A Female Politician Was Dating a Man 10 Years Younger

A female politician was dating a man 10 years younger than her, and the media portrayed her as a "sex-starved cougar on the prowl." A male politician was photographed with his date, who was 12 years younger than him, and no similar comment was made about his sex life. In this example, the media contributed to which explanation for the underrepresentation of women in politics?

A) They were acting as gatekeepers of political culture.
B) They were reinforcing sex-role stereotypes of who should participate in political culture.
C) They were creating hostility toward women in political culture.
D) They were belittling the skills necessary to participate in political culture.