Another powerful agent of gender-role socialization is television. Depictions of men and women in TV dramas are often blatantly stereotypical (Lauzen et al., 2008). Men are more likely than women to appear as active, intelligent, and adventurous, and to take positions of leadership. Men are also often featured in work-related roles while female characters are more likely to be portrayed in interpersonal roles involved with romance, family, and friends (Lauzen et al., 2008). Furthermore, an analysis of the sexual content of five prime-time programs found that male characters are commonly portrayed as actively and aggressively pursuing sex whereas female characters are more often depicted as willingly objectifying themselves (e. g., exploiting their bodies), thus conforming to stereotypical conceptions of femininity (e. g., behaving seductively), and being judged by their sexual conduct (Kim et al., 2007). However, these stereotypes are in the process of breaking down. A number of TV dramas, such as The Good Wife, Cold Case, Fringe, and Body of Proof feature multidimensional and competent female characters. Nevertheless, prime-time television remains largely a male-dominated
medium. In television news and political talk programs, men also continue to be disproportionately represented as the authoritative sources on most topics.
Television commercials also tend to further gender stereotypes. In commercials for nonhousehold products aimed at adult consumers, men are more likely than women to appear as the authoritative source of information. However, changes in gender stereotypes in advertising are beginning to diminish as women are now more commonly portrayed as powerful and in control rather than as passive sex objects (Halliwell et al., 2011).
It is safe to assume that the sexist stereotypes depicted by television programming have some impact as agents of socialization, considering that most American children spend hours in front of the TV each day. Fortunately, the television industry is gradually reducing gender biases in its programming, partly because of the influence of media advocacy groups who have worked tirelessly to reduce the portrayal of traditional stereotypes of male and female roles.