Research Project

Abstract

This study looks at how present gender bias is in late night talk shows by looking at the different categories of topics (appearance, gossip, career, etc.) and the difference in the quantity of questions in these categories when interviewing male vs. female celebrities. While topics like gender representation in media have been looked at in the past, there has been less focus on areas like celebrity interviews, or more specifically, late night talk shows. The research looked at the top 3 most viewed youtube late night talk show hosts, and 5 of their most viewed female celebrities, as well as 5 of their most viewed male celebrities. The data collected was the questions asked from host to celebrity and were categorized into different topics and analyzed for statistical significance in topics asked to males compared to females. The findings show that there were significantly more questions asked towards female celebrities than male, which suggests some kinda of bias in the format of the late night talk show. This study accentuates the niche differences in how men and women are treated in certain types of media, and is a basis for further research on the topic. 

Link to research paper 

Link to research presentation