The ideal formula to entice young women as well as men is a bloodfest with a female lead. Buffy draws about seven men for every 10 women who watch. But most guys will run for the hills rather than watch a bad-hair makeover. Only three men tune in Oprah for every 10 women who do. And what men watch most, surprisingly enough, is other men.
TV serves that purpose pretty well.
Except, perhaps, when the comparison raises anxieties for male viewers. Gazing at an impossibly ripped Schwarznegger is one thing, but a parade of plausibly built lifeguards can be a painful reminder of missed gym days. In April, more women watched Baywatch than did men, suggesting that women may be more comfortable making comparisons between themselves and an ideal. On the other hand, some of what men and women watch in prime time is determined by who controls the remote and hogging it is a well-documented male phenomenon. Given the gentleman's passion for remote control, and the fact that men are heavy surfers, it's easy to see why the ad agencies' eyes are on the guys.