Video: Jack Thompson Angered by IGDA Head's Criticism
Video: Jack Thompson Angered by IGDA Head's Criticism
April 22, 2007
On Friday, MSNBC ran a lengthy web feature detailing how video games were being blamed for the Virginia Tech massacre in some quarters, most notably by controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson.
Included in reporter Winda Benedetti's story was this acid quote from Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA):
On Saturday morning, Thompson was interviewed on MSNBC. He rehashed his theory that madman Seung-Hui Cho trained for the VTU rampage on Counter-strike some five years ago, when the 23-year-old mass murderer was still in high school. Nothing new there; it's the same thing Thompson has been saying for days.
Near the end of the interview, however, anchor Alex Witt threw the Della Rocca quote at Thompson, whose anger was palpable. Check out the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS1xhnXDpe0
Included in reporter Winda Benedetti's story was this acid quote from Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA):
It's so sad. These massacre chasers — they're worse than ambulance chasers — they're waiting for these things to happen so they can jump on their soapbox.
On Saturday morning, Thompson was interviewed on MSNBC. He rehashed his theory that madman Seung-Hui Cho trained for the VTU rampage on Counter-strike some five years ago, when the 23-year-old mass murderer was still in high school. Nothing new there; it's the same thing Thompson has been saying for days.
Near the end of the interview, however, anchor Alex Witt threw the Della Rocca quote at Thompson, whose anger was palpable. Check out the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS1xhnXDpe0
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Posted 07/04/09 at 06:33pm
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:32pm
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:54pm
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:50pm
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:07pm
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:01pm
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:52pm
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:50pm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:49pm
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:44pm
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:42pm
Andrew Eisen: Note to JT, it is not illegal to sell kids a ticket to R-rated movies.
Andrew Eisen: Note to JT, it is not illegal to sell kids a ticket to R-rated movies.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:39pm
Cheater87: Jack said we would be better with no rating sytem.
Cheater87: Jack said we would be better with no rating sytem.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:35pm
Alareth: So what was the introduction used for Jack?
Alareth: So what was the introduction used for Jack?
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:31pm
JDKJ: Heard one, you've heard 'em all. He repeats the same act, with the same half-truths, over and over.
JDKJ: Heard one, you've heard 'em all. He repeats the same act, with the same half-truths, over and over.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:31pm
Andrew Eisen: Using a credit card as age verification is not illegal. Hope Mark called him on that and his made up statistics.
Andrew Eisen: Using a credit card as age verification is not illegal. Hope Mark called him on that and his made up statistics.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:30pm
Alareth: Jack is special, his mommy always told him so.
Alareth: Jack is special, his mommy always told him so.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:29pm
Andrew Eisen: JT lied about that APA causation thing again. Wonder if Mark called him on it.
Andrew Eisen: JT lied about that APA causation thing again. Wonder if Mark called him on it.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:04pm
Andrew Eisen: Follow the JT/Methenitis debate on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jtdebate
Andrew Eisen: Follow the JT/Methenitis debate on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jtdebate
Posted 07/04/09 at 01:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Rodrigo - A fun idea but you might want to fix the typos.
Andrew Eisen: Rodrigo - A fun idea but you might want to fix the typos.
Posted 07/04/09 at 12:57pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: Happy 4th of July!
GRIZZAM PRIME: Happy 4th of July!
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
JT....why is 9/11 mention so much in your bs, wtf has the deaths of all those people have to do with this, your just cheapning their memory.
"I do not believe that Jack Thompson should get any air-time on MSNBC. Just do a Google search on his name and you'll see how crazy he really is. He makes crazy assumptions and insults those who do not agree with his stance on violent videogames, with the sole intention of being on the news and getting more publicity.
As Jason Della Rocca stated, "It’s so sad. These massacre chasers — they’re worse than ambulance chasers — they’re waiting for these things to happen so they can jump on their soapbox.". Jack Thompson takes advantage of real tragedies to further his own cause."
Didn't the Washington Post retract the piece about violent videogames?
There was released the slightest bit of behavior that Jason Della Rocca is in the age group and didn't come off to write these massacres as long as the top of it is a new whipping boy. Referring to do some other solid proof, I hope he doesn't change the talk about constantly trying to use proper grammar and what happened in germany. Say that this man as the NBC article reminded me is twisted and didn't invite them to IGDA Director Jason Della Rocca's quote about events; apparently he needs to foreclosure proceedings against being like MSNBC or they would've killed anybody.
