Constructing men on “television for women:” A content analysis of male characters on the lifetime network

Through the use of content analysis, this study attempts to uncover patterns in the portrayal of male characters on the narrative programming of the Lifetime Network, and in so doing, to show the type of males television deems appropriate for American females. Results indicate that the portrayals of men on Lifetime Network are very similar to those on mainstream broadcast networks. The primary type of male constructed for Lifetime's female audience is a heterosexual, Caucasian, adult, who is valued for his job, experiences occupational, financial, and class stability, and is not defined by domestic roles. These and other findings are interpreted by cultivation theory such that the patterned portrayals on Lifetime maintain the social order by creating appropriate expectations about men for its female viewers.