Carol Lieberman, the psychologist and author who claimed that videogames encourage young men to go out and rape has been hit with swift Internet justice. In a move that mirrors the way in which Cooper Lawrence was punished for telling lies about Mass Effect, Lieberman's latest book has been mauled in Amazon's user reviews section.
Yesterday, Bad Girls only had six reviews and a five-star user rating. Today, it has thirty-seven, with a two-star rating. A childish recourse, yes, but it actually worked against Lawrence, and maybe it will teach Lieberman that spouting off ignorant bullshit for the salivation of FOX readers does have repercussions.
"I have it on high authority that people reading books with sexy leg outlines tends to lead to a rise in rape victims," reads one review. "Most of these victims never even saw it coming. They were casually in a store aisle questioning what millions see in Twilight when all the sudden, rape happens. Not even the fancy romantic rape, with months and months of stalking. Nope, just pure sudden rape. Must be those videogames."
Another review called the book "Mein Kampf meets Playboy." It would appear that, while videogames do not cause rape, slagging videogames off without evidence or logic can lead to you getting forcefully f*cked in the ass.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
11:00 AM on 02.10.2011 | 
"I fully understand what some of you must be thinking -- that this is "stooping to her level," and potentially making gamers look bad. Perhaps it is and perhaps we should strive to be eloquent and intelligent, but let's face it, that didn't get poor Geoff Keighley very far. This kind of movement is something that these miserable hacks actually understand, and I'm not going to condemn a bit of good old-fashioned karma. Cooper Lawrence deserves this."
Jim is right. And Carol Lieberman deserves this, too.
This quote alone has made my day.
Yes it might have been funny, but way to let the side down.
That shouldn't be as funny as it was.
Also, that headline tricked me for a second.
If a man appeared on a nationally syndicated news network and stated that evidence has shown that violent videogames increase the murder rate of the nations in which they are sold, provided no source for his information, and was actually proven to have completely fabricated his evidence in light of actual murder statistics, would you feel the same way about people giving poor reviews to a book of his featuring a man loading a handgun on the cover?
Since this woman's outright untruths will never be recognized or discussed on a platform as large as Fox News, people vent their frustration at the situation by publicly questioning her credibility as a presenter of information via product reviews, as well as warning potential purchasers that she has publicly shown a disregard for facts if they get in the way of the point that she wishes to make.
Yet 90% of your comments are on "the most stupid bullshit ever" which kind of makes you an obsessive eater of shit.
Way to promote rape nonstop. You guys are fucking idiots. It's not Bulletstorm leading to more rapes, it's you fools.
Pfft, I think it does a greater disservice to rape to blame any old pet peeve on it. "I don't like games, it causes rape" is more damaging than any jokes, because it truly does belittle the crime and turns it into something that just anybody is prepared to do.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/01/14/conservative-blogger-claims-mass-effect-offers-customizable-sodomy
The story then somehow made it to Fox Propaganda, who brought on a random author to convince people that, since an author is slamming the game, that means she's probably right.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/01/22/1993
Agreed, but consider how it looks to someone from the outside. It doesn't help the cause, it only makes the people targeted more set in their ways.
I'm not saying trying to open a mature, intellectual discourse with these people is going to go anywhere either, but acting like this is akin to throwing your toys out of the pram. It just makes both parties look stupid.
(Though I'm STILL chuckling at the Twilight quote.)
And thus I see no reason whatsoever to act reasonable towards these people. Because that won't change anything, so let's have a bit of fun at least ;)
"FACT: the author gets her research for this book by achieving multiple real-life "rear entry" skill shots."
You guys have been on a campaign for two or three years to make "rape" into a hilarious joke of a word. You all are going out of your way to take one of the most serious crimes imaginable, and turn delegitimize it and make light of it ... Way to promote rape nonstop. You guys are fucking idiots. It's not Bulletstorm leading to more rapes, it's you fools.
Do you really think women get raped because the rapists think it's "funny"?
Fucking please.
Finally, rape is being used for something positive.
Its amazing how these idiots who paint video gaming, or any other entertainment with all life's problems and faults. When in reality what they need to focus on is the real problem, the one's who commit the crimes, and stop trying to make money from being a dick by causing a reaction from a popular source and getting your fucking asswipe book noticed in the media.
"Way to promote rape nonstop. You guys are fucking idiots. It's not Bulletstorm leading to more rapes, it's you fools."
I disagree you're presenting a logical fallacy. Talking about rape, even joking about rape, does not directly cause rape - particularly when the jokes in question refer to rape as a negative act.
For example, by your logic Black people (or any other racial minority) wouldn't be allowed to make jokes about racists.
Joking about something removes some of the fear around it. Of course there are ways of joking and types of jokes that work to achieve the opposite, but I see few of these types of jokes being used here.
Go out into the sun you crusty bastards.
Other than that type of exception of games theres no way I'd ever agree with the author because I believe in the choices we make as individuals far out weigh those done out confusion or being affected by a game in a negative manner.
I've been posting here since late 2007, visiting the site on nearly a daily basis and commenting fairly regularly on a broad range of news stories and opinion pieces. I only say this so that you can gain a better understanding for what I am about to say: what you have just written is, by far, the stupidest, most ill-conceived excuse for a thought I've ever seen posted on this site.