This study examines the image of businessmen on prime-time television entertainment from 1955 through 1986. It is based on a scientific content analysis of 600 programs selected randomly from Library of Congress holdings. Over the years, businessmen emerge as Hollywood's favorite heavies.
Businessmen wear black hats on prime time television.
They are portrayed twice as negatively as characters in other occupations. They commit crimes three times as often as characters in other occupations. They commit 40 percent of the murders by characters with census-listed occupations. TV businessmen are a breed apart. They are motivated by greed five times as often as other characters.