But are all of stuff happen in question; you sent to his own words - he IS a lot of Monday in the country.
Devil's Advocate for every day? Seriously! I'd love to be torn apart by him until now.
Totally worth it. Thank you.
Agreed. Start this petition.
Personally, I'm sick of the man, he's a liar, a feeder on death and an insult to lawyers, he has no interest in impartial facts, he will hear what he wants to hear, rather than being balanced.
Jacks in this for the money, that's all, remember the stabbings in Russia, where there was a load of Nazi stuff found, but Jack was up and screaming that Video Games did it? In fact, there are probably about 8 times I can mention where Jack has contacted authorities claiming that computer games were involved with crimes which, in many cases, it turned out they were nothing to do with it. But Jack always preferred showmanship to facts.
Particuarly annoying is Jacks claim that the Computer Industry knows what effect Video Games have but are choosing to ignore it, that is sick and insulting for a start, but also tries to paint an image of them being like the Tobacco and Petroleum industries of several years ago, trying to hide the truth from the public.
Considering that this vast 'conspiracy' is going on, it's surprising how easy it is to get the results of the tests Jack talks about and find out how he's twisting the facts the suit himself. If the facts are so 'telling' as Jack claims, why is he more or less the only one advocating this idea out of the entire over-arching FTC commision? But then, when their results aren't helpful to Jack, they are in the ESA's pocket, when they are, he quotes them all over his letters.
Frankly, I do believe the man needs help, he's so filled up with anger and hatred for youth in general, and youth culture in particular, he's become so enamoured with the 'Rose Tinted Spectacles' view of when he was a child that he thinks society is 'worse' than it used to be. It's not, Society is what it is, there is only perspective to go by. There were more murders in New York in the 70's than there are today, for example, but, thanks to Media people are more aware that they take place, so it seems like more, it's all a question of perspective.
"The recent Imus fiasco showed the damage that can be caused by allowing a nut job with a skewed view on reality free reign on the air."
Imus was a Radio Shock jock, that had been on the air for 50 years (an impressive run in the radio industry), he made a poor joke, that was very out of taste, was also the victim of a slow news day (nothing else was going on so the media ran with this, despite the fact that it's really a non-story), he was not a nut job with a skewed view on reality
unless the nut job you were referring to was Rev. Al, i think that statement comes off a little ignorant of what the Imus controversy really was
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ8kraRzE7A
The fact is that playing computer games years ago is a pretty weak excuse for what Cho did, and is certainly no explanation, as Jack well knows, it's like saying that all killers born in the 50's listened to Rock and Roll, therefore it must be a contributing factor.
What the article actually says is that the boy lived in a shell, first at home, then at college, what he chose to do in that shell is irrelevent, other killers collected weapons or exhibited other obsessive behaviour, often not making friends or communicating. The moment someone retreats from society and starts showing compulsive/obsessive behaviour, they become vulnerable to this, and that is where the key lay, not with Thompsons' rhetoric, but with identifying the fact that some people just get fed up and retreat from humanity to the point where they no longer even empathise with them, it's not the computer games doing that, it's the lack of interaction of the right kind.
Thompson will try to run with it, but I don't see him getting any success, using his reasoning, you could blame just about anything on anything.
@ Roger, and anyone who decides to write these news stations
I would advise to use proper grammar and punctuation. A letter written professionally will have more impact on those who read it than letters that are just written off the top of your head (which would typically be ignored).
I would also like to suggest to call the "massacre chaser" by his full REAL name 'John Bruce Thompson,' when making reference to him in your letters to these news stations
"Listen pal, you think the major news channels in the country are going to give a rat’s ass on what a sophomore in college writes to them? I asked Dennis to because he’s actually a professional journalist, unlike myself."
Yea, they are. The 18-35 demographic is covted by these compaines. It's like gold. So do they care what a sophomore in college writes to them? Damn straight they do. If they get enough letters saying "hey, what do you think you're doing? We don't like this. And if you keep doing it, we aren't going to watch it" will get them to stop it.
