Quantity and quality of sex in the soaps

Abstract

A sample of soap operas was recorded and references to sex abstracted and analyzed. Analysis indicated that the representation of sex on soap operas is more complex than previous studies have suggested. Talking about sex not only is far more prevalent than engaging in it, but the talk frequently consists of rejecting it, fantasizing about it, and desiring it, in addition to consenting. The vocabulary of sexual euphemisms was also abstracted.