Tell Me What You Watch (And Listen To, and Read), And I'll Tell You How You Vote

Are Americans' entertainment tastes as polarized as our political views? The Norman Lear Center teamed up with pollster John Zogby to find out.

Our findings, hot off the press, may give candidates some ideas about where to advertise. But the big picture is especially interesting. It turns out that -- just as there are conservatives, liberals and moderates -- there are people with red, blue and purple taste.

People with red taste think a lot of entertainment programming is in bad taste and doesn't reflect their values. They think that fictional TV shows and movies are politically biased.
They don't like a lot of things on TV, but their two favorite channels are Fox and Fox News. They like sports, especially football and auto racing, and they watch news and business programming. They don't like most contemporary music, and they don't watch VH1 or MTV. They don't much like late-night TV. They like to go to sporting events, and when they do go to the movies, which is rarely, they seek out action-adventure films. They're not big book readers, but when they do read, they prefer non-fiction. When they read fiction, they often select mysteries and thrillers. They're more likely to listen to country and gospel than other people, but their favorite music is classical. They don't play a lot of video games, but when they do, Madden NFL and Mario are their favorites.

People with blue taste like a lot of different types of entertainment, even if it doesn't reflect their taste or values. They shy away from a lot of primetime programming, especially game shows and reality TV, but they like comedies, drama, documentaries, news and arts and educational programming. They love 60 Minutes, PBS, HBO, Comedy Central and The Daily Show. They go to the movies, where they often see comedies, and they like to go to live theater and museums and galleries. They read books more often than most people; they prefer fiction to non-fiction, but their favorite genre is politics and current events. They enjoy entertainment with political themes, and they feel like they learn about politics from entertainment. Sports are less interesting to them, but football is their favorite, and they're more likely to follow soccer than other people. They like lots of different kinds of music (except country), and they watch MTV and VH1. They play video games a lot more than other people; Mario and The Sims are favorites.

People with purple taste like all the broadcast networks and a lot of primetime programming, including police procedurals, game shows and reality programming. They watch a lot of Fox News and they like daytime and children's programming more than other people. They like to read non-fiction, including self-help books and biographies, but they like mysteries and thrillers best. Rock music is their favorite -- they don't like classical or folk music as much as other people. Their favorite video games are Mario, Donkey Kong and Madden NFL. They don't seek out entertainment with political themes, and they're far less likely to read books about politics or current events than other people.

Red audiences make up 37% of the nation; blues, 39%; purples, 24%. It's those purple eyeballs -- the smallest segment of the American audience, under a quarter of the country -- that primetime network entertainment programmers seem to be fighting over. Maybe the Big Three broadcast networks should take a lesson from Fox. While ABC, CBS and NBC attract purples to their primetime programming, Fox has managed to appeal to an even larger demographic -- conservatives -- without sacrificing its moderate audience. Which broadcast network will be the first one to drop the gloves, give up the effort to attract everyone, and instead focus unapologetically on a liberal audience? Currently, the one that comes closest -- though, unlike Fox, it looks to be by accident rather than by design -- is NBC. Twenty-seven percent of conservatives (compared to 8% of all other respondents) report that they never watch NBC, making it their most hated broadcast network. Of course it's the one liberals like best: almost 70% watch the peacock on a daily or weekly basis. Moderates like all the broadcast networks, and, like liberals, NBC is their favorite, with 37% watching daily.

You can find out all about the poll's findings here and here. But here's what struck me the most: when it comes to entertainment, conservatives are way more PC than liberals.

People on the right -- and that characterization of them comes from their answers to 24 questions designed to reveal their political values -- don't like to consume entertainment that doesn't reflect their worldview, and they feel that way about a lot of it. But people at the other end of the political spectrum are voracious in their entertainment consumption. They enjoy watching, reading and listening to plenty of stuff that runs counter to, even offends, their political values. Over 80 percent of liberals say they're entertained by material that's in bad taste, but over 40 percent of conservatives say they're never entertained by it.

So the next time a Fox News fan tells one of you liberals how PC you are (and it won't be a compliment), try pointing out that you listen to Rush for entertainment -- and just ask him or her the last time they watched Jon Stewart.

Comments

[JUSTOBSERVANT]

For the first hour of progressive talk-radio host Thom Hartmann Friday show features a segment "Brunch with Bernie;" an excellent example of connecting the public with an elected representative on talk-radio.

Progressive talk-radio shows must schedule more segments using the “Brunch with Bernie” format with progressive, and moderate representatives from both parties on all of its broadcasts.

Too often, progressive talk-show radio hosts, as well as a concerned audience feel that they are "spinning their wheels"; that is why have our elected representatives done very little to nothing at all to address crucial social economic concerns. The “contact your elected representatives” are frequent requests of talk-radio hosts; yet the best efforts too often don't go far enough to sway the political/social zeitgeist.

It stands to reason that talk-radio would enhance it’s listenership with three-way communications amongst elected representatives, radio hosts, and call-in listeners; as well as push much-needed positive political and social action.

[Mariel]

I'm just as glad I can't get MSNBC since we went to a cheaper TV list. I guess I was a liberal and I still am a liberal in the classical sense, but not one of those dumb liberals who like Countdown. What you listen to should not be rated just on Blue/red/purple but on intelligence. That's the most missing factor everywhere on the airwaves.

