News

Mamamia pulls ‘spermaholic’ story after discovering it was lifted from fake news website

Women’s news and opinion website Mamamia has pulled an article about a prostitute being released from prison after her attorney proved she was a “spermaholic”, after discovering it originated from a fake news website.

How Mamamia reported the story

How Mamamia reported the story

On Friday the site published a piece under the headline “A woman has been released from prison because she is a spermaholic”, giving details of how a Texan woman – called ‘Miss X’ in the article – had escaped a jail term for prostitution as her lawyer argued she had an eating disorder giving her a craving for male semen.

However, it appears the article originated from fake news site World News Daily Report on January 13, complete with the same details and picture of the unnamed 67-year-old woman.

The article was pulled down this morning after Mumbrella raised questions with Mamamia.

Details reported in the story include the woman being busted after offering to perform oral sex on three undercover policemen for $5 and a pack of cigarettes. It also claims she has a previous criminal history, having been “arrested caught in ‘sexual acts’ with her dog in public last year”.

It appears the story about the woman being released did the rounds on fake news sites globally before being picked up by Mamamia more than a month later. Last year Mamamia’s head of editorial strategy Kate Spies penned an opinion piece in which she explained Mamamia was moving away from “click bait”.

According to the website Fake News Watch: “Fake/Hoax News sites are satire sites that are not funny.  They are an attempt to play on gullible people who do not check sources and will just pass the news on as if it were really true.”

World News Daily Report makes money from advertising it displays from Google’s ad exchange, relying on its stories to be widely shared to boost its profitability.

The 'news' story on the fake website

The ‘news’ story on the fake website

Other articles contained on World News Daily Report include claims Yoko Ono had an affair with Hilary Clinton, a ‘little old lady’ had been arrested for making fur coats out of neighbour’s cats, and a ‘pig brothel’ being discovered.

It comes complete with a disclaimer: “Information contained in this World News Daily Report website is for information and entertainment purposes only.”

Snopes.com, a service set up to test the validity of stories circulating on the internet, says the following of World Daily News Report:

Straddling the line of fake news and the occasional seed of truth is World News Daily Report. By cobbling together misattributed stolen photographs (and often using extant, long-circulating rumors), World News Daily Report has published several viral claims often preying upon readers’ religious beliefs, including hoaxes about a newly-discovered eyewitness account of Jesus’ miracles, an ancient rumor about chariot wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea, and a very old yarn about the discovery of giant skeletonsreworked as the tale of a coverup perpetrated by the Smithsonian Institution. However, World News Daily Report frequently branches out to science-based fakery, including japes about the destruction of the world’s oldest tree and another about the discovery of a Megalodon shark in Pakistan.

Mumbrella has approached Mamamia for comment.

Alex Hayes

The article as published by Mamamia:

The unnamed woman – let’s call her Miss X – may just be the first person on the planet to be diagnosed with the addtiction.

Yup, a doctor has testified to the court that:

“My patient is victim to a rare eating disorder which gives her an uncontrollable craving for male semen.

These abnormal eating habits have negatively affected my patient’s physical and mental health and thus should not be held fully responsible for her actions.”

Apparently, since hitting menopause, his client experienced a increased craving for sperm.

The 67-year-old woman was caught in the (prostitution) act when police used a fake email to set up a meeting with her. She was then arrested at a motel after she offered to perform oral sex on three undercover deputies in exchange for $5 and a pack of cigarettes.

Miss X has already got a fairly, erm, colourful criminal history; having being arrested caught in ‘sexual acts’ with her dog in public last year.

So, sperm addiction is a thing. It’s actually an eating disorder. (Editor’s note. Can men can be (a) similarly addicted to eating (drinking?) sperm; (b) similarly addicted to vaginal secretions? I’m asking for a friend.)

Happy Friday, everyone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.