Below is the second post we published on July 4, 2012. With this one we wanted to show our readers how the bullies game the system with their reviews, voting up reviews or deleting and re-adding them to assure they are on the top page. The example of Lucy’s review of Beautiful Disaster illustrated this rather nicely.
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GR Name: Lucy
Real Name: Lucy N. Davis
Category: Instigator, Minion
Toxicity Level: DEFCON 3, Medium Alert, Moderately Toxic
Lucy is what what we here at Stgrb call a DEFCON 3 bully, an instigator and a minion. At times, she attacks in order to provoke a potential victim into a fight (much like Shannon, The Holy Terror.) This, in fact, was the reason she was blocked by Goodreads author, Lauren DeStefano – for harassment. However, most of the time, Lucy misses the initial contact:
But she jumps into the fight once she hears about it, in order to help her fellow bullies participate in tearing apart their victim. In other words, she follows the pack. This is minion behaviour.
Above is a screencap of her profile pictures, which include her cartoon ego and several photos of her dog. Yes, yes, nice puppy, very cute. On an interesting note, it is usually the DEFCON 3 bullies who, out of cowardice, will not reveal actual pictures of themselves.
Alright, well, you’re probably wondering why we have chosen a DEFCON 3 GR bully for our second post, and that would certainly be a legitimate concern. We’ve chosen Lucy to illustrate further how the GR bullies operate on a regular basis. They do in fact operate under the impression, or I should say the delusion that their reviews are more important than other readers’ reviews and thus should always be on top. Our sources have provided us with a perfect example of this: Lucy’s review of Jamie Mcguire’s Beautiful Disaster, which by the way is a book that made the NYT list.
But I am getting off topic. Here is a screen cap of the beginning of the review, just in case it disappears or is changed.
Notice the bold, all-caps writing that says:
“DELETED AND READDED BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD IT BURIED.”
When her review was buried, she became very unhappy, as most of them do whenever their reviews are flagged for content, and tried to re-add it, getting all of her friends to comment and like it, so that it would reach the top again (read comments on the review for more details.) Of course, when she did this, it didn’t help. The review was still buried, so she contacted the Goodreads moderators to have to it placed back to the top:
So, are you starting to see this unhealthy obsession with being above everyone else? One commenter on our blog said that the bullies’ behaviour stems from the need to feel important and gain power over others. This review is a perfect example of that.
Below is a clipping from her review commenters who just could not understand why the review was buried in the first place.
They assume that it was the author acting out against the reviewer for a bad review and getting her fans to help. Gosh, I don’t know, it couldn’t have anything to do with language like this, could it?
In the comment thread below the review, Lucy is flabbergasted that her review was targeted and wonders why anyone would single her out. Gee, could it be her insulting behaviour toward others?
Her insults to Jamie Mcguire:
Her insult to Rebecca Hamilton:
This is why we chose Lucy, a DEFCON 3 bully, to profile on our blog today. To show all of our readers the lengths these bullies will go to to place themselves above everyone else. This is just another example of their bullying behaviour.
It seems to be a case of “me,me,me! I want MY review at the top because MY review is the most important!!!”
These people take their reviews so seriously! They really seem to think that their views matter! I can never understand how some reviewers seem to read so many books that they consider to be one star books. Why do they keep reading books that they hate??? Its really very strange!
I don’t review all the books that I read, but I do review some. I don’t keep checking back to see if my review is still there or to see if people vote it up or down. I’m not bothered either way. I only go back to my review if I get an e-mail to say someone has left a comment on my review. But these bullies are totally obsessed with their book reviews, they must think their opinions are very important.
The lowest rating that I have ever given a book is a three star rating. This is NOT because I’m a goody two shoes, it is because I always research a book before I buy it, and I always read the free sample. Therefore I never end up buying a book that I totally hate. It is even rare that I buy a book that I rate at three stars (three stars stands for the book was ok) Most of the books I buy are four and five star in my opinion, if I’m not drawn into the book by the free sample then I don’t buy it. Life is too short to read books that I don’t like.
BUT then again most of these bullies review books that they haven’t even read! They dish out one star reviews like its the fashion. It must be awful to be that nasty and negative all the time, such a sad existence!
I found myself nodding as I read Gill’s comment. I second everything she said. Yes, why do they keep reading books they hate? Life is short.
It is a good question.
@ NA – In most cases, they don’t even read them. Yet they continue to talk about them and berate them and the author. Mostly the author.
But I digress
That Lucy is one burnt waffle. For all the complaints she has made regarding phone threats of death and rape yet, she doesn’t report this to the authorities? I mean, if she isn’t concerned enough for her own well being to report this to the police then why should anyone else be so concerned? The only answer I can come up with is …. maybe it didn’t happen? Isn’t happening? Which would coincide with the bully mentality of saying it but not proving it. Even a tough guy like me would at least be contacting the law if anything, for to document it and make them aware.
Lucy, if you’re reading this, I will admit that I don’t particularly care for you one single bit … but if someone is threatening you with death and or rape then go the effing police! Otherwise, just STFU about it already.
And while you’re at it, get help! Get some serious help! I myself suffer from a bi-polar condition resulting from a horrible car accident, so I have been around people with mental problems / issues. I also workd for a comapny for a year that catered to people with “special needs” and seriously, I think you need to go and get “evaluated”. I don;t say this to get a laugh, mental illness is not a laughing matter. I say this because I truely believe you may be suffering and don’t even know it.
Lucy = weirdo.