Recent studies have documented the increasing cultural and political polarization of ordinary Americans. Efforts to explain this vary but typically root it in contrasting dispositions and worldviews.
Results from a 2011 survey conducted by the market research firm Experian Simmons offer an intriguing window on these “red/blue” differences. The survey queried self-identified “conservative Republicans” and “liberal Democrats” about their favorite entertainment television programs (news, sports, and music shows were excluded). Remarkably, among the top 25 favorite shows ranked by conservatives and liberals, not a single one appeared on both lists.