswould have been regarded as the decent thing to do, however, currentreactions of American women included feelings of being let down. Women are asserting their right to sexuality and sexual pleasure andmore women in the work force have access to men. New York 3 .24(1997): 3 .Mollins, Carl. Preoccupation withadultery results in lawsuits, dishonorable discharges, job losses, bookcontracts, and political meltdowns. Other reports state that the public currently (199 s) views adulteryin a more conservative manner than it did in the 197 s. "Adultery nation: the media hysteria over celebrity andmilitary sex reeks of mere exploitation - but beneath it all might therelurk a collective longing for a moral course correction? Magazines report that scientists are skeptical about the evolutionaryexplanation for adultery. The male's best strategy is to cast his seedas much as possible and a greater number of partners improves the chanceshis genes will pass on. According to media reports, these values and attitudes of the 9 s donot necessarily apply to someone in high office. Thestrongest predictor for marital infidelity is the moral principle againstinfidelity which has not changed in twenty years (Greeley 9-13). ADULTERY AND THE MEDIA Introduction This research paper presents an evaluation of adultery and how it istreated in the media. "Infidelity and the science of cheating." Newsweek 128.27(1996): 56-6 .Bennets, Leslie. Regarding Clintonand alleged adultery charges, Carlson reports that there is little hope oftruth and stories are apt to receive more coverage than nuclear disarmament(26). The media campaign included the message thatthe Air Force was quilty of using a double standard against Flinn,prosecuting for offenses ignored when committed by men. For men and working women similar correlations werefound between low levels of family satisfaction and adultery. Differences between working andnon-working women seems to be concentrated among those in their forties andfifties. The 1991 General Social Survey measured variables of adulterousbehavior. A 1974 National Opinion Research Center survey of attitudestoward extramarital sex revealed the belief that adultery was always wrongfor the majority of every age group, however, the margin was smallest among18- to 29-year-olds (59 percent agreed). Attitudes regarding infidelity haveremained the same in America for the twenty years since the General SocialSurvey was begun. This beliefis used to explain why males are more likely to have extramarital affairs.Anthropologists state that nearly 1, of the 1,154 human societies everstudied, have permitted men to have more than one wife ("Till" 3). It appears that it does both. Adultery rates are only 1 percentfor those who think it is wrong (8 percent of married respondents). Forworking women the attitudes and beliefs were somewhat different.Dissatisfaction with family life and psychological counseling wereprominent predictors. Current attitudes are that the deepest betrayal is of the heartrather than the flesh (Adler 54-59). Grossberger states that recent periodicals reveal trends regardingadultery; it has become popular in the US though most do not approve of it. Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of it but continue to commitit. Other examples include aletter in response to a column about adultery that stated, a woman feltanger toward her unfaithful husband, but understood he was actingnaturally. The plan was for peopleto view the Air Force case as ridiculous; interviews were granted with theFlinns with the Washington Post and CBS' 6 Minutes, two months in advanceof the court-martial date. The Washington Post reported that the Globeoffered Johnson $1 , to lure Gifford into bed (Wickens 66). Gender is the most consistent predictor of infidelityrates, however as the number of women in the work force increases, adulteryrates for women are likely to increase. Although Americans state that they reject adultery, media reportspoint out that it still exists and statistics haven't changed much since1988. Regarding adultery, some believe thatit is the lying that affects public opinion, others state it is the sexualmisconduct. "I'm all for simplicity and have sometimes thought that men should go back to marrying virgins, if there are any left." New Statesman 126.4342 (1996): 26.Brown, Jane D., and Jeanne R. Publicfigures demonstrate sexual tolerance. Adultery tends to bother a woman less than it does aman. "Liar, liar, pants on fire..." Time 149.23 (1997):26.Greeley, Andrew M. Mass Media & Infidelity Mass media, including prime time television, music videos, magazines,advertising, and the news media, provide information regarding sexualbehavior that has an affect on the public perception of sexuality. Radio adds admit theyare more interested in boosting circulation than in serious journalism.For example, stories stating that affairs, deceptions, and abuse of publictrust and money with regard to Clinton and inauguration, were reported withno evidence whatsoever ("News" 8). Inthis case the wife is unlikely to run into her husband's hooker. Writers state that women gravitate to menwho have status, money, class, and rank. For example Roger