James Frey's big lie...

www.thesmokinggun.com...

I have a couple of friends who are recovering from addiction that treat his book like a bible. I'm concerned that countless numbers of addicts and groups/institutions for addiction treatment have jumped onto this book’s bandwagon for inspiration. I feel each individual is responsible for his/her actions, but if you've known an addict (I’m trying to quit smoking, myself) you know that something as small as an inspirational book acts as a glue in tough times. I am wondering if we're going to see a mass addiction relapse in our country when that glue loses its bond.

The more information I read on the topic, the more disgusted I become. It really undercuts the real people who have hit rock bottom. He might be a recovering addict, but not all addicts hit rock bottom before the path to recovery and from the reports, he was some distance from rock bottom. I hate to throw such a staunch opinion out there, but I think he’s a scumbag if this is indeed true.

Who hasn't lied about their past at one point in another? Who hasn't taken embellishments on stories of something they did? The whole "the fish that got away" mentality comes to mind.

All that this guy did was make a book out of it. People bought his book, Oprah publicized it more. I say good for him!

The situation is actually quite amusing. He painted himself out to be a crackhead violent junkie that takes swings at cops. The arresting cops had a much different story saying he was cooperatives and went quiety

To quote The Super-Freak: "Cocain's a hell'va drug".

I read A million little pieces a year or two ago. I bought it because Amazon recommended it with a book by Chuck Palahniuk (dude who wrote Fight Club).
I didn't even know it wasn't fiction but a personal account until after i got it and read the blurb. While reading it, i thought it was a pretty generious account and wondered how he could remember so much of his drug riddled past but i didn't really focus that hard on the stories as much as i did on the message and the point of the book - that you can turn your situation around if your determined enough to understand your problems to be able to use your brain to overcome them rather than relying on others to sort your crap out for you.

It was a good read when he wasn't a major book seller and just because Oprah has graced it with her wand doesn't change that.

The fact that he was a addict at one point and is now an Oprah favourite and a best seller shows that using your brain CAN get you out of bad situations. He's obviously a smart guy and decided to face his problems head on and turn it around so it becomes a positive in his life. Most of the hardest drug addicts i've known have also been very intelligent people who just feel like idiots using the standard available methods of treatment which is part of the cause of their problems to begin with - for some people Frey's book will be a good guide on facing things yourself, for others it won't be.

Whereas there's no law for telling the truth in a book, there is one in politics - when they are being made accountable, then we'll take on Oprahs bookclub!

This is a prime example of what is wrong with news organizations and the general media. NO FACT CHECKING. I love that this book made it to Oprah and is being made into a movie that could star Brad Pitt and no one bothered to do the basic background research that would have taken about 10 minutes and a couple phone calls.

Originally posted by zerotime

This is a prime example of what is wrong with news organizations and the general media. NO FACT CHECKING. I love that this book made it to Oprah and is being made into a movie that could star Brad Pitt and no one bothered to do the basic background research that would have taken about 10 minutes and a couple phone calls.

Spot on zero, seems that the plain truth gets overlooked when it comes to making a quick buck or getting your biased views across to the populace.

It's endemic of the way our governments, employers, media etc treat the average joe in the west nowadays; but the fact is that the vast majority of US and UK citizens seem more than willing to swallow all the crap that's thrown at them without question. I have come to call these guys 'sheep'; they're easly led and should they ever stray can be easily corralled by the shepherd's dogs.

It does seem a bit pathetic that the author of this book has had to embellish his experiences somewhat in a bid to sell what has become for many an inspirational read; he's done the exact opposite and in my eyes has only now sunk to the bottom of life's crap-heap.

Best wishes

J

MOD EDIT: Removing offensive material.

[edit on 1/12/2006 by cmdrkeenkid]

Anyway – Oprah has defended the book and why wouldn’t she? She’s personally invested in this book…not a money investment, but just the ‘good word’ as spoken by Oprah. All hail Oprah!
www.msnbc.msn.com...

I called one of my friends last night who carried this book everywhere he went…well he’s not off the wagon (or on the wagon, I can never remember that), but he is upset about it and feels duped. I discussed the fact that it helped him nonetheless and he agreed. So it’s not that bad, right? Well this guy has an open mind and doesn’t take things too seriously or literally, so he’s a bit better prepared than most/some to accept his/her inspirational guide was false.
It’s the hardliners – the ones who can’t accept gray areas (you know who you are) that I’m most concerned about. I suspect some people will be so upset over this they will start their addictions again. I guess one could weigh the good and the bad – for example it helped 1000 people and only 200 out of that 1000 got upset which in turn acted as a trigger to open the doors of addiction again. We still have 800 who are healthy.
That’s a good thing, right? I don’t know… I’m still in the ‘he’s a scumbag’ camp.

MOD EDIT: Removing quoted offense material from above.

[edit on 1/12/2006 by cmdrkeenkid]

Yep ... Oprah is still defending her stand in this mess.

The FACT is the guy is a liar and the book simply isn't true.

You can't push a book as fact and as helpful and inspirational
when it simply isn't true.

