My Opinion, Let Me Show You It!
I just got a survey request from the AC Nielsen company, that I figured I'd take as a little break from watching my governor implode and typing boring legal documents. A few questions in, it got really interesting. Unfortunately, it wouldn't let me go back to copy the earlier questions to share with y'all, once I figured out what they were actually asking about (it wouldn't have changed my answers at all, by the way).
They started off asking how much I held an advertiser accountable for what aired on the television shows they advertised during. It also asked me about a few shows I watch (including those that are on exclusively in repeats these days, like Friends and Will & Grace--asking if I'd watched them in the past year) and how much I identify with the characters and whether I find their circumstances realistic. Now, I haven't seen W&G in well over a year, so the only two shows I responded that I'd seen (from their very limited list), were Friends and The Biggest Loser. Two other shows on the list were General Hospital and As the World Turns. (Starting to get an idea where this is going? Heh.)
Then, they moved on to more advertising and show content questions, including whether I would boycott an advertiser's product if I disagreed with the content on a show during which they advertised, and if I make my purchasing decisions based on which shows the product is advertised during. While I said no, I found myself wishing for an option that allowed me to say that I might go out of my way to support an advertiser who advertised on one of my favorite low-rated programs (FNL and SPN), or on a show taking a courageous social stand (IMO, obvs). This was before I figured out the purpose of the survey. I wish even more I'd had the opportunity to expand upon that once I did figure it out.
So, here are the questions that finally beat me over the head with the fact that, apparently, CBS and/or the advertisers who buy spots on As The World Turns want to know how far they're hanging their asses out there if they let the Noah/Luke storyline continue.
We're now going to ask you a few questions about daytime Soap Opera programming, such as "As The World Turns" or "General Hospital". Different people feel that some subjects are appropriate for daytime Soap Opera programming that others might not. On a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means "not appropriate" and 5 means "appropriate" how appropriate are each of the following?
Partial nudity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Use of guns 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Heterosexual sexual activity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Violence 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Smoking cigarettes 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Sexual relationships between teens 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Use of drugs 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Homosexual sexual activity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Let me just say that I answered these questions honestly and as I would have even had I not realized that they could contribute toward the fate of the gay male storyline. Obviously, I could have just hit 5 on the homosexual sexual activity and 1 on all the others or something, but I'm not interested in artificially skewing the results, because I don't think that helps.
The last question, they did let me fill in my own answer. I tried to directly answer the actual question they were asking, to the best of my beliefs. I don't think it's the best summation I've ever given of my opinion on this issue, but I think it more than serves. Also, this was totally my opinion, and while I'll be interested in hearing your opinions, please don't tell me what I "should" have told them. A) It's too late, and B) I was giving them my opinion, not yours.
What do you think about changes in the way that sexual activity - both homosexual and heterosexual - is depicted in TV programs?
I think television has a wonderful opportunity to help eliminate the last widely accepted form of discrimination and bigotry in our country by portraying homosexual relationships as being as normal, if not as common, as heterosexual ones. I think American television censors sex, in general, to a ridiculous degree, while showing rampant violence. I also think that the typical depiction of sex on American television objectifies women and feeds negative sexual stereotypes.
I thought that was pretty neat. I guess we'll know what their responses were if Luke and Noah never get to kiss again. (Note: I haven't ever watched this storyline--or ATWT at all in about ten years--but I've followed the saga through some of you flisters who watch it, and now that it has hit the media. I hope those crazy kids get to make out to their hearts' content on the show, and even get as much nookie as any of the straight characters do.)
They started off asking how much I held an advertiser accountable for what aired on the television shows they advertised during. It also asked me about a few shows I watch (including those that are on exclusively in repeats these days, like Friends and Will & Grace--asking if I'd watched them in the past year) and how much I identify with the characters and whether I find their circumstances realistic. Now, I haven't seen W&G in well over a year, so the only two shows I responded that I'd seen (from their very limited list), were Friends and The Biggest Loser. Two other shows on the list were General Hospital and As the World Turns. (Starting to get an idea where this is going? Heh.)
Then, they moved on to more advertising and show content questions, including whether I would boycott an advertiser's product if I disagreed with the content on a show during which they advertised, and if I make my purchasing decisions based on which shows the product is advertised during. While I said no, I found myself wishing for an option that allowed me to say that I might go out of my way to support an advertiser who advertised on one of my favorite low-rated programs (FNL and SPN), or on a show taking a courageous social stand (IMO, obvs). This was before I figured out the purpose of the survey. I wish even more I'd had the opportunity to expand upon that once I did figure it out.
So, here are the questions that finally beat me over the head with the fact that, apparently, CBS and/or the advertisers who buy spots on As The World Turns want to know how far they're hanging their asses out there if they let the Noah/Luke storyline continue.
We're now going to ask you a few questions about daytime Soap Opera programming, such as "As The World Turns" or "General Hospital". Different people feel that some subjects are appropriate for daytime Soap Opera programming that others might not. On a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means "not appropriate" and 5 means "appropriate" how appropriate are each of the following?
Partial nudity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Use of guns 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Heterosexual sexual activity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Violence 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Smoking cigarettes 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Sexual relationships between teens 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Use of drugs 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Homosexual sexual activity 1 2 3 4 5 Prefer to not answer
Let me just say that I answered these questions honestly and as I would have even had I not realized that they could contribute toward the fate of the gay male storyline. Obviously, I could have just hit 5 on the homosexual sexual activity and 1 on all the others or something, but I'm not interested in artificially skewing the results, because I don't think that helps.
The last question, they did let me fill in my own answer. I tried to directly answer the actual question they were asking, to the best of my beliefs. I don't think it's the best summation I've ever given of my opinion on this issue, but I think it more than serves. Also, this was totally my opinion, and while I'll be interested in hearing your opinions, please don't tell me what I "should" have told them. A) It's too late, and B) I was giving them my opinion, not yours.
What do you think about changes in the way that sexual activity - both homosexual and heterosexual - is depicted in TV programs?
I think television has a wonderful opportunity to help eliminate the last widely accepted form of discrimination and bigotry in our country by portraying homosexual relationships as being as normal, if not as common, as heterosexual ones. I think American television censors sex, in general, to a ridiculous degree, while showing rampant violence. I also think that the typical depiction of sex on American television objectifies women and feeds negative sexual stereotypes.
I thought that was pretty neat. I guess we'll know what their responses were if Luke and Noah never get to kiss again. (Note: I haven't ever watched this storyline--or ATWT at all in about ten years--but I've followed the saga through some of you flisters who watch it, and now that it has hit the media. I hope those crazy kids get to make out to their hearts' content on the show, and even get as much nookie as any of the straight characters do.)