jiggle television

English

Alternative forms

• jiggle TV

Etymology

Coined by Paul Klein in the 1970s to criticize the strategy of the ABC television network under Fred Silverman; three successful series on ABC at the time - Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, and Three's Company - were described as having spearheaded this term.

Noun

jiggle television (uncountable)

1. The gratuitous use of scantily clad women to appeal to television audiences.
   • 1981, Phyllis Diller, The joys of aging--and how to avoid them: can sex keep you young?, →ISBN:

     It's hard to believe that in these days of X-rated motels, jiggle television, and sexual relief through vending machines . . . that some women can be sexually deprived, but it's true.

   • 2003, Josh Ozersky, Archie Bunker's America: TV in an Era of Change, 1968-1978, →ISBN:

     For Paul Klein, as astute an observer as there was inside television, the defining programming trend of the time was sex, particularly in the form of "jiggle television."

   • 2004, Kelsey Roberts, Bedside Manner: The Landry Brothers, →ISBN, page 88:

     "Classic jiggle television," he explained as he cupped his hands to create a platform for her foot.

   • 2013, Robert B. Parker, The Widening Gyre, →ISBN:

     Alexander worries about unisex bathrooms and jiggle television.

See also

• sexploitation