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Introduction
Numerous studies have found that alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use is frequently depicted in the popular media, including movies, daytime and primetime scripted television, and music videos. 1 â[euro]" 7 Research also suggests that viewing such images in the media can affect the beliefs and behaviours of viewers regarding substance use and that young people are particularly susceptible to these messages. 8 â[euro]" 12 Recent studies of young people in the United States, for example, found a direct relation between increased exposure to smoking in movies and having tried smoking 8 and initiating smoking in the future. 9
Credit: MTV/EVERETT/REX In the US, about 98% of households have at least one television set. 13 A 2004 report estimates that young people aged 13-24 years watch nearly 14 hours of television a week. 14 During the past decade, reality television has emerged as a popular genre that allows viewers to watch the unscripted interactions of real people in either everyday or contrived situations. This genre is gaining in popularity and presence. In 2003, six of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 shows on network television in the US were reality programming. Between the autumn of 2003 and the autumn of 2004, there was a threefold increase in hours of reality programming on US network television, from six hours a week to 18. 15
The Osbournes is a reality television show that chronicled the everyday lives of the famous rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his family. From 2002 to 2005 the show aired in the US on Music Television (MTV), a cable television channel aimed mainly at viewers aged 12-34. 16 17 In April 2002, The Osbournes became MTV's all time highest rated series, with an audience of 7.8 million Americans. 18 The first season of The Osbournes also won an Emmy for outstanding non-fiction programme (reality). 19
Because of its proliferation and popularity among young viewers, reality television is an important, but understudied, medium. We analysed the content of the first season of The Osbournes to determine the quantity, source, and slant of messages related to substance use.
Methods
We chose to study the first season of The Osbournes , which was originally aired in 2002, because it was...