January 31, 2008 -
Stephen Totilo at MTV News has new comments from self-help author Cooper Lawrence, who likely needs no introduction to gamers following 10 days of nonstop coverage of the Fox News / Mass Effect debacle.Lawrence's remarks, issued in a statement to MTV, were mostly conciliatory, although she dug her heels in on a couple of points:
In hindsight, I would have liked to have had the opportunity to play this game before appearing on the program. As a developmental-psychology expert, I was asked to appear on this particular show to discuss the broader issue of video games and their impact on developing adolescents, not as an expert on 'Mass Effect...'
I firmly stand by the research I cited that violence and sexual content in video games has a desensitizing effect on young developing minds.
Lawrence also criticized gamers' guerrilla use of Amazon.com's review feature to trash her book:
I believe that the customer-review feature on Amazon.com is not the appropriate forum to discuss an unrelated news segment. I appeared on a news program that provides an opportunity for debate on topics that have been previously covered by the media. Amazon's customer-reviews feature functions as a platform to review a product sold on their site, in this case my book, the topic of which does not relate to video games and/or 'Mass Effect.'
Previously, in an interview with Seth Schiesel of the New York Times, Lawrence said:
I recognize that I misspoke. I really regret saying that, and now that I’ve seen the game and seen the sex scenes it’s kind of a joke.
Before the show I had asked somebody about what they had heard, and they had said it’s like pornography. But it’s not like pornography. I’ve seen episodes of ‘Lost’ that are more sexually explicit.
GamePolitics Poll: While Fox News rides out the Mass Effect storm unapologetically, Cooper Lawrence has borne the brunt of gamers' wrath.
Given that she has owned up to making inaccurate comments about Mass Effect, our latest GamePolitics poll asks whether it is time for gamers to forgive Cooper Lawrence.
The poll is located atop the right sidebar.
Be sure to vote!
Comments
Until then I hesitate to grant her the title expert on anything, other than at professionally bullshitting everyone.
I for one didn't condone the bookstorming of her site or the things some people said and I didn't participate in it. I felt there were better ways to address the issue with her. So in a way, I kind of understood where she was coming from on that.
Personally I would have rather had to just simply have a nice conversation with her one on one, preferably over dinner (Even if I may disagree with her, she's not an unattractive woman! Though I probably wouldn't stand much of a chance of scoring with her and she'd probably accuse me of being a womanizer!). Still, I think that would help her realize that not all gamers are uncouth and immature and that quite a few of us are polite and well-spoken.
Still like others have said, just because I forgive doesn't mean I won't forget.
She never apologized, she just said she "misspoke" and that she regretted saying it. That's not an apology. Not to mention her attitude (which she seems to continue to have) and other statements she made during that interview.
Now this is not to say that they are without their limits. For the same offense fro mteh same person, we are to forgive 70 times 7 times if they appologize. For the same offense by the same person without an appology, it is only7. But that is only if the offense was with malice. If a person offends you but they do not know it, they should be forgiven every time else the sin is on your head.
Not to be preachy, but just to explain why I voted yes.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Fangamer
I also agree with that the Amazon book reviews WASN'T the right place to debate this. A simple email could have easily done this.
One thing I found awful about some commenter is that while Lawrence was mistaken in her statement, she takes the full blame while none complained or attacked Fox News. While she was at fault for giving statements without doing research, she DOES NOT deserve the full blame.
Glad someone shares my views, Soldatlouis.
In the words of the soul of the internet...
"Anonymous is legion. Anonymous does not forgive. Anonymous does not forget."
What she got wasn't even the worst of what Gamers could've done. I'm just glad that no one has started tossing out death-threats, as is so common when it comes to JT.
Admittedly, this is a strange way to deal with the media attackers, and the social stigma that gamers are still battling, but it's very effective. I believe more and more people who were dumb enough to mouth off about things they don't understand, or care to learn about, are starting to realize that you don't do it to gamers. They will destroy you, your credibility, and anything you had that could be considered sanity.
That does in fact make a great deal of sense. Fox tells her that there's a game that adolescents can obtain that contains graphic sex. She spoke against said game. It's what she would do, what she was basically asked to do, and I certainly can't fault her on it. I imagine a lot of people (myself included) would condemn the practice of selling sexually explicit video games to children; fortunately, no one's doing that right now.
Would like to hear an "I'm sorry" from Fox News though.
Fox News should still be chastised for their stupidity, though.
http://writergarage.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/confusing-fantasy-with-real...