You heard of Don Imus right? What he said was wrong and all, but not worth getting fired and kicked off the air. But enough people get behind an issue, write to them, results happen.
And you know what? Lay off of Roger. At least he's got the balls to write them himself. Yea, the formatting, spelling, and punctuation could have been better. But at least he's trying to defend his hobby. He's doing it better then you are.
@Roger
Writing is a skill. Its one that has to be practiced over and over, like anything. Keep at it, you'll only get better.
That is a likely reason. Unfortunately since Counter Strike both lacks a hot coffee equivalent to use as a weakness and it's developer Valve is on safer ground than T2, that game is even more of a brick wall than GTA ever was.
The poor fool failed on GTA, and now he's choosing an even stronger target to break himself against? That's just bad planning.
Yyyeeesssss....I can feel your anger!
...sorry.
Comparing smoking to video games is like comparing a hamburger to a car.
I still don't see how a game he played five or more years ago trained him to do.....well, ANYTHING. Again, if you can train to do something like this from a video game then why don't NFL training camps consist of the players sitting around playing the newest version of Madden Football? If it works for teens and the military then surely it could work for them....right?
whats your problem at least i tryed instead of saying the hell with it or acting like a noob and writing JaCks A N00b. until you at least thank people for trying than you can go save your own fucking games.
Jack Thompson right again:
Today's New York Times: Cho, according to parents, "retreated to video
games." See below.
Washington Post this week: "Cho's favorite video game was Counterstrike,"
making it the violent shooter game of choice of the authors of the two worst
school shootings in world history (V Tech first, Erfurt, Germany second).
"When Mr. Cho entered Virginia Tech, which is crouched in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of southwest Virginia, his parents drove him to school with
guarded expectations. Perhaps he would no longer retreat to video games and
playing basketball alone the way he did at home. Perhaps college might crack
the mystery of who he was, extract him from his suffocating cocoon and make
him talk."
What do you guys think? Y'know he's gonna run with this.
I like his statement that kids "train by playing CS"
sure.. okay so because you play CS you can handle a gun??
*shrugs* expert witness my ***
"I'm saving lives!" No you're not. You're creating noise pollution.
And then it's followed by a hilarious misunderstanding about a tea-party...
Did they only pick that video because it shows the player killing enemy after enemy, flashing the word "pwnage" on the screen?
"I'm no genius".
Only correct thing you've said, Jack.
yea they banned that flick and because of that i sought it out and watched it myself (wasnt pulled over here in blightey) as im interested in watching films that have been scapegoated. I remebered that the school shooting parts were very minimal and it focused more on the negative aspects of drug addiction (such as the things he'd do to gt money for his next fix)
Oh and anyone who would blame rammstein for insighting violence isnt familiar with the band or their veiws.
Yes, he might run with this. After all, it's not like used facts for the basis of his arguments before. EVen his parents didnt know what videogames he played in his teenage years. What I find funny know that I think about it is his arguments while he insists that Cho still played Counterstrike. Something like:
"His suitemate said he didnt know him very well yet he said he never saw him play videogames. He doesnt know what Cho was doing on his computer".
Yet he bases his "fact" only on the Washington Post statement that some korean kids said that he played Counter-strike in his highschool years and that you don't usually give it up. Based on nameless Korean kids while every other newspapers quote his parents and neighbors saying he didnt have many if any friends.
He bases his "fact" that there was some kids that knew what he played in his highschool years better than what his suitemate said he didnt play in his college years.
Dear msnbc,
You have lost much of your credibility as a news organization today. You had John bruce Thompson as a guest commenting on violent video games causing real-world violence. Even if you did no check to see if he was truly qualified to speak on the subject, even if you did no check to see if his comments had any factual basis, his actions while on your show should be a clear warning of what will happen if he is featured on your news program ever again. He is biased, rude, and altogether not a nice character. For example, I sent him an email commenting on the worst massacre in history before the Virginia Tech massacre not being in Erfurt, Germany, as he claimed on several news programs (including yours), but being in Bath, Michigan. His reply was "let’s just ban idiots like you. It would be a start. duh." If you continue to have him on your program he will tarnish any reputation you have ever had in regards to fair reporting of facts related to video games. Since almost half of all Americans are gamers this could prove disastrous to your ratings. Please reconsider your policies on guests before you lose more than this one viewer.