Oprah is suffering from hyper-reality. Her word is not God and
she can and does make errors. This Frey book deal is one of them.

She said it was 'much todo about nothing'. yeah, right.
Face it Oprah ... you screwed up. Real people do.
Admitting this is your first step back on track with reality.

I posted that the bible was a book written by Leftwing radicals of their day and responsible for setting numerous off track lives back on track. This Mod deleted it and left a disparaging edit note against me that it was offensive what I posted.
Deleting the post is the wrong move; it's completely in context to reference a didactic book which inspires people to be better people, as that was the exact ire/irony being discussed in this topic.

ATS wants to be something corporate?

Fine

But in dumbing down content to these levels, you're (ATS STAFF) losing all posters worth a crap that got you here.

I'm new to this site, so I'm not aware of how its grown since its creation.

I to felt the edited post was a little extreme...
Actually a little discouraging...

I would like to know what was offensive? I didn't agree with the statement made, but I picked up on some relations to the topic (small relations, but it was there) -
Was it a biased edit? Can admins who do not like or agree with a thought just remove what they seem fit? I guess I better read the rules before I go around telling everyone this site is so awesome (which i've been doing the past 2 weeks since I first discovered the site)

Maybe someone can help me understand better?

Sorry for the off topic post...

Cheers
Knowseek

Originally posted by gingerlad

It does seem a bit pathetic that the author of this book has had to embellish his experiences somewhat in a bid to sell what has become for many an inspirational read; he's done the exact opposite and in my eyes has only now sunk to the bottom of life's crap-heap.

I'm with you on that, Gingerlad

He was actually invited to do the Oprah show again, today, and I must say that I found it hilarious to see him squirm... she was like his mom, he couldn't even look her in the face because, as my mom says, "he knew he was wrong."

BTW, I really didnt appreciate the callers on CNN tonight and their take on how Oprah treated him on her show. Admittedly, she was harsh, but why wouldn't she be? It was her reputation that was damaged- nobody knew who the heck he was before she tapped him for her book club. For the past few weeks, this Frey guy has been ripped apart by anyone with a keyboard, but when Oprah does it, she's taking it too far. I'm sure he knew why he was invited back. She shouldn't be made to feel bad for- okay, I'll say it- using his discomfort to help restore her reputation. Its not her fault he's a big fat liar.

[edit on 26-1-2006 by HarlemHottie]



[edit on 27-1-2006 by HarlemHottie]

I now want to read the book. If it was supposed to turn me off, it didn't work. Strange no?

Originally posted by TheShroudOfMemphis
The fact that he was a addict at one point and is now an Oprah favourite and a best seller shows that using your brain CAN get you out of bad situations. He's obviously a smart guy and decided to face his problems head on and turn it around so it becomes a positive in his life.

That's a pretty compassionate take on those who've overcome substance abuse problems, Shroud. I have to wonder why you can't see the same traits in your President.

Oprah was on in the background while I working so I partly caught the story; not well enough to really add much though. I just wanted to mention there's also a thread in BTS about it if you want to check it out:

James Frey is a marketing genius

Interesting take on the subject over there, that Nakash kinda hit on.

Many 12 steppers are like fanatical bible thumpers, who scream there way is the only way to redemption.

Many sober up without meetings. Many go to non-12 step meetings.

Fill you life up with life, not meetings. Being sober does not mean you have recovery. Everyone have to build there own recovery, and what works for me might send another back out.

Whether or not the book is in the wrong section of the library, is irrelivant. The book is awsome, and gives hope to those who dont know about non-twelve step groups. To those who go to treatment, and here over and over again, that if they dont do the steps, their doomed.

His book is awsome.

This whole conterversy is fed by fanatical 12 steppers, the malevolent glee of the smoking gun, and people who just like to see their name on a computer screen.

WORK YOUR OWN PROGRAM!

Sincerely,
Jason James Morgan
recoverying drug addict

I find the whole controversy over whether or not certain details in the book are fact/fiction to be ridiculous...for several reasons.

First....the book struck a chord with millions of people. Some were entertained, some reaffirmed their already held conceptions/morals/opinions, and some were inspired to walk the path of the protaganist towards their own recovery. Not every one who read the book is/was an addict so the concern over how many people will relapse due to their loss of faith is most likely a moot point for a variety of reasons.

Second...I see more ongoing coverage of this issue than I do regarding what are most likely real lies. The ongoing spectacle that is Iraq and the War on Terror has been fraught with lies, he said/she said, and much ideaological rhetoric that has no actual relevance to anything. Yet we as a population eat up every word that is propagated as if it were true, merely because it is presented..(in most cases).

If the Oprah crowd spent more time questioning their authorities than an author who may not have suffered as much as he stated, there may not be so much oppurtunity for them/us to be lied to.......

Not to mention that everyone on this planet lies at some point or another.....some more than others and definetely some more than Frey....who are never held accountable.

If I were him, I'd invest the money and write a couple more memoirs depicting very different lives...

[edit on 29-1-2006 by MemoryShock]