Red State Blue State TV

Entertainment Weekly recently weighed in on the political aspects of TV watchers in an article titled "Republicans vs. Democrats TV: Lefties want comedy, right wingers like work". They report:
In the findings, “sarcastic” media-savvy comedies and morally murky antiheroes tend to draw Dems. While serious work-centered shows (both reality shows and stylized scripted procedurals), along with reality competitions, tend to draw conservatives.
In their article they list TV shows that attract politicos with right or left leaning tendencies. Using their piece as a guideline I have to admit that I must be somewhat of a moderate or a centrist. Consider the evidence:
Red State shows that I like:
  • Hawaii Five-O
  • The Mentalist
  • The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
Blue State shows that I like:
  • 30 Rock
  • Modern Family
  • Saturday Night Live
  • The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
  • The Late Show With David Letterman
You can check out their whole list here. I did find the list a bit limited and they did report that some of these shows appealed to both sides of the political spectrum. Even so, I wonder how some of the old shows would have fared. Would Bonanza fallen to conservatives and MASH to liberals. I think not. Yet I do think that Star Trek probably would not appeal to libertarians because everything seems to be run by the government.


9 comments:

  1. I love watching the Mentalist.I look forward everytime how Jane and his team instead of Lisbon and her team =P solve cases. 5 out 5 tv show!

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  2. My favorites aren't even on the list (Psych, Covert Action for example). Of the ones mentioned, all the ones I watch are on the "red" list. Guess that's really no surprise.

    Overall (from what I know of friends' viewing habits), this seems reasonably accurate!

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  3. @Clive - Jane is an ornery genius type much like Dr House who didn't make their list.

    @nephos - I am a Covert Action fan. I also like Nikita. Perhaps those (along with Psych) were left off the list because they are not watched as much as the others? But some of those on their list are pretty obscure as I have never heard of them.

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  4. I must be a lefty because the office is the only show I try to watch, and SNL is something I do enjoy watching very much provided I'm home or awake. Other than that, nothing is on the list. I wonder where Monk would have ranked

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  5. @jrchaard - Suspect Monk would have been a Red State entry. It does surprise me that a libertarian like yourself is such a huge Star Trek fan. How can a future government controlled system be a good thing?

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  6. Well, I love The Middle, Modern Family, Raising Hope, The Office, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Man vs Wild, and my all time favorite show that wasn't mentioned Burn Notice.

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  7. @Gregg - As you know I am a big Burn Notice fan too. Maybe they left the ones out that it was obvious that everyone likes. :)

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  8. Hmmmmmm.......not many on either list that I watch.

    Favorite Shows......

    NCIS
    Burn Notice
    Rizolli and Isles
    Mythbusters
    Covert Affairs
    American Pickers
    Stargate SG-1

    As you can tell, I like shows with strong female leads, but who aren't mean people.

    I like watching Storage Wars, but only because of my curiosity for what they find in those lockers. However I definitely could do without the tostesterone-fueled hysterics and recycled baloney.

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  9. Guess I don't watch much TV. Love GLEE (but my small group meets that night, so haven't seen this season). Like Mythbusters. Will watch Project Runway, Kitchen Nightmare and Daily Show if kids have it on. Not sure I really buy into the red state-blue state pitch.

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