Gamers Strike Back Against Cooper Lawrence On Amazon
By William on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 AM PST In Game Companies, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Games Industry, Mass Effect, Microsoft, Microsoft
*UPDATE* Unfortunately, Amazon is now deleting any one-star negative reviews of the book.
After hearing the offensive and biased attack against Mass Effect on Fox News, I decided to check out some links on Cooper Lawrence, the psychologist who took part in the biased strike on the game. I came across her book on Amazon.com titled ‘The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace with Your Inner Overachiever’. It was interesting to see that the page was full of one-star reviews of her book mostly coming from gamers. Shawn covered the topic HERE yesterday. This is definitely one of the reasons I love the internet. She may think that it’s ok to bash a product she has never used and gamers are now bashing a book they have never read to drop her book rating on Amazon. Currently, there over 40 negative reviews posted. Check out the Amazon link HERE if you’d like to throw your two cents in or to just read some of the funny comments against her. Personally, I would never purchase advice from a psychologist who doesn’t do research on the topics she talks about. If Fox News and other media outlets want a war against gaming, they’ve picked an industry full of hard-core fans who aren’t going to sit back and take it anymore.
Some of the witty comments included:
I am giving Ms. Lawrence a poor review because she makes assumptions that are not based on fact. During her Fox news report, she blatantly lied and completely misinformed the public. This is not acceptable behavior, and how does she expect me to read her book and believe what she has to say? She completely threw her credibility out the window. Mass Effect is a PG-13 game (and even that is pushing it, I’d consider it “PG”) that is “M” rated because the ESRB is harsher than the MPAA. I think she should denounce Rap music rather than things she knows nothing about. And her comment about knowing what young boys think is absolutely laughable at best.
I respect you, Ms. Lawrence, I really do, but please, do some research before you try to convince the public not to support something.
I caught her doing a segment on Fox News. She spent 3 minutes attacking a product she hadn’t used, and actually made assumptions about the quality and use of the product. I suppose when you are so busy trying to overachieve and look perfect, you don’t have time for fact checking. Shame.
Excuse me “Darling”, I guess I don’t have to read your book to bash it the same way you don’t have to play or even research a game you are talking about before you go on Fox News and spout your ignorance as fact. You are a moron and an attention [expletive deleted].
@Jandurin
agreed.
@used cisco
While “If you have nothing intelligent to say, don’t say anything” may be the rule, Cooper was the first to break it.
This is a women who is all well-respected developmental psychologist, published author, and radio show host. For her to go on a TV broadcast and spread ignorance makes her a professional idiot. Someone of her stature is looked to for guidance and education. After what she did, do you think she’s qualified to guide anyone?
People should be held accountable for their mistakes, Cooper included. She deserves all the negative publicity coming her way. We can’t keep the book from being sold, but we can make it very difficult. She can go on TV and radio and write books all she wants, but in the end OUR user created content is what rules the web and what affects the most change. It’s about time we started using it, especially to weed out the idiots.
used C; That’s a great post. If you can’t wrap you head around that one then I don’t think there’s much hope for you.
Rem, Genius!
All author’s book reviews removed.
@jandurin,
“Gamers are about as diverse in origins and beliefs as a group is likely to be. The only thing that *is* similar is that most of us are not yet “old”. Otherwise, we all stand for different things.”
Granted, but I still hope that we as a group (admittedly a diverse one) can work to make things better for our hobby and industry, rather than work to reinforce stereotypes propagated by people like Cooper Lawrence.
“If this is how some people choose to speak out, let them. Don’t try to make them feel “bad” about it.”
Did you even read the comment I posted?
The guy claims that she game him an STD. Are you saying he should feel good about obvious slander in the public domain? Get real. Even so, I don’t want anyone to feel bad about anything. Thats not the point. I could care less how a loser like that feels about what he’s doing.
I want people to channel their outrage into productive activities and messages.
I’m glad people recognize this author speaks nonsense and these people have a right to be bothered. But this is all for nothing if we don’t use it to inspire us to be heard in a respectable way.
My point is that, if someone wrongs you, and you flip out and act like an idiot, you’ll never get respect. The reason this woman can say what she said on national TV is because we, as gamers, don’t get respect. The actions of many of the people on Amazon will do NOTHING to change that. And ultimately this woman will likely sell MORE books. Is that what you want? Because thats all petty revenge will get you.
