Representations of sexuality in the media can influence audience attitudes and behaviors. It is therefore important to systematically analyze the content of contemporary representations of sexuality in different media. In a research collaboration, the Research Group Media Psychology and Media Design at TU Ilmenau investigated the characteristics of people who are shown as heterosexually active in popular Netflix series.
Seven popular Netflix series were selected (Bridgerton, Dark Desire, Elite, Sex Education, Sex/Life, The Witcher, You), which are known for showing sexual scenes. All 91 characters were extracted (45 women, 46 men) who were seen in heterosexual interactions in previous episodes of the series. Their age, ethnicity, body type and facial attractiveness were then coded alongside their binary gender. It was found that despite a general increase in diversity in the media, the characters who have sex in the selected Netflix series look predominantly young, white, thin and normatively attractive. Gender differences occurred in the form that heterosexually active female characters are younger, thinner and more facially attractive than male characters, while male characters look more muscular. The study was published in the journal "Sexuality & Culture" (Springer Nature) and reflects sexual attractiveness norms, which may be shaped partly by evolutionary and partly by socio-cultural factors. The representation of non-binary people and queer sexual scenes in the selected popular series was so minimal that a separate analysis was unfeasible.
Oschatz, T., Döring, N., Zimmermanns, C., & Klein, V. (2024). Patterns of Heterosexual Sex in Popular Netflix Series: A Content Analysis of Age, Race, Face Attractiveness, and Body Type. Sexuality & Culture, eFirst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10255-7