Tony Russo
Dear Fox News,
In regards to your Virginia Tech coverage, I am shocked and apalled you would have as biased and rude a guest as Jack Thompson on your show blaming video games before there was any evidence of games being involved at all (there still is no evidence of games being involved.) You are enabling him to spread his lies and slanders to an unwilling populace. You have tarnished any reputation you have ever managed to get in regards to facts about video games. If he is ever on your show again I can almost guarantee a large number of gamers turning there backs on you for news. Considering the large population of gamers (almost 50% of Americans) this could prove disasterous for your ratings. Good Day.
Tony Russo
Hmmmm..... Again there are flaws in Mr. Thompson logic. I guess he still does not know the mean of percentage. Three school shoot and he see a pattern? I see it too. But I only see it among violent psychopaths rather then gamers. Of course none of this matter because he has truthness. There are, after all, more nerve endings in ones gut then ones brain (note a Stephen Colbert reference). He is, after all, a lawyer and an expert at modern psychology.
His email is somewhere on this site. amendmentone@comcast.net
ty I'll do that
I've just got this sneaky feeling that they consider him to be a ratings getting, not an expert to consult.
Anyway, along with Andrew Kehoe do we know what videogame ex-Marine Charles Whitman trained on before he climbed that tower at his University and killed 15-17 people? I almost completely forgot about this until that NBC article reminded me of it. There was even a scene in an old (well not that old but from the late late 80s or early 90s) movie called Parent Hood that scene where Steve Martin's character is invisioning his son doing something similar while yelling "YOU MADE ME PLAY SECOND BASE!" Didn't really make the connection until after I looked up Charles Whitman.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Whitman
I toyed with starting a wikipedia entry and having that redirect to JBT's entry... but I just lacked the heart and the know-how. But feel free to do so.
upgray3dd:
Surely you've heard about this dumbf**k's antics when people email him, so expecting an intelligent response is like expecting a check for a million dollars from him for no reason.
There's a few questions I'd like to ask but I probably know the answers already. Where did you get his email anyway? What is it?
In reply to Jack's reply:
"let’s just ban idiots like you. It would be a start. duh"
Like when Hitler tried to ban the Jews? Way to think, Jacky-boy.
BTW Mr. Thompson
still havn't heard from you yet.
mr-gone@mn.rr.com
"Do you honestly believe that without violent video games that these people would not have killed anybody?"
Because everyone knows the answer to that one. They would have, no doubt about it. They enjoyed the violence in video games more than a normal person, but that doesn't change the fact that they would've killed regardless. You're either pushed to the brink to kill or you're able to handle the fact that life sometimes sucks. You can't train on a video game and just because you play a violent video game does not mean you will turn into a murderer. You either already are or you aren't.
To who it may concern,
Recently I viewed an interview between Alex Witt and self proclaimed "Anti-Video Game Crusader" Jack Thompson, and I felt I needed to vent my frustration at you network's continued use of Mr. Thompson as a viable source for information. This is another perfect example of the scare mongering tactics used by today's media outlets. Jack Thompson will be the first at any murder scene involving a teenager or student, stepping over bodies to try and coheres a grieving family member into blaming mass media, in most cases video games, for the instability of thier child.
This kind of blatant and unjustified finger pointing is a double edged sword. To the uninformed viewer, it creates an immediate negative reaction to whatever this "credible" source is bad mouthing, and worse, to the viewers in the know, it paints MSNBC as a news network with no ability to check the facts. The recent Imus fiasco showed the damage that can be caused by allowing a nut job with a skewed view on reality free reign on the air.
For the sake of your views and the image of your network I would advise highly against allowing anyone without proper knowledge or facts to spew rhetoric over any form of broadcast carrying your banner. This is a tragedy and the families and friends of this student are grieving, the last thing they need is a finger pointing glory hound like Thompson trying to be noticed by standing on the corpses of their loved ones.
I've seen countless of debates and such on TV Bill O 'reliy.....Fox News...
......and I don't see them swearing in heated angered debates.......
Lazy?
Listen pal, you think the major news channels in the country are going to give a rat's ass on what a sophomore in college writes to them? I asked Dennis to because he's actually a professional journalist, unlike myself.