@used cisco
You do have a point, but how do we get be heard?
1)We are still too small as a culture to have any sway in the mainstream.
That report on Fox was nothing more than a witchhunt, the one guy representing the gamer, had no chance… even though he was the most informed.
2)We have next to ZERO fair representation in the media
3)Our industry is run by large game publishers who can manipulate reviews
based on ad revenue.
We get the short end of the stick all of the time and what can we do?
Boycott? Again we aren’t that big to make an impact, we don’t even fall into the demographic for her book, her show, or her sponsors. Write letters? They don’t care what we think, which is why she thought she could get away with that crap on national TV. Even when we get shafted by the industry we love (looking at you Activision)We are still between a rock and a hardplace.
It takes something real extreme to get the publics attention, to make your message heard. Like 10,000lbs of Nuts from the Jericho Fans to CBS.
The only power we have, the only way the minority becomes the majority is on the internet and through user created content/web 2.0/social tagging – It’s instantaneous, viral communication. If We are charged with organizing the content on the internet, we should have the right to bury the crap and the people tied to it. We are sending a message that we are not going to tolerate
idiots spreading ignorance. You have to hit ‘em where it hurts.
I know you may not agree with the guerrilla tactics we are using, but at the moment it’s all we can do, and it’s pretty effective.
Amazon ripping down all the reviews is a testament for how powerful the User has become. And because Amazon stepped in, it’s just going to get bigger…And if she has the nerve to open her mouth again about a game or gammers, the fight is going to go right to her doorstep. We fought Jack Thompson, We fought Joe Liberman, I’m sure we can handle Copper Lawrence.
well well, the reviews are back…
Bravo Amazon, Bravo
This review was priceless:
“As she couldn’t be bothered with research nether can i. Without reading this book i know what its about. Its about a ball of string that gets stuck in a drawer. Its a metaphor for wasted time!”
In response to the occasional posters who claim that this response to Cooper’s utter BS is immature and counter-productive: Well maybe a bit, but it’s fucking funny. It’s made my day anyway! And that’s why I
@Rem,
“but how do we get be heard?”
Thats the question. Thats exactly what I would like for us to discuss. I think if we put as much energy into that question as we have into posting reviews on Amazon, we’d have a hell of a solution.
“1)We are still too small as a culture to have any sway in the mainstream.”
I disagree.
Halo 3 sold almost 5 million copies in a few months. Thats one game on one platform. We are a dense consumer population. We tend to be young, energetic, and technologically savvy.
“2)We have next to ZERO fair representation in the media”
True, but with the advent of blogs and other specialist media, this inequality is rapidly changing. If someone put together a website with the facts of this situation and asked people to visit it, our numbers would be calculable and give us strength.
“3)Our industry is run by large game publishers who can manipulate reviews
based on ad revenue.”
This is true and it sucks. But the gaming media is just as much to blame.
“We get the short end of the stick all of the time and what can we do?
Boycott?”
Yes. We can. We should. If we could get people to act in unison, it would be powerful. If we spread the word about our cause, we’ll convert friends and family.
“Again we aren’t that big to make an impact, we don’t even fall into the demographic for her book, her show, or her sponsors”
Are you kidding?
“Write letters?”
Yes. I’ve already written a letter to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Morris and Pequot publishers. I encourage others to do the same. Find out what products they are part of and make sure to avoid them and tell others to do the same.
Personally, I travel alot. I’ve bought many Falcon Guide books over the years (From the same publisher as the book in question). Well? No more. I’ve made it clear that as long as Globe Pequot/Skirt is supporting people like Ms. Lawrence, I will not buy their products. There are plenty of competitors products out there and they know it. I’ll also spread the word not to buy them.
“I know you may not agree with the guerrilla tactics we are using, but at the moment it’s all we can do, and it’s pretty effective.”
I disagree on both counts. I think we can do more, and of a more substantive nature than accusing people of spreading STDs. I also think its ineffective. I think this type of guerrilla tactic will backfire and lead to more sales of her book, and possibly sympathy for her. Then what?
“Amazon ripping down all the reviews is a testament for how powerful the User has become.”
