Match surveyed 5,000 American single people between the ages of 18 and 70, and compared their political and sexual preferences, because this is an election year. The findings are buzzy but, like any ploy to tie unsexy politics to sexy sex, they should be read with skepticism.
The study finds that “regardless of party affiliation, singles who are passionate about politics are more likely to have better sex (defined by more orgasms and more instances of multiple orgasms),” The Washington Post notes. Why? Match’s Helen Fisher explains, “The kind of person who’s going to be very passionate in any sector that interests them… they’re going to be passionate in any other sector.”
Sounds true enough. But doesn’t it sound equally true enough that people who are into politics are more likely to lie, especially about sex? Especially when they know their claims won’t be fact-checked?
Let’s examine further. Trump fans are “more than 1,000 times more likely to expect sex on a first date” than Hillary Clinton fans, and “99 percent more likely to have filmed themselves having sex.” How exciting! But Trump fans are also 96 percent more likely to be retired. Political polling has found that Trump’s voter base is old even for the GOP. A third are over 65; less than 2 percent are under 30. Old people are bad at computers. Are we supposed to believe Trump supporters are the most technologically competent old folks in America, retirees who fall for forwarded conspiracy emails but effortlessly deploy webcams?
Fisher said Trump fans are probably “somewhat confident, tough-minded and direct”—just like Trump!—making them more “willing to do in their private life what they want to do.” Or maybe they’re just like Trump in that they’re willing to engage in “truthful hyperbole” about that one time with that one girl, she was from Canada, you never met her.