CNN ridiculed over ‘hormonal voting’ report

CNN published, and then retracted, a news story which claimed that women’s votes were governed by their menstrual cycles, triggering criticism and lampooning.

The study made claims about how women tend to lean liberal when ovulating because they “feel sexier”. The story was based on an unpublished scientific study from researchers at the University of Texas, San Antonio that looked at the political tendencies of 275 women at various stages of their menstrual cycle.

The news piece stated that a woman’s voting behaviour was affected by whether she was ovulating on election day.

But the story was nixed within hours as the internet reacted.

A host of websites swooped onto the story, showing no mercy while feeding from its apparently grossly sexist — and under-researched — line.

The Huffington Post headline was typical of the viral reaction: “CNN Reports That Women Voters Are Apparently Incapable Of Cognition, According To LOL Science”.

Jezebel went one step further, taunting the corporation: “CNN Thinks Crazy Ladies Can’t Help Voting With Their Vaginas Instead of Their Brains”.

While MSNBC’s Jamil Smith commented via Twitter that “CNN should be embarrassed for even asking whether hormones drive women’s votes, much less publishing a post about it.”

Twitter account, @hormonalvotes, mused: “If the @CNN hormones story is true, they will have to rename ‘swing states’ to ‘mood swing states’.”