The Game

Best-selling book The Game was written by writerhomage to the film's main character.
and the (self-titled) greatest Pick-Up Artist in thePublication of The Game was wrought with harsh
world, Neil Strauss. The Game charts the author's risecriticism from many diverse interest groups. Members
as he delved into the sub-community ofof the seduction community at the heart of the
Internet-based seducers and Lotharios facing up tobook became increasingly anxious that their
his own fears and anxieties about interacting withsub-community would have the glare of the
women- even if only to ask directions on the street-mainstream shone upon it highlighting their practices
to bedding adult film stars and Hollywood celebrities.leaving them open to inspection by the very audience
The Game featured the most prominent Pick-Upthey wished to keep their activities hidden from.
Artists and Seducers from across the globe andSome went so far as to suggest that Strauss'
though not intended to be interpreted as a 'how to'intentions were geared towards and influenced by
guide to picking up women it still managed to capturethe financial rewards of the book's publication as well
acclaim by featuring on the New York Times bestas the opportunity to further his own writing career.
sellers list during September and October 2005 andCriticism was also leveled from feminists who claimed
was the best selling book on in a short space of timethat The Game was written with undertones of
after its release. Others making guest appearancesmisogyny as the rating of the appearance of women
of note include socialite Paris Hilton and pop starusing a scale of 1-10 to judge their value in the eyes
Britney Spears- who Strauss actually claims to haveof Pick-Up Artists objectified women. This was,
exchanged telephone numbers with during anhowever, countered by Neil Strauss who argued the
interview for then employers Rollingstone magazine.claim that men were, in the same vein, 'valued'
Sub-plots and adjacent story lines are integral to Theaccording to attractiveness by women using signals
Game with the author chronicling his pursuit of asuch as wealth and that rating a woman's appearance
military-style sleep regime and overt references towas merely an attempt at verbalising an evolutionary
pop culture such as the alignment of the plot to theprocess that men undertake when assessing the
film Fight Club- incidentally, a famous Pick-Up Artistsuitability of potential mates.
takes the pseudonym Tyler Durden in an apparent