Meanwhile, this "lazy boob" is trying to keep his ass in school, get good grades, so some day he can write something that people will actually read.
@ Roger: "well i wrote them the best i could. it might not be good with puctuation but i mean this is grade A or B- tops!"
No. Finish elementary school before you write a professional news organization. Until then, your F- paper only hurts the cause.
And hours afterward, we have dozens of not hundreds of copycat crimes. People vying for the attention of the media and those fifteen minutes of fame.
I don't think it is shrewd to stop reporting on school shootings. After all, it is news. However, the attention that is focused on them - especially on the shooter - creates this vicious circle. What do so many of these shooters have in common? They are narcissistic loners that feel the world has to pay for perceived injustices against them. Thus, they want to go out with a bang so everyone will know who they were and what they stood for. We've got to stop giving it to them.
Either way, he came off looking like the douche that he is even more. Calling your opponent "idiot" and "jackass" will NOT score you brownie points with the public, Jack. And I'm sure Mr. Della Rocca will have something to say in response to your wild and baseless accusations in short order, preferably on MSNBC.
Just shut the hell up, Jack. You've LOST! Whether you like it or not you've lost this fight. Public opinion is against you. And pretty soon people are going to get sick of you because no one likes a sore loser.
What a fool. This guy's a joke. He doesn't have anything better to do than to pick on video games. Does this guy even know that doctors also play video games? And so he's implying that these gamer-doctors, more talented and more caring, are people to be feared at for the risk of us being killed? Oh, and I've got facts to prove my question. I won't accept his lousy excuses.
And this is exactly the stuff these major news organizations need to know about. This is exactly what makes him an uncredible, unprofessional source of information.
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
“The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings in Bath Township, Michigan, USA, on May 18, 1927, which killed 45 people and injured 58. Most of the victims were children in second to sixth grades attending the Bath Consolidated School. Their deaths constitute the deadliest act of mass murder in a school in U.S. history. The perpetrator was school board member Andrew Kehoe, who was upset by a property tax..."
Does this mean we should try and ban property tax?
Sincerely,
Tony M. Russo
He sent this back.
"No, let's just ban idiots like you. It would be a start. duh
Jack Thompson, Attorney
xxxx South Dixie Highway, Suite xxx
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-xxx-xxxx, cell 305-xxx-xxxx
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." Voltaire"
nintend0_master@yahoo.com"
GP: DON'T POST PERSONAL INFO!
Clan vs. Noob!
"C'mon guys, I'm trying to make a skill video."
"Dude, no-one's going to believe you're that good..."
It's a freakin comedy!
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-4764310433047518174&q=counterstr...
You have very good intentions and I praise you for voicing your opinion, but PHOENIXZERO does have a point with writing it properly. Not only did you have capitalization and paragraph seperation problems, but you also had some spelling errors to top it all off. It's not "rederic" it's "rhetoric". Using better wording and using JT's real name would help too.
You could have also used some citations or statistics to support your point. Give links to real stats or some other solid proof just to show what you mean. Just as well, using some more sophisticated language and terminology would have helped drive the point home.
My point is that you had noble intentions, but making it a little more, how do I say it, eloquent would have REALLY driven the point home and had a stronger effect. Because when you sent it in the state that you did, they might just think to themselves that this is trash and just another damn immature kid. I'm not insulting you, it's just that I think there is a subtle sense of ageism against people around your age group and that it effects everything from writing to the public school system to parents level of attention to their kids (which is probably the real reason why kids are so violent and not because of the games, but not enough parents give enough of a shit). Hell I know people who still look at a young person who is disobedient and mockingly says with rolling eyes "typical kid". So I'm saying to work on your writing better could help show yourself to be above that and not making young people or even gamers look uneducated.
But you did pour your heart out and I tip my hat to you for being like that, but next time you should draft, redraft, and re-redraft the thing before you sent to help them better take you seriously. I think it would help.
I loved the comment 'I've worked with families who's loved ones are now in the ground.'. I hate to say it, but Jack didn't WANT to know them until after their loved ones were in the ground and he saw them as a profit opportunity.
If he can keep calling Bully a "Columbine simulator," I certainly have the right to do this.