Forgive me if I bork something with
[quote]
This study didn’t involve thousands of young children. It didn’t even involve “real life experience” or even if they knew the difference between real life and fantasy. The Washington Post, in their story Students See Video Games As Harmless, Study Finds is more accurate, but not much more. The post still sensationalizes the issue by claiming that 14-year olds, who are filled with wrath, consider themselves “immune to mayhem.”
[/quote]
Also from the professor who performed the study:
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/its_not_just_a_game/
So, with that in mind, I vote no. Her "research" in to the harmful effects of video games totals one study of 100 college students, by an obviously biased researcher, that proves little to no scientific basis to make statements about the effects of games in either the short term or long term.
We should forgive because we need to show our detractors that we will forgive them if they admit they are wrong. If we don't, then we back them into a corner that they will eventually try to lash out of. If we forgive, it puts us in a better light.
I say dont forgive her...how can videogamers gain respect if we let people get off with trashing our shit as long as they say sorry. Sorry dosen't cut it with me and it shouldn't cut it with any of you! Shes done her damage her sorry repairs zero percent of that damage and by letting up on it we let her walk to bash us another day. We should not stop until we put a decent dent in her career that way she might be a bit more reluctant before she lies again for personal gain.
I hate to say it but its videogamers willingness to forgive that makes us a soft target.
Hell the videogame community is doing something brand new by standing up as much as we have...but i say we make an example of fox and cooper and hit them as hard as possible (not exactly the fairest thing, but it might get a few people to piss off)
We need a better target than Fox news.
Now can we go and do something about the real culprit - Faux News?
Seriously, I think that this is really the first time that gamers have politically come together against the media itself.
I can't think of a more appropriate place to show her EXACTLY what she did to gamers, and BioWare.
"I appeared on a news program that provides an opportunity for debate on topics that have been previously covered by the media."
HA! Debate? Calling Fox News a forum for debate, is like calling a spitting contest an Olympic sport.
I voted No. As far as I'm concerned gamers and game companies need to viscously defend themselves, Fox News and other 'authorities' have taken it upon themselves to tell everyone else what's right, and what's wrong. They can go to hell if they think we're going to sit here and accept their perverted judgment, I say down with anyone who thinks they can coerce ANYONE into conforming to their twisted flavor of hypo critic morality.
As far as the Amazon ratings of her book, I approve of what they did. She deserved no better. I guess she sees how much it hurts to have people who haven't even looked at your work condemning it. But I think she got the message, so there's no more need to keep "reviewing" her book.
I think its the perfect forum because she would have apologized for her comments mis-informed or not. And I think we should cut her some slack, but not think twice about doing something like this again if the situation arises.
Lets face it, most gamers are very internet suave and we need to show people that we are tired of Politicians, Parent Groups, and New Media constantly stepping on our necks in their quest to find a scapegoat that answers their question of why people are so f'd up in the head. *BUT* we really need to stop with the death threats, and racist/sexist/idiotic crap. Unfortunately gamers can't chose who is also in the group, but we need to show that there are MATURE people who care about their favorite past time and will protect it.
Here's the thing. So, we have this minor scrap over video games. Yes, we're all upset and angered that they are passing off this terrific game as pornography. But, once you hear what Lawrence said in explanation for her ignorance, it's actually really chilling: "Before the show I had asked somebody about what they had heard, and they had said it’s like pornography."
It makes you wonder what other "experts" are being used to discuss actually important issues plaguing the world at large and not focused on our past time.
As per the poll, is it time to forgive or not...it doesn't matter. The harm's done. Everyone who saw that program has it in their mind that Mass Effect = porn. It doesn't matter what Lawrence is saying [i]to other media that's not Fox[/i] because the harm's done, for one, and for two, chances are those who are influenced by Fox aren't looking at the New York Times.
It's despicable. And while forgiving Lawrence is one thing, she's really a pawn in the problem.
On amazon... I think the amazon feedback system was absolutly the right medium for this. When you have someone preforming actions that effect others (but do not hurt them or things they care about) the best way to get them to THINK about what they did it flip things and cause thier actions to effect something they DO care about.
Sending letters, comments, etc, would be pointless. This is someone who cares about their career and revenues. We don't have the clout to tell Fox 'slap her around or we boycott your advertizer's products', but we CAN effect her own bottom line.
She's digging in now.
By that does that mean there's a likely chance that Cooper Lawrence is a man?
She calls someone a "darling" on live (?) TV when she's asked whether she played the game. The implication there is that she sees video games and playing them beneath her and something only "darlings" do. She still has not apologized for that.
But the most serious issue I have with her is that she goes on a TV show as an expert when she CLEARLY has done no research on the issue, is not an expert on the issue and is just talking out of her ass.