Vadim, whiledirecting And God Created Woman, made no attempt to thwart his wifeBrigitte Bardot's infidelity with her co-star (French 26). Marriage and Divorce, in 1977, stated that 7 percentof all Americans are involved in an extramarital affair sometime duringtheir marriage. The claim that mediacoverage of adultery is an attempt to resolve the conflict may be valid.However, it may also be true that media coverage is nothing more than anattempt to capitalize on the existing dilemma. Incidence and prevalence of adultery are noted. Media coverage of Kelly Flinn also brought attention to adultery.The media was used to manipulate Flinn's public image. Mediaoutlets fail to promote medically accurate and health-promoting messages;healthy sexual behavior is not communicated (Brown & Steele 3). Conclusion The question remains, does the media report current views on adulteryor does it manipulate public opinion. These statistics are not based onnational probability samples and several are based on self-selected samples(Greeley 9-13). This controversy undermined Gary Hart's integrity as acandidate and yet Bill Clinton's presidential stock was strengtheneddespite charges of adultery. Incidence & Prevalence The National Opinion Research Center reports that 2 percent ofAmerican men and 1 percent of American women are not faithful in theirmarriages and gender is the most constant predictor of marital infidelity.Media reports cite higher percentages. This traditional male behavior can be practiced as long as it is done withsensitivity. "The Kelly Flinn spin patrol." American Journalism Review 19.7 (1997): 12-13.Carlson, Margaret. "Pandora's boxer shorts: because of the mainstream media's squeamishness about the subject, the president has been able to use sex as a shield for all his other dissembling." The Wall Street Journal 3.3 (1998): A18."Till death do us part." Canada and the World Backgrounder 62.5 (1997): 3.Wickens, Barbara. This view is used to explain why famous,powerful men such as Jack Kennedy or Dick Morris may be prone to affairs(Adler 54-59). People in their 6 s show anoverwhelming rejection of adultery (Adler 54-59). Flinn was coachedfor the barrage of press attention she received. "Sexuality and the mass media: anoverview." SIECUS Report 24.4 (1996): 3-1 .Capaccio, Tony. Works CitedAdler, Jerry. When politicalconsultant Dick Morris became a tabloid story with regard to his yearlongaffair with a call girl, his wife stuck by her husband. Couples are more likely to stay together afteran affair because it is better for the children, and because althoughsexual betrayal is painful, divorce is also painful (Adler 54-59).Infidelity can be viewed as a sign that a marriage needs to change and bothparties can examine how they contributed to the problem that resulted inadultery (Bennets 76). Carlson points out that a visitor from another planet who read thepapers regarding First Lieutenant Kelly Flinn, Marv Albert, Frank Gifford,Michael Kennedy, and Paula Jones would think that national pastimes wereabout sex. Other media accounts condone adultery with evolutionary explanations. Evaluation of media coverage showed thatstandards regarding credibility pertained to the medium (Payne & Mercuri291). Womenpredictors included the following: moral conviction; job loss; conflictwith spouse; and trouble with a child. Playboy asserted that 42 percent of the white middle class menand 25 percent of the white middle class women had participated inadultery. "Yet again, the political is the personal." National Journal 29.22 (1997): 111 .Steyn, Mark. "The 'fornigate' question: Bill Clinton faces renewedallegations of past marital infidelity." Maclean's 1 4.8 (1994): 27-29."News from the gutter. Today, this group, now in their4 s, condemned adultery by 74 percent. Thepercent rises to 7 percent for those who do not think it is wrong (1percent of married respondents). They also know that a woman can beemotionally intimate with a man without having sex; they therefore viewsexual betrayal as a double threat. The old belief that birds pair up for life with its image of lovebirds, isin question. Another change includes the definition that adultery no longer has tobe about sex. Cosmopolitan stated that 54 percent of married women have had atleast one affair. History of Media Views Marital infidelity was a major issue in presidential elections in1988 and 1992. Adultery is not associated with education, religious affiliation, orgeographic region. Steele. Adulterous men tended to haveaddictive personalities with mental and physical problems. "Adultery: a new furor over an old sin." Newsweek 128.14 (1996): 54-59.Begley, Sharon. New viewsare that adultery is not just about sex, and Morris went beyond sex intothe realm of intimacy with his long-term relationship (Adler 54-59). Sexual behavior is said to be a faulty gauge of the measure ofa man since it would rule out many a great president. Women also find that men do not form emotional attachments easily andwhen they do it is a real threat to the relationship (Begley 56-6 ). Therefore a man's sexual betrayal may not mean he has fallenin love with another. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.