Everybody Loves Infidelity

If your marital sex life isn't as hot as you'd like it to be, you might have the tube to blame. The media watchdog group, Parents Television Council, conducted a study about sex on television and found popular television shows referenced adultery twice as much as sex between married couples. The council reached the conclusion that television, "seems to be actively seeking to undermine marriage by consistently painting it in a negative light."

They may have a point. It seems like all the best sex on television is being had outside of marriage. Flip the channels on any given night and you can find unwed interns hooking up on "Grey's Anatomy," a middle-aged bachelor going after every woman in sight on "Two and a Half Men," and a veritable key party on each episode of "Desperate Housewives."
 
Of course we know television isn't reality, but it would be nice to recognize healthy, happy marriages, too. The group pointed to "Friday Night Lights," and "Everybody Hates Chris" as examples of shows that feature strong couples. We'd also like to remind you about Carrie's healthy relationship with her shoes on "Sex and the City," and Dwight's connection with his beet farm on "The Office."

Does the stress on adultery and lack of attention on marital sex affect Americans’ ideas of marriage and divorce? Why do you think TV focuses on adultery and unwed sex so much? [MSNBC]