Should women "on the blob" be allowed to vote?

AmazingMan

Studies have shown that when women are undergoing their monthly menstrual cycle for a period of 3-5 days they undergo great hormonal changes. I'm sure all of us who have been in relationships know that the woman you know and love can change intensely during this period whether it be that they:

become overly emotional
become moody/intolerant/aggressive

If you want the science behind it then basically during their periods the woman's reward system goes into overdrive

The reward system circuitry is made of the prefrontal cortex (the center of thinking and planning); the amygdala, (the emotional center); the hippocampus (a brain center involved in learning and emotions); and the striatum (a brain zone related to learned emotions), all of which possess receptors for estrogen and progesterone.

When women are forecasting a reward, the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, linked to emotion and reward-related planning behavior, were turned on for longer periods during the pre-ovulation phase (four to eight days after their period began) than in the post-ovulatory phase. When women really won a reward, those in the pre-ovulatory stage turned on the striatum and pleasure-reward related area for longer periods than in the post-ovulatory stage.

So what all that mumbo-jumbo is saying is that during the period cycle of 3-5 days the woman is intolerant, harder to please, stressed, more impatient and more prone to instant reward stimulations or addictions.

In short, during their period the woman is a lot more incapable of making a rational informed decision and will basically be a hell of a lot more likely to make a decision based on something that is likely to provide her with an instant reward than make a decision on the basis of what is best for the common good of the group. For reward in these scenarios it could be anything, a bar of chocolate, a comment on their looks, a new pair of shoes, your offer to cook dinner. Any offer to do these things will be appreciated too much and any reluctance or just plain oversight in terms of offering a reward to the woman will be overly criticised/maligned.

I know you're bored now but I had to explain it in rational scientific terms or I know I would be accused of being on a wind-up. The scientific theory suggests that during their period womens' decision-making process is basically screwed up and we see evidence of this in so many elections.

Because of the instant reward thesis the woman on the blob will vote for the taller or more attractive candidate rather than have any regard for his policies/ethics as they are seeking an instant reward. They are too self-absorbed during their period to consider the long-term policies of a candidate and instead many will make a choice based on a superficial trait. Of course, they are entitled to do this but I feel this unnecessarily provides a bias to one candidate based on a non-relevant issue. Therefore I would seriously consider passing into law a resolution that forces women undergoing the menstrual cycle to be restricted from voting or at the very least have their voting rights curtailed during their ovulation period (i.e. they face a series of questions about each candidate's policies and won't be permitted to vote unless they pass the test or perhaps allow them special dispensation to vote once their period has elapsed, perhaps something called "the blob swing" will become a part of the political language)

What do you think?

NothingMan

Hmmm.... Didn't read the science bit but I still can't help but think get out while you can Amazingman.

Are you saying a lot of guys wouldn't vote Megan Fox into power if she had a campaign poster of her bent over a ballot box.... I probably would and i'm not on my period.

Nasty_Girl

Um ovulating and being "on the blob" are two different things.

Newaglish

There's clearly a lot of evidence that nobody in this country makes or is required to be able to make a rational informed decision when they vote.

Nevyn

Oh noes women should not be allowed vote cos they will do so based only on the physical apearance of the candidates and are not able to inform themselves on the issues or the manifestos of the parties or the track record of the candidates!

Why thats right up there with women will vote for who thier father/husbands will tell them too.

Sorry just can not take this premise seriously.

Nasty_Girl

Would there be a case from banning people who are hungover, their hand might shake and tick the wrong box too.

Oryx

AmazingMan wrote: »

What do you think?

Firstly I think that someone who wishes to discuss something that involves rational scientific terms but who also considers it valid as part of that discussion, to refer to menstruation as being 'on the blob' is a wind up artist.

That notwithstanding, do you really think that a woman who has considered the candidates, thought through policy, considered all the options and chosen who to vote for, would on polling day suddenly go 'Oh, no, hes got longer eyelashes, hes got my vote' just because she is at a particular point in her mentstrual cycle? If you do, then you really need to study some more. In the real world perhaps.

I'm sure all of us who have been in relationships know that the woman you know and love can change intensely during this period whether it be that they...

You do know women post here too, yes? In my lifetime, Ive never been in a relationship with a woman, I am one. I change intensely when someone makes a remark like that, but less so when premenstrual, so I think your analysis of female mood swings leaves out other mitigating factors.

Permabear

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