Nicole Blair, MPH Health Scientist Office on Smoking and Health TM Depictions of Substance Use in Reality Television: A Content Analysis of The Osbournes: The First Season

Study completed for class project at RSPH Co-authors:  So Kuen Yue, MPH, CHES Research Project Coordinator Rollins School of Public Health  Ranbir Singh, MPH Graduate Student New York University College of Dentistry  Jay Bernhardt, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor and Director Center for Public Health Communication, Rollins School of Public Health Acknowledgements.

 More than 98% of U.S. households have a TV set*  13 to 24-year olds watch 13.6 hours of TV per week**  Reality TV is increasing in popularity – In 2003, 6 of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 programs were reality shows  – Last Fall, reality shows filled 18 hours of network TV programming, up from 6 hours in 2003  Background. * Nielson Media Research, 1998 Report on Television ** Brier NR, Move Over Prime-time!, American Demographics, July/August 2004; 26, 6.  Eric Schmuckler, Facing Reality, Mediaweek; May 31, 2004

 Exposure to ATOD content can impact audiences— particularly youth – As much as 50% of youth smoking can be linked to smoking in the movies* – Alcohol use on TV without demonstrated negative consequences can lead to positive beliefs about alcohol among youth**  Movies, soap operas and prime-time TV, and music videos have been analyzed for their alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) content Background. * Sargent JD, Beach ML, Dalton MA, et al. (2001) Effect of seeing tobacco use in films on trying smoking among adolescents: cross sectional study. British Medical Journal, 323, 1-6. ** Roberts DF, Christenson PG. (2000) “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”: Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco in Entertainment Media. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, CA.

 Aired on MTV  MTV target audience is aged  Viewer observes the everyday life of a famous music performer and his family  MTV’s highest rated show in April 2002 with 7.8 million viewers The Osbournes

 Research question: – How are ATOD depicted in a reality television program watched by youth?  Content Analysis of The First Season (2002) – 10 Episodes – 22 Minutes each  Three coders all viewing episodes together Methods.

 Coding sheet with grid to record content – Visual vs Verbal depictions of ATOD – Substance use endorsement vs substance use rejection – Characters involved Ozzy Sharon Kelly Jack Friends/Family Visual Verbal +-+- O S K J F Time Code 17:32 Comments: “don’t drink/do drugs” Instrument Alcohol

Endorsement and Rejection Friend: I’m going to smoke a cigarette Sharon: Oh...I see...this is very nice (holding liquor bottle) Kelly: Mom, just leave it Sharon: No, I’m going to take a piss in it and put it back Kelly: Mom, are you nuts

Number of ATOD Incidents per Episode Results. Episode Number of ATOD Incidents Average: 9.1 per episode Standard Dev: 4.82 Range: 2–16 incidents

Results  2 = 14.7, df = 2, p = Direction and Content of ATOD Incidents Rejection Endorsement Alcohol (54%) Rejection Endorsement Tobacco (20%) Rejection Endorsement Drug (27%)

Nature and Format of ATOD Incidents Results  2 = 30, df = 1, p < Rejection Endorsement Visual Rejection Endorsement Verbal Number of ATOD Incidents

ATOD Incidents by Source Environment 9% Sharon 15% Kelly 8% Jack 10% Ozzy 38% Others 20%

ATOD Endorsement and Rejection by Source  2 = 16.3, df = 8, p = 0.04  2 = 16.5, df = 4, p = Rejecting substanceEndorsing substance Others Jack Kelly Sharon Ozzy Rejection Endorsement Alcohol Rejection Endorsement Tobacco Rejection Endorsement Drug

Discussion  High frequency of ATOD references in series – Alcohol most common substance referenced – More endorsements than rejections for alcohol and tobacco; more rejections than endorsements for other drugs  ATOD depictions – The majority of substance use endorsements were visual (modeling behavior) – The majority of rejections were verbal  The Osbournes may send “mixed messages” (promoting and inhibiting) to viewers about using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

Conclusions  Methodological limitations – One season of one reality show on cable TV – Study of content, not effects of exposure – Coding of “endorsement” and “rejection” is subjective  Implications – Producers, viewers (and parents) should be aware of possible “mixed messages” from reality shows – Especially when the “reality” is a celebrity who younger viewers admire or may perceive as role model and want to emulate

Conclusions  Future research – Examine nature and extent of substance-use messages in reality shows – Determine effect of viewing messages that endorse substance use – Examine role of message source and interaction with “real life”

Ozzy: Please don’t get drunk, or get stoned tonight I’m f... pissed off cause I can’t Don’t be, don’t drink, don’t take drugs tonight Kelly: No, no dad, I don’t do that Ozzy: If you have sex wear a condom Parting words from Ozzy

TM Depictions of Substance Use in Reality Television: A Content Analysis of The Osbournes: The First Season Nicole Blair, MPH

Ozzy: I will not have dope smoked in my house or drugs of any time in my f...ing house Quit smoking this sh.. cause it ain’t gonna lead to anywhere but bad places, look at me Jack: Everyone thinks I have a problem Look, I don’t drink because, I like, crave it, I don’t smoke pot because I crave it I do it because I choose to do it Ozzy: Yet......when I started drinking and taking pot, I wasn’t addicted......yet As time goes on I became very addicted Bonus Footage