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

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 2005
1983
1984
1980
1987
1979
2005
1955
1990
1978
1997
1960

7. 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%)

8. 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.

9. 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%)

10. 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%)

11. 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%)

12. 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%)

13. 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%)

14. 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.

15. 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

16. Questions