I would say Amazon ripping down the reviews shows just how powerless this tactic is. We could have 10,000 reviews but if they decide to delete them, what good did it do?
Anyway, the idea behind my comments was to get a dialog like this going. I really appreciate your thoughtful response, even if I disagree with a lot of it. This is what is necessary to determine the most effective course of action and to see where we can pool our strength, without undermining our own credibility in the process. I don’t think a pyrrhic victory is what we’re shooting for here.
here’s my review
Now, I don’t take much value in self-help books but I decided that since my mom is a chronic workaholic I might give it a go. I read it before I gave it my mom and I was appalled. Her sentences are almost gibberish in composition and the entire book is actually 256 pages of a single paragraph. In the middle of the book she has child-like illustrations of her points, that are in fact quite vulgar. From what I could decipher from her highly parenthetical language she thinks that women strive towards perfection to please their men, and that womens intrinsic value derives from a mans opinion of them. This point alone would warrant a book burning but she went on to say that women must be constantly ready to please there men in any way, once they achieve this mode of operation will the be the “perfect” woman. This books seems to be the manifesto for a new society in which women become servants, she calls this cult the “Cult of Perfection” and only when women are subservient to their male “owners” will society become moral once more. All and all a disturbing look in to the mind of a Masochist.
used cisco:
Sorry, but it is a piss-in-your-coffee kind of world. Those ready and willing to whip it out (like Cooper) are going to win.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,828 in Books. Yesterday it was around #150,000. That has to hurt.
@fed up,
You may be right about what kind of world this is, but I’m personally not satisfied with that. I don’t care about keeping up with the Jones’ and I’ll not use someone else’s shitty behavior to justify my own.
This topic is getting old. I’ve said my peace. I’ve acted on this in a way that I believe is fair and effective and others will do what they feel is right regardless of what I say. People can easily find a way to rationalize their behavior, no question about that.
Hopefully, in the end, we can make a difference. I just hope we don’t make the situation more difficult for ourselves in so doing.
Used C. It’s not slander is commentary. It’s like a political cartoon.
Here’s an excerpt from one of the 5 star reviews:
“Kudos Cooper Lawrence, this book was amazing.
Her book taught me that I should stop overachieving and worrying about “the little things”. When I’m working on some sort of project or doing an investigation of some sort, I need to stop worrying about things like “facts” and “correctness”. When making judgements on things, it’s often easier to make things up based on things we’ve heard or make sweeping generalizations. It’s much easier this way and pretty peaceful! It’s taken the stress out of my life.
I’m now to be scheduled to appear on a well-known 24-hour news network as a so called “expert”! And I didn’t even need a PhD!
Thanks Cooper! You’ve changed my life!”
Yeah, I think this actually is very helpful.
@used cisco
I totally hear you and understand where you’re coming from, taking the high road is something we all should consider in our dealings with people.
If this was gamers vs. large corporate entity – we would have to band together and play it smart and cool work our way from the outside in. But to me this is not the situation we have. It’s not us vs. some company it’s much more personal.
Cooper Lawrence is a name and a face. Much more accessible, and thus easier to get a message across. No, I don’t agree with unnecessarily foul comments being made…but they don’t represent all of us. And the admins over at Amazon have done a good job weeding them out and keeping it clean.
On top of this being a personal matter, it’s also – underneath – a battle of mediums (TV vs Internet) and a battle of the media vs the public.
I don’t care how many books she sells due to the attention, that doesn’t matter.
Nor do I care about the idiots who would buy the book anyway. We are making her an example. What matters is that the message gets through to her, to people like her, and to the media at large…”We are not taking your crap anymore.”
There is always room for the more reserved approach, but sometimes you just have to “put foot to ass”.
@Rem,
To a certain extent I agree. It’s not just about “the high road”. I’m also saying that I don’t think this tactic will achieve what you are hoping.
You say you don’t care how many books she sells, but do you really think its possible to “make her an example” or “get through to her” when the end results of all your efforts is nothing more than making her and her publisher more money?
And the idea that “we’re not taking your crap anymore” seems a bit misplaced. Has this woman demonstrated a history of creating problems for gamers? Or is she just an easy target for years of frustration at the media and “people like her”? To my knowledge this was a one time event with her. We’re not talking about Jack Thompson here.
