October 23, 2007
Saturday's Cashin' In program on Fox featured a Manhunt 2 dust-up between game-hatin' attorney Jack Thompson as well as recurring guest - and designated bad boy - Jonathan Hoenig.
Although he raised a spirited First Amendment defense, Hoenig was clearly not conversant with current video game issues. It would be nice if Fox would put someone up against Thompson who knew what they were talking about.
We wonder if Thompson would have the brass to go up against a video game-aware opponent instead of the likes of Hoenig, Bob Guccione, Jr. and author Gerard Jones. Nice folks all, we're sure. But when Thompson gets into video game specifics, they are out of their depth.
Or maybe Fox likes it that way...
GP: Big thanks to Marie at News Hounds for uploading the video after GP's unfortunate Tivo misfire...
Although he raised a spirited First Amendment defense, Hoenig was clearly not conversant with current video game issues. It would be nice if Fox would put someone up against Thompson who knew what they were talking about.
We wonder if Thompson would have the brass to go up against a video game-aware opponent instead of the likes of Hoenig, Bob Guccione, Jr. and author Gerard Jones. Nice folks all, we're sure. But when Thompson gets into video game specifics, they are out of their depth.
Or maybe Fox likes it that way...
GP: Big thanks to Marie at News Hounds for uploading the video after GP's unfortunate Tivo misfire...
Comments
It's Faux News, what did you expect from the tabloid arm of the mainstream media.
The next time Jacky Boy is on TV, it should be on a show similiar to ESPN's Around The Horn, where the host presses a button and they mute the offending commentator for ten seconds.
Jacky Boy would be muted the whole show.
I can't believe people are actually posting as if they'd expected anything different; Fox is the lowest common denominator. I expected far worse, like a 30 minute JT show or something.
Here I am, responding to you again when I didn't expect to, but something you said struck me as odd. You have often said that you are different from Jack Thompson because you are not trying to use the law to force your views on people. As far as I know, you are correct in that regard. (Though for all I know you could be a lier who's actually trying to ban the Bible and outlaw churches in real life.)
The odd thing is, a lot of people here view Jack Thompson as a hateful, deluded, possibly-insane bigot with no sense of reality. And it is that part of Jack Thompson that causes people to compare him to you. (Sorry, but that's the way it is.) What's odd is I have never seen you deny being a hateful, deluded, possibly-insane bigot with no sense of reality. You just say "The difference between me and Thompson is I'm not trying to use the law to enforce my views."
And he promised in court not to file more gay porn. Well, it's Jack. He likes to escalate, so I'll bet he'll spice things a bit by adding some zoophilia to the mix.
"I’ve offered to debate Hal Halpin, Doug Lowenstein, Jason de la Rocca, and "they’ve all refused."
Uh huh, however, your REAL debate history says that THEY are the ones who offered, and knowing you wouldn't have a chance and likely would have your fantasy world crushed, refused, or more likely, they didn't want ot be associated with you, ever.
"I debated David Kushner, who writes for wired and wrote the biography of the creators of Doom. I debated him on national television programs and on ten college campuses. Nobody in their right mind would say he doesn’t know the video game industry and is not a formidable debate opponent."
I think I saw that. You did most of the damn talking.
"I am in fact debating Lorne Lanning at the video game expo in Connecticut this next Saturday, November 3."
How long before you duck out of this one as well, or maybe you will magically not be able to make it, or your oh so obvious failure at basic geography will prevent you from attending
"So, once again, Dennis McCauley, