An Update on Sex in Magazine Advertising: 1983 to 2003

Abstract

Magazine advertisements from 2003 were content analyzed as an extension of a study reported in Journalism Quarterly that assessed sex in advertising in 1983 and 1993. As watchdog groups become more vocal concerning indecency in advertising and media in general, it is important to assess the state of sex in advertising since 1993. The findings indicate overall increases in sexual dress and intimate contact from 1983 to 2003 and that female models were more explicitly dressed in 2003 (49%) than 1993 (40%). In addition, sexual content continued to be more explicit and prevalent in women's and men's magazines compared to newsweeklies. In 2003, for instance, 78% of women in ads in men's magazines were sexually attired.