[deminmo]

I am liberal. I don't like country music, never
play video games, watch "reality shows" and hate
anything connected to Fox. I like big bands but
not the modern rock music. I get news from lots
of sources including print. Non-fiction in
politics and fiction for anything else. I will
change my mind on occasion with a political
view, but only after convincing proof that the
other idea is better. Somehow, I fit in between
a lot of the criteria in the blog. Interesting.

[KerwinMcLaughlin]

Dear Marty:

Well, you and your liberal cronies have done it! You've created a politically correct way to jusge people by color! I am conservative and I don't like today's music. Do you? I do enjoy classical while I'm driving to soothe me. (no road rage) I do like sports because the playing fields are fair. Television news and even entertainment is decidely slanted liberal, which is fine, but also becoming more and more tasteless. Yes, every generation says that- because it's true. But, to point out someone's likes and dislikes and blame it on them is ridiculous. More people would watch Keith Olbermann if he wasn't a lunatic.

[drblack]

It is a scientific fact that by an analysis of a persons habit that person can be accurately profiled and their behavior predicted.
This is why we need to adopt the European law that makes all personal info the property of the person .
We also need to stop the Bush, republican (aided by Dems) warrantless spying.
We must also stop Google and other search engines from legally storing our records for decades and all tracking cookies.
Personal privacy is at an all time low and the technology of today will make it easier to spy on and track people.
If you have a cell phone you can be tracked.
Modern cars actually have recording devices in them for "insurance" purposes.
At some point soon it will be possible to implant memories and suggestions (orders)into peoples brains.
Protect Freedom and privacy at all costs....Freedom and a good environment are the best things you can leave your kids.

[princessofnowt]

Don't we Americans seem a bit like the kids of violently fighting parents,helplessly huddled in the bedrooms of our lives, hoping we'll survive yet another fight, trying not to imagine the damage, tip-toeing around our daily lives so we don't get hit or caught in the crossfire.

At what point do such kids call out for help? Who do we turn to? Who can we trust?

When the awareness dawns that yet another election is being stolen, at what point do you wonder when did the coup happen?

[myzenthing]

Interesting article. But honestly, does ANYONE really watch MTV anymore??

[fnygy]

3 words: Mario for President!

[kirsti]

In the morning i want news. I flip around, and I don't find any. I go to my computer, and I find NEWS.. and I still can keep an eye on the car-chase going on on the TV.
I read more than one language, so I get more news than the most.
Driving a car I always listen to Rush. For entertainment.
It's not that I watch TV all day. But everytime I try to watch CNN they are talking about these incredeble danger of the Mexicans. Makes me feel like: Gees!.

There is no news on TV.

The only real news I get is when i drive home and I get some traffic-updates on the radio, like this or that bridge is closed.

You can never judge anybody for what they are listening to. There is nothing out there.. nothing at all. But if you are a listener.. you have to listen to whatever there is. You got to choose from what you have, which actually is nothing.. really..

[Richandler]

Once again Libertarian and Constitutionalist point of views are ignored in a blog.

[The Collinbrandt]

I have to comment here. Using the "wayback machine" I have to tell someone about a novel written by Eugene Burdick wayback in the 1960's called "The 480". This is a must read for anyone interested in politics, along with the novel "Things Fall Apart".

[Mack20]

Very curious you ignored talk radio until the end with the typical liberal cheap shot at Limbaugh. The question you forgot to ask is why the left does not have a dominant, effective talk show radio host to compete with all the ones you guys love to hate. Let’s face it. TV news has been dominated by liberals for years. You will never admit it but your pals at Zogby will tell you 75 to 85% of today’s journalists consider themselves democrats and tend to vote that way. And it’s a real shock to learn they tend to report with a slant toward their political views.

CBS is an interesting clash with a liberal news division while the prime-time programming tends to be rather conservative. I definitely agree with you about NBC. From top to bottom, they have an obvious liberal bias. Even their Sunday Night Football broadcast is so liberal, I can’t stand to watch the pre-game show. They brought over “Countdown Keith” from MSNBC to give the liberal slant a huge tilt. During the game they try to force Spanish on everyone with closed caption. You have to pull up your TV’s menu to completely turn it off. How annoying! Last weekend they turned out the lights in the studio to show support for their “Green” initiative. ESPN is very liberal as well. Democratic journalists obviously control today’s sports broadcasts. Go figure

[Father O'KC]

Oh, and I forgot to say, "THANK GOD FOR TiVo!"

[Father O'KC]

Jeez, no wonder I feel alienated. I don't much like most of the crap being rammed down my throat by broadcast media, I read too much for my own damn good, and I miss Lowell George. I'd rather play sports than watch them, unless of course it's MotoGP. My wife is very lucky that I can't order ala carte cable - no, scratch that, my marriage benefits from the lack of ala carte cable. And anybody who thinks that science fiction isn't really literature is an elitist snob. So there.

[acespeed]

this post was generally amusing. I found a lot of myself in the blue category. It reminded me of buying an old book about the new conservative movement when the John Birch society was gaining steam in college conservative circles. Anyway, just to be reactionary, I LOVE television. It's the best thing ever. And, no, I'm quite literate, thank you.