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.
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.
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.
How’s that move away from clickbait going, Mamamia?
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How can Mamamia republish the puerile drivel? Any person of even average IQ could see this was utter nonsense. Are they asleep at the wheel over there?
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Basic journalism: check your facts.
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I have no words……
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May I be permitted to say, “sucked in good and proper”?
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Oh four gosh shake Uumbrella.
Mumy state.
Polickticall coreckless gon mad.
Georgian Pell.
Staple hoarse razing.
lock em up Woolloomooloo Laws. Whos Nexed?
Eye say strung the lot up.
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It’s very lucky that Mumbrella checked the facts for Mamamia, otherwise their readers would be walking around believing this woman actually existed.
Maybe Mamamia should consider giving us some more in-depth reads, you know – features around 1000+ words of pure insight?
They might want to consider hiring a quality Aussie freelance journalist to spend a week researching compiling something that grabs the headlines for all the RIGHT reasons. It would be money well spent.
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Who cares if it is fake? Mamamia should be aiming higher.
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Depressing to think Mamamia is “…the largest independent women’s website in Australia…”.
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When you pay very low wages, you either get very inexperienced, untrained workers or stupid ones – or both. Might be time to hire a few more actual journalists.
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It can’t be long before Mamamia goes the way of Hoopla. Both used to have pride in their quality output. It doesn’t take a genius to predict what happens when they give in and just produce click bait rubbish. Shame – in both cases.
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Bwahahahaha!
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Cum what may I think that Mamamia needs to lift its standards.
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Come again?
Err wot.
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“The largest independent women’s website in Australia”. Independent of what? Sub-editors? Mamamia also calls itself pro-feminist. It may be, but not so much that it’s women readers can comment in the same vein without being angrily trolled by antifeminists.
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Dickbait. That MM fell for such a crap story says a lot about their standard of journalism and the sorts of stories they think women want to read.
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And just a few weeks later they are posting ‘graphic content’ headline of the poor little girl decapitated by her nanny with the headline ‘she carried the girl’s head through the streets. Warning: this post contains graphic footage.” There is NO need to share the footage of the poor angel. Disrespectful clickbait!
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Male semen… shes addicted to “MALE” semen 🙂
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