Once again, they're trying to portray this man as a hero and gamers and mindless killing machines in-the-making.
wrote it the best i could and the only time i used massacre chaser is the insult
Dear MSNBC
since the beginning of this week ive heard almost every theory about the shootings at virginia tech and the one that hits me at home is the fact that before even evidence was released; Mr.Jack Thompson pounced right on the subject. Now let me inform you to do some research before you let him on your shows. Every time you tell this "massacre chaser" to discribe the game in question; you give him the power he needs to spew his rederic which if you listen carefully you can see that his informations plain dumbfounded hoopla. you seen him get mad when called a "massacre chaser" and his comments were those of a angered 6th grader. so please if you value the honesty of your news station; please don't let Mr.Thompson on or at least do research on the subject. i too like a lot of people are a gamer and ive played violent games since the age of 5! ive been picked on in school and ive got a lot of stuff happen in my life to drive anyone to kill but i know the diffrence from right and wrong and this is what many people have. but you have people like mr.Thompson who constantly trying to boost his career; saying that all gamers are mr.thompsons quote: "Idiots who aren't conserned about public safety" i am a caring person! so are all gamers. if you seen game sites like Gamepolitics, Kotaku, and Joystiq you see that as soon as the shootings hit; every gamer cared. every person cared! anyone who doesn't care about events like this or people who don't feel saddened by this can be easly called monsters by our culture. and like ive said at the beginning of this email; mr.Thompson hopped right on the subject blaming video games so please for the sake of your viewers; do some research or just plain don't let this man boost his career! thank you.
and to Fox:
Dear Fox News
As of Monday the 16th ive been a respected viewer of your news program. and as soon as the shootings at virginia tec happened i was saddened by the fact that this travesty had to happen! but a even bigger travesty happened right on your news program. Before the name of the shooter was released, the number of bodys counted or even before the shootings were over; you let so called "School shooting expert" Jack Thompson spew his illogical rederic on the concerned and saddened masses! now if you had done some research and have seen how this man has reacted before about shootings or anything that happened in his career. and on MSNBC they had a man from the industry tell how mr.Thompson is a "Massacre chaser". this is 100% what he is. Any normal human being would care deeply about what happened and would at least wait until evidence and information was released before spreading jibberish about how videogames caused this very sad event. For every shooting there has been, for every time there has been any crime where teenagers and guns or teenagers and schools is involved; mr.Thompson was there saying how games make people do horrible things. i have been a gamer since the age of 5. ive had some major stuff happen in my life and im only 16! but i know the diffrence from right and wrong. millions of people are gamers and they aren't crazy. none of this clicks with mr.Thompson. so please if you dearly respect your viewers and the quality of your news; please don't let this man on your show or at least do some research before you let him on! if you do this than you will insure that you have quality news and respected viewers. Thank you.
please share your thoughts about my emails. it would be appreciated. and i already sent them so don't copy please thank you.
There's a correlation between smoking and lung cancer, so there must be one for video games and violence? Even if that was anywhere near the mythical land of Truthiness (I say mythical because JT has obviously never been there, so according to his logic it must not exist...period), that would still be like saying that violent video games should be sold only to people over 18 like cigarettes...oh wait, they are!
But I think JT hit a new low by bringing in 9/11 into his arguement. I've been appalled, shocked, and angered by some of his statements before, but I've personally have never been offended by him until now. I nearly jumped out of my seat after hearing that part. This is almost as offensice to me as what Uwe Boll showed in the trailer for his Postal movie.
JT, you are no crusader. You're not a man, a human being, or even a sensible creature in my mind. I've had no problems with you having your opinions on video games, but your blatent disrespect for human lives around the world disturbs me to no end. I'm not a firm believer in God, but if he's up there, I hope he shows you forgiveness because I never will.
I still can't see how video games can train you for real life experiences. Will playing NHL 2006 train me to play hockey? No! Will playing Need for Speed make me a better driver? No! Will playing Duck Hunt make me a better marksman? Hell no!!
Someone really needs to get him on the air and put him on the spot and question his so-called facts!
No, no. He called you a MASSACRE chaser. Big difference there.
Being called names hurts though, doesn't it?