I'm not going to forgive her unless she addresses those two points to my satisfaction. I am, however, giving her that she has an unusually open mind towards owning up to her mistakes. A lot of the experts-in-their-own-minds types have a real problem ever admitting they could be wrong.
"I firmly stand by the research I cited that violence and sexual content in video games has a desensitizing effect on young developing minds."
Oh come on... how many thousands of times do we need to say "what research?" I have yet to see a single conclusive non-biased bit of research supporting this view.
So in short: Nice apology, you apologise then go on to quote very dodgy research as fact without checking it. Good way to dig yourself back into the hole you previously made.
Apology denied
Although im not a big fan of absoultly spamming her work with poor scores, people have to realise that before you can cast judgement over something you have to at least have some knowledge about it.
Is it so disturbing to see alien sideboob (A quote from a friend of mine).
Until Miss Lawrence can be forgiven by the gaming community she first has to offer the community a proper appology, and not a half-baked, i mispoke but im right anyway.
This is true...but if enough pawns get burnt they might stop marching forward without a thought as to why they're doing it.
Neeneko: but we CAN effect her own bottom line.
And this is how we get those pawns to think about their actions before they say or do something stupid.
Continuing to single her out sends the message that Fox can get away with this type of action because the community will maliciously single out the guests and do nothing to the show.
There will always be an idiot happy to stand up and trot out some soundbite garbage for crappy network news, the people who need to be educated are the networks themselves.
No and no.
But after reading the comments here I realize I might have chosen the wrong answer. Amazon.com was a great place to do that becuase of the situation. I could be called in as a 'expert' and say things about her book, even though I've never read it, based on what a friend told me in passing. She really has put this on herself. She has no one to blame but herself.
nightwng2000 made a lot of great points. Always intresting to see what he will say about the news items on this site. Things I sometimes overlook.
So, yeah, I agree with him. "No forgiving No forgetting.
- Warren Lewis
She does not have the expertise in the feilds she writes books on much less on an entire industry she has pretty much slandered.
She claims innocence.
=I=
Innocence Proves Nothing.
I do not beleive this woman is ready for forgiveness. It would only encourage her because there are no "long lasting effects" so long as you say "I'm sorry, kind of."
A lot of the psychologists would like a world where evryone was sensitive, and a man wasn't afraid to cry if he was sad. We don't live in that world. Someone who is too sensitive will go crazy before they are 24. The real world hurts, it has rough spots and sharp corners. If you are sensitive you go through life bruised and bleeding.
If someone kicks down my door (again, but I wasn't home the first time) I would like to think I won't freeze up. I'd like to think that if it came down to it, and some guy is standing in my house threatening my family, and says "you don't have the balls to pull that trigger", that shortly thereafter he wouldn't have the balls to say that again (00 12 guage).
As for being desensitized to sexual content, too late, the mass media beat you too it decades ago. Take for example, Family Matters. No one even noticed that it was constantly refering to and showing minors in unsupervised "making out". Is this wrong? Well, according to the P-Sychologist (Animaniacs reference) yes, it's desensitizing. Would parents be upset if they walked into the living room and found their daughter "making out". Yes, I think they would. What was the political and mass media fall out from this constant reference... zero.
Have you ever had to do a study in college of sex in advertising? Have you noticed just how much of our advertising is based on sex? (This message brought to you by TAG Body Spray, You've been warned!) We are already desensitized to sex. And having a one character fall in love with another character over the course of what ammounts to several weeks and life or death situations, and then making the descision to "go all the way" before the final battle which not only they, but all life in the galaxy may die... well, that's not exactly the same as saying "Spray this on your body and many empty headed women will want to have wild sex with you."
Perhaps if she HAD played the game, she could determine if this game might present women in a better light. I feel it was a step in the right direction for everyone involved. It has women being some of the most powerful, important people in the game. Shows the entire galaxy being ruled by a consil of three, of which one is definitely a woman (I'm not sure how to tell if a Turian or Salarian is female). In fact, as you progress through the game, it is remarkably balance as far as gender, race, and species both in representation, power, and attitude.
Instead of trying to scare parents with how bad video games COULD be, why not play this game and rate it as how it would affect the 16-25 demoghaphic for which it is intended?
It's stupid.
"Forgiveness is something that you earn."
I agree, if she wants us to forgive her, join ourside and fight the good fight with us, not against us.
She screwed up and now she's trying to play the victim. Every single sarcastic review of her book - especially the ones that say, "I didn't read it, but my opinion still counts because I say it does" - is a brilliant way to prove exactly how stupid Fox's show about games was. It's also a great warning to other so-called experts to do a little research before appearing on those shows to pimp a book.