american porn
homewatch the programprosecutingthe businessspecial reportsdiscussion
have you seen an x-rated movie in the last year?

The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago has administered its General Social Survey (GSS) since 1972. Conducted annually until 1994, the GSS questionnaire is now given every other year to approximately 3,000 American adults. It enjoys a response rate from 70-80 percent, and is considered one of the most reliable measures of attitudes about many issues, including race and politics, religion and health. FRONTLINE asked Tom W. Smith, director of the GSS, to control the data from both the 1973 and 2000 surveys for variables such as gender, race, and other factors to get a better idea of how porn-video consumers have changed -- or not changed -- over time. Here are the results.

HAVE YOU SEEN AN X-RATED MOVIE IN THE LAST YEAR?

Highest Degree Earned
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
Less than High School 17.8 22.9
High School 30.1 25.9
Associate/Junior College 37.2 19.6
Bachelor's 34.3 24.5
Graduate 40.9 23.7

Marital Status
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
Married 23.3 19.2
Widowed 7.9 8.5
Divorced 20.7 24.7
Separated 33.3 21.9
Never Married 48.5 40.4

Sex
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
Male 32.0 32.3
Female 21.0 17.9

Race
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
White 26.2 24.4
Black 27.0 23.1
Other 27.6 28.5

Age
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
18-29 48.1 47.7
30-39 30.4 27.1
40-49 23.4 20.6
50-59 16.7 17.9
60-69 4.7 10.5

Region*
  Yes (1973)Yes (2000)
New England 37.4 14.7
Middle Atlantic 34.0 27.0
E. North Central 22.4 23.9
W. North Central 17.4 23.1
South Atlantic 23.7 25.3
E. South Central 12.7 23.4
W. South Central 28.6 24.7
Mountain 36.8 23.1
Pacific 26.1 26.5

* New England = Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
* Middle Atlantic = New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
* East North Central = Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
* West North Central = Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
* South Atlantic = Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, District of Columbia
* East South Central = Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
* West South Central = Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas
* Mountain = Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
* Pacific = Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii

Sources: National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey, 1973; National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey, 2000

home . introduction . prosecuting . the business . special reports
watch the program . if you were the juror... . quiz . do you use porn? . discussion
interviews . readings & links . tapes & transcripts . press reaction . credits . privacy
FRONTLINE . wgbh . pbs online

some photos copyright © 2002 photodisc all rights reserved.
web site copyright WGBH educational foundation

SUPPORT PROVIDED BY