Is the entertainment industry glorifying extramarital affairs?

I've lost count of the many shows that involve one or more of the central characters engaging in an extramarital affair.

Scandal, a wildly popular political thriller TV series starring Kerry Washington, centers on the affair between the President of the United States and a former White House Director of Communications. Then there's Mistresses, a mystery drama and soap opera television series about four female friends involved in affairs.

Some of the highest rated TV series of the last few years have featured hot, steamy affairs, from Sex and the City and Homeland to Mad Men and The Good Wife.

I'd like to think that the people who produce these shows aren't deliberately condoning having an extramarital affair, but I wouldn't exactly be shocked if viewers made such an inference.

It's obvious that affairs keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Sex sells when it comes to advertising, so why should the TV and film industries be any different?

Clandestine affairs are the stuff shows like these are made of -- or so say their innumerable fans.

If people can cast blame on TV, movies, and video games for crime and violence becoming so pervasive in our society, can they not blame these media in part for illicit relationships, which have undoubtedly contributed to the skyrocketing divorce rate?

That's a question that certainly merits further exploration.

What do you think? Is the entertainment industry unwittingly encouraging people to cheat on their partners?

Comments

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