“Infidelity and Betrayal in Marriage: A Content Analysis of Men Who Cheat in Hollywood Films” By: Carolyn Logan

Persuasive Purpose To analyze how extramarital affairs, as related to the male midlife “crisis” has been constructed in media, specifically in Hollywood films from the 1950s to 2005. The data collected from this analysis of films is utilized to identify a trend and the changes occurred over a period of time

Previous Literature Male Power and Status Gutmann (1997) Richardson (1988) Motives for Sexual Intimacy in Affair Fair (1978) Farrer and Zhongzin (2003) Gender Differences Buunk (1984) Gordon (1990)

THEORY Social Construction of Masculinity Gutmann (1997) Masculinity Defined Testi (1997) Hegemonic masculinity Bordo (1999) The Male Body: A New Look at Men in Public and in Private

Methodology Data was obtained through a content analysis of American films to assess how movies construct a married man having an affair. The sample of films used was released between the 1950s and the year 2005. The sample population was obtained from a list of movies found on the Internet Movie Database, amazon.com, and msn.com. Final sample size of 34 films Stratified, random selection of films made for a total final sample of 12 films. Coding

2005 1983 1984 1980 1987 1979 2005 1955 1990 1978 1997 1960

Findings Demographic characteristics of adulterous men in film 100% White, 100% Heterosexual Age 58% (40s), 25% (20s), 17% (30s) 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total Average Age 45 42 41 33 32 31 37 50% Upper/Upper Middle Class, 33% Middle More than half of men had children (67%)

TABLE 1: Adulterous Husband’s Occupation Films by Decades 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Business 1/1 (100%) Business 1/2 (50%) Education 1/2 (50%) Business 2/4 (50%) Education 1/4 (25%) Construction 1/4 (25%) Mobster 1/2 (50%) N/A 1/2 (50%) Business 2/2 (100%) The most common occupation was a businessman (58%), including accountants, bankers, attorneys, and others.

TABLE 2: Lover’s Marital Status Total Single 1/1 (100%) 0/2 (0%) 4/4 1/2 (50%) 2/2 9/12 (75%) Married 0/1 0/4 2/12 (17%) Divorced 1/12 (8%)

TABLE 3: Event’s Leading to Time for Affair Lied to Wife 8/12 (67%) Works Late 6/12 (50%) Sees Lover During the Day 5/12 (42%) Took Lover to Nightclub/Bar Cheated While Away on Business 4/12 (33%) Cheated While Wife was Away 2/12 (17%)

TABLE 4: HUSBAND/LOVER RELATIONSHIP 1950s & 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total WHERE THE AFFAIR TOOK PLACE Husband’s Apt.2/2 (100%) Lover’s Apt.1/2 (50%) Hotel 1/2 (50%) Lover’s Apt.2/4 (50%) Hotel 2/4 (50%) Lover’s Apt.2/2 (100%) Lover’s Apt.6/12 (50%) Hotel 4/12 (33%) Husband’s Apt.2/12 (17%) FORM OF COMMUNICATION BTW. HUSBAND AND LOVER Meeting Places 2/2 (100%) Telephone 1/2 (50%) Both 1/2 (50%) Telephone 3/4 (75%) Meeting Places 1/4 (25%) Meeting Places 1/2 (50%) Both 2/2 (100%) Meeting Places 4/12 (33%) Telephone 4/12 (33%) Both 4/12 (33%) HOW HUSBAND MET HIS LOVER Neighbors 2/2 (100%) Nightclub/Bar 1/2 (50%) Away on Business 1/2 (50%) Work 2/4 (50%) Nightclub 1/4 (25%) Away on Business 1/2 (25%) Called for Hooker 1/4 (25%) Neighbors 1/2 (50%) Work 1/2 (50%) Family 1/2 (50%) Nightclub/Bar 4/12 (33%) Work 3/12 (25%) Away on Business 2/12 (17%) Neighbors 2/12 (17%) Family 1/12 (8%) Called for Hooker 1/12 (8%)

TABLE 5: MOTIVE AND CONSEQUENCE OF AFFAIR 1950s & 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total MOTIVE Attraction 2/2 (100%) Attraction 3/4 (75%) Marital Deprivation 4/4 (100%) Pressure 2/4 (50%) Sexual Circumstances 1/4 (25%) Sexual Variety 1/4 (25%) Revenge 1/4 (25%) Marital Deprivation 1/2 (50%) Sexual Variety 1/2 (50%) Pressure 2/2 (100%) Pressure 1/2 (50%) Attraction 11/12 (92%) Marital Deprivation 6/12 (50%) Pressure 5/12 (42%) Sexual Variety 3/12 (25%) Sexual Circumstances 1/12 (8%) Revenge (8%) CONSEQUENCE Nothing 2/2 (100%) Nothing 2/4 (50%) Death of Lover 1/4 (25%) Lover Attempts to Kill Husband 1/4 (25%) Bribery 1/4 (25%) Wife Stays 1/2 (50%) Revenge 1/2 (50%) Lover Attempts to Kill Husband 1/2 (50%) Death of Lover 1/2 (50%) Threatened to Tell Wife 1/2 (50%) Bribery 1/2 (50%) Nothing 7/12 (58%) Revenge 2/12 (17%) Threatened to Tell Wife 2/12 (17%) Bribery 2/12 (17%) Death of Lover 2/12 (17%) Lover Attempts to Kill Husband 2/12 (17%)

WIFE’S REACTION WIFE’S ROLE Table 6 WIFE’S REACTION WIFE’S ROLE Wife Found Out 5/12 (42%) Husband Admitted 3/12 (25%) Wife Never Found Out 2/12 (17%) N/A 2/12 (17%) Wife Stayed in the End 8/12 (67%) Questioned Husband 6/12 (50%) Wife Outraged and Left 3/12 (25%) Wife Took Revenge 2/12 (17%) Wife Had No Knowledge 2/12 (17%)

Findings Cont. Amount of Shame shown by the husband Half (50%) showed no shame or regrets Half (50%) showed men being depressed, nervous, and stressed Amount of Nudity exposed in films 1950s, 60s, & 70s – No Nudity Shown 1980s  2005 – Moderate to Extreme amt. of Nudity Data here shows that sexuality in Hollywood films has been more open and socially acceptable on the screen since the 80s.

Discussion The typical adulterous male in Hollywood film is a white, 37 year old heterosexual businessman, married with children. Age of husband during time of affair decreased over the decades. Having children does not necessarily mean your marriage is more stable. “Power-imbalanced” relationships Businessmen are more likely to cheat on their wives than men in other occupations. Today we have more easily accessible and available forms of communicating with one another. The Feminist Movement

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