Canned Jack Thompson response:
"Hub bub video game violence hubabuba training simulator military habhoob dibitydow 9/11 baduka hahafofo nanypoo poo columbine police have found bladyboody bo bo trained on the game blah bo no no haha I represented dodap doap doom"
Also, they asked him to describe Counterstrike to expose the fact he's bashing a game he knows nothing about. His description of it sounds like he might maybe have looked at the screenshots on the back on the box and stopped there.
Didn't that, um, just come out?
Of course Jack was upset about the quote, his kind always hates being exposed.But well, in his own words - he is no genius, he's just connecting dots. And apparently he isn't even good at that.
viewerservices@msnbc.com
Yourcomments@foxnews.com
And I've always preferred to call him a Hearse Chaser, myself. Seeing as how he only waits for the bodies to start dropping before causing a fuss.
What a pathetic, deluded organism. His life isn't even worth the air he breathes.
I think he made a fool out of himself, and he actually _did_ feel embarrassed on national TV, which is why he got so mad at the end. I can't believe he resorted to name calling and such language!
Say it until Thompson turns red. Refer to him as if his name and that phrase were inextricably linked in an encyclopedia. Rocca hit it right on the head, exposing this pathetic fraud for everything that he is in two simple words.
And seriously, to stations like MSNBC and FOX. What the heck, guys? Can't you do the slightest bit of research on your guests before you invite them on? Would it kill you to Google the guy's name and find out what a bastion of controversy he is? Don't ask your guest to explain what Counter-Strike is. Do that research yourself! How else are you going to verify what your guest is spouting? Seriously! Stop letting any random loony with vague credentials into the interview circuit. I think you owe that much to your viewers. Every time you invite Thompson onto your networks and bestow upon him with the title of "expert," any rational person should absolutely question the veracity of ANY so-called "expert" you invite to ANY subject. Are all of these "experts" that Jack Thompsons of their respective fields? I don't know, but it begs suspicion.
Say that three times into a mirror, and he'll come to get you!
because wild crazy walking sound byte machines garner decent ratings, which in turn makes them money
He again mistakenly quotes the APA report that found no correlation between violent behaviour and video games.
He claims to not deny the link between smoking and cancer yet has stated before that there is more evidence that video games cause violence that there is that smoking is linked to cancer. And given that there is NO evidence about violence connected to games...
It's a horrific double standard. If a video game developer went on that show he would have been demonised. But this man gets to go on and spread his lies once more. Someone should put together a professional media package which documents all of this mans behaviour and lies, going right back to the Janet Reno incident, his numerous troubles with the Florida bar, his unethical behaviour, and give the proof about his lies. This pack should be sent to every news station he has been on to say "This is the man you are calling an expert? He is an unprofessional, biased, incredibly rude liar who seeks only to spread his own agend through the suffering of others."
Shows publicly how weak his case really is. "Massacre chaser" is a great description of John Bruce Thompson.
I'm not even gonna start to argue against him. I just gotta state that he should do standup.
"The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings in Bath Township, Michigan, USA, on May 18, 1927, which killed 45 people and injured 58. Most of the victims were children in second to sixth grades attending the Bath Consolidated School. Their deaths constitute the deadliest act of mass murder in a school in U.S. history. The perpetrator was school board member Andrew Kehoe, who was upset by a property tax that had been levied to fund the construction of the school building. He blamed the additional tax for financial hardships which led to foreclosure proceedings against his farm. These events apparently provoked Kehoe to plan his attack."
THAT is the deadliest act of school violence of history. Way before video games. Well, there was that new-fangled jazz music...
Dennis, you need to write a letter or something to all the major news organizations and encourage them to do their research on this guy. Using him as someone who is some kind of expert or even a sane person just works for discrediting them.
It sure would be nice to hear someone else actually say "Jack Thompson has been right on more than one occasion" than to just hear it repeated from him over and over and over and over again.
But what offended me more than anything is that the whole focus was put just on games and didn't put enough focus on the guy's mental illness. I'm sure with the guy's history of instability and even his being a mental institution that the games are what did it! Sure, I really believe that...
I'm sorry, but you'd be better off writing to networks like MSNBC or CNN. FoxNews prides itself on shoveling biased and factually incorrect BS to rednecks who think the UN is out to conquer the world and that Muslims drink the blood of Christian babies.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/original/thompson-calls-for-fbi-investigation-o...
Sometimes, I find it hard to believe we're talking about a grown man here.