You know, Used Cisco is right, but I can’t help but imagine her sitting there, crying because her book has such poor reviews… and get a little giddy thinking about it.
@Rem: You say, “No, I don’t agree with unnecessarily foul comments being made…but they don’t represent all of us. And the admins over at Amazon have done a good job weeding them out and keeping it clean.”
The point that used cisco has been making, and that I was making earlier in this thread, is that it DOES represent all of us. Sure, we can all say that we’re not like that, but when someone comes out and makes a statement like that, it validates all the public criticisms of gamers, and causes people who might otherwise listen to a reasonable approach to simply block us out.
There arer much better ways to protest things like this, but the majority of us seem to always want to take the easy way out, with the instant gratification.
I’m glad she’s getting what she deservs. I have no problem with posters trying to ruin her credibility… she did exactly that to Bioware. In the end, we’ve got to stand up for what we care about. I care a lot more about Bioware making Mass Effect 2 that some impulsive-mouthed shrink with a crappy radio show (yes it’s bad, I actually listened to some).
If you can’t stand the heat, then don’t get on TV. If she’s to stupid to watch what she says on national TV, then we’re doing her a favor by scaring her away early before she has a chance to confirm that she is a idiot.
her website:www.cooperlawrence.com
cool! http://www.spymac.com/details/?2334927
Here’s the New York Times article in which she is quoted saying she was wrong:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/arts/television/26mass.html?ref=arts
I want her to do it on national television. That’s what I want. I want her to do an apology on the very same show that she LIED on. I want the same coverage for her apology that her blantant LIES received.
It does not matter if she deserves it or not. She stirred up a hornet’s nest and that is what happens..
Cooper has learned the hard way that when one chooses to bash a more intellectual game such as Mass Effect, one will get flak from gamers of all genres. If she wants to say negative things about a game, she should of course speak about games that deserve it. Such as “Custer’s Revenge,” the disgusting (in many ways) game where you play as a racist rapist on the Atari 2600. My fellow gamers, in my best Arcturus Mensk impression, I implore you to let no gamer deny the perils of our time, from this day forward, let no gamer make war on any other gamer (unless in competition), let no media agency conspire against this new beginning, let no gamer consort with corrupt powers (unless in competition) and to all the enemies of gaming, seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through, no matter the cost.
Lol I was just viewing the tags on Coopers book, go to the amazon link at the top, scroll down till you find the tags and hit the view all.
aka_Pyro: the strange thing is that they mentioned the good old days of Atari games on Fox News. Some of the games back then were disturbing in my opinion. I really think the problem now is even bigger than anti-gamers vs. gamers. This has really become a free speech issue and an issue which will cause many of us to stand up against those who wish to censor our thoughts and experiences.
If I wanted censorship, I’d build a time machine and beam myself back into Nazy Germany or something. I’m sure if Hitler were around today, he’d be all about having public video game burnings.
Would emails have worked? We’ve seen how Fox and Cooper behaved towards the gaming representative, so I say “no”. An email is silent and easily deleted. Would letters to the bookstores? Maybe, but that’s reviews basically were, public letters. Welcome to the age of the internet.
Although there are those who think it was childish and wrong, and some comments were, there were also witty and intelligent ones, and the voices of the gamers were heard. Was it such a wrong course of action then? I don’t believe so. Disagree and tell me I’m wrong if you like, but it worked, and she admitted her ignorance.
Actually, Amazon is actively deleting ‘reviews’ that don’t talk about the book, but rather the controversy. As of a few minutes ago, there are overwhelmingly negative reviews for that book and others by her, you just have to make it seem as if you’ve read the book.
Haha, good stuff. Well, I’m all for this. I should be leaving a “review” as well some time soon. Of course, I partially put the blame on FAUX News for letting her on in the first place.
If that’s what she saw and believed, then who are we to argue, it’s a free opinion after all. The important thing is to buy the game and enjoy it. It may even be cheaper if the negative reviews continue
lol,
“I’m also quite disappointed that Mrs. Lawrence would use sex appeal (the cover) to sell her book. Whether she realizes it or not there are a lot of kids in book stores today that will see this and get the wrong impression.”
The irony.