Think Progress: Penis size preference, and how the mainstream media reinforces gender stereotypes

[HereSince1628]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/09/1838931/media-exploits-science-gender/

How The Mainstream Media Exploits ‘Science’ To Reinforce Gender Stereotypes

By Tara Culp-Ressler on Apr 9, 2013 at 12:00 pm

On Tuesday, mainstream news outlets covered the results from a small survey in Australia that polled just over 100 women about their sexual preferences. One headline atop an NBC story proclaimed, “Science proves women like men with bigger penises.” The reporter includes a few other examples of studies that have reached the same conclusions about women’s predisposition to larger male genitalia, but only after acknowledging that the results from past research on the topic “have been disputed as sexist, or scientifically flawed, or both.”

Sex and science often become entangled in the news, perhaps because the topic makes for eye-catching headlines. This is hardly the first time that the media has latched onto a small study in an attempt to make a larger statement about gender roles, regardless of the potentially shaky scientific relevance of this type of evolutionary psychology. Under the guise of being backed by scientific authority, news outlets will often tout studies’ results — or sometimes, selectively highlight certain results — to reinforce gender-based stereotypes. Of course, citing research also sets up a situation where it’s more difficult for opponents to take issue with the those studies, since it may appear as if they’re objecting to scientific fact simply because they don’t want to believe the truth.

Here are five other examples of this dynamic at play in mainstream media outlets:

1. Women’s hormones affect their voting choices. <circumsized>

2. Husbands who do housework have less sex. <circumsized>

3. Women are gaining weight because they are doing less housework. <circumsized>

4. Deep voices attract women. <circumsized>

5. “Cougars” are more sexually active because older women sense their fertility is declining. <circumsized>

[quinnox]

1. lol, a kick just for the phrase

"penis size preference" in the title.

[HereSince1628]

2. it's worse ..."preference for penis size" was too big to fit.

[JoeBlowToo]

3. Circumference counts!

The ratio between penis length and penis girth is critical. The closer to 1:1 the better. Of course, if the penis in question looks like a Portobello mushroom the laughter factor may cause a significant diminishment of sexual arousal.

[FrodosPet]

4. I hope #4 is true

It's the only chance I have left.

[HereSince1628]

5. Na, you can always put a photoshopped pic on your facebook page