Starting to? The guy's been spewing the same crap over and over for years now. Name one interview he's done since his crusade started where he didn't mention "murder simulators", "I predicted Columbine", or "I was on 60 Minutes".
Damn those video-game-playing, time-machine owning crazy kids!
I would like to know who at Fox News decided to use an attorney with a background such as Jack Thompson's as a specialist in any field. The lack of research on Fox News' behalf is offensive and reiterates many opponents viewpoint concerning the "Fair and Balanced" claim made by on-air personalities. Since a large company such as the one you work for can't be bothered to fact check, allow a group of individuals that have tracked Mr. Thompson's career point out the reasons why his presence lessens your reporting credibility.
Aside from losing numerous cases related to his campaign against video games, which he deduces is the reasoning behind school shootings (mentioning them numerously in your own interview) he has also been banned from practicing law in Alabama due to his embarrassing and unethical behavior. Including verbal attacks against Judges and harassment toward the companies he was challenging.
The Florida Bar Association is currently working on disbarring my Thompson in his home state, for being an embarrassment to the legal profession. Colleagues of Thompson's filed for his disbarment.
In 1988 Thompson gained notoriety for calling Janet Reno a closeted lesbian with a drinking problem and a strong candidate for blackmail.
Jack recently appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes trying to drum up support for his efforts. However, this publicity was apparently not satisfying enough for him, as he went on to try and create more outrage on his own. Attempting to emulate Jonathan Swift, he issued a "Modest Proposal" that offered a US$10,000 reward to anyone who would create a video game featuring Osaki Kim, a father whose son was beaten to death with a baseball bat by a 14-year-old gamer. The game would feature Kim extracting brutal revenge on the video game industry itself, including beating game company executives to death, removing their heads and urinating on their brain stems. What Jack did not expect was that the enterprising PC gaming mod community would turn around and make this mod a reality. Jack then reneged on his promise of a US$10,000 donation to the charity of the modder's choice. (Penny Arcade)
Recent reports show that Jack Thompson was incorrect in your interview, and that instead of filling his time with video games, the Virginia Tech killer instead spent much of his time immersed in passive media, such as books.
There are many more negative positions to take when regarding Mr. Thomspon, but I would instead like to point out the lies and inconsistencies that were aired by Fox News. Below is an article in regards to the interview with Jack Thomspon, proclaiming him as a specialist in school shootings. As printed at Kotaku. For more information regarding the bad choice to use Jack Thompson, please see his WIkipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(attorney) , http://jackthompson.org , or http://gamepolitics.com.
Mr. O'Reilly, many see you as the representative of Fox News. I would like to see an explanation in the No Spin Zone, or better yet, Mr. Thompson himself. I highly suggest reading the Kotaku piece, as it dissects the Fox News presentation, showing the inaccurate claims made by your expert.
Thank You,
We understand that he's mis-stating facts and has generally proved himself to be an idiot(his pending disbarment trial in his home state?) Speak up! Ranting on this site will change nothing! Send your complaints to the people that need to hear them
Seriously, good going JT. Way to come off sounding like a loon. And could you please get a new script? You stick to your talking points far too closely. Blah Blah Shooting, Blah Blah Germany. The only time you actually sounded like you were a person was when you started to pop off about how you're so great and mister reporter said you had no clue what you were talking about.
You guys don't seem to realize that unless you spend some time, write professionally like Mr. Gone did, and use proper grammar, the people you write to are not going to take you seriously. Thanks for caring, sure, but mail written out of anger and as quick as possible isn't going to win us any points. You don't seem to realize that when you're asking the nation's news media to look into a guy who responds to an email with “No, let’s just ban idiots like you. It would be a start. duh", you need to sound more credible than him for them to even consider it. I wouldn't be surprised if they looked at roger's email, scanned it over, and pressed delete before even reading it.
You're not typing on a message board when you write MSNBC. You're writing to a major business. Take some time and run it through spell check and grammar check at least.
The media is obviously not reading the signs, "please don't feed the Jack."
we need more of them.
Actually, he does/did blame the movie right there in the clip. The fact that it didn't exist then doesn't stop him. That's kind of what made it funny, see?
I don't think he mentions any Uwe Boll movies, does he?
Damn straight, Jack.