When I was in college attaining my useless communications degree (seriously, don't get a com. degree), we reviewed countless such studies. And the rule still applies. There's a reason George Clooney is popular in movies, and it isn't because men like him. Comedian Bill Burr has a poignant bit that thanks to political correctness, in advertising, white men are the only group allowed to look like idiots, always the fumbling dad or hapless workplace dolt -- the argument can be made that is a carryover to the tradition of media geared towards women -- they don't want to see themselves playing the fool.
Media has been targeted towards women since what we consider modern media has evolved (basically since media was able to be recorded and consumed at home at home). If I still had my old college textbooks I could cite the study, but since I don't you're free from retracting.
But, really, don't get a communications degree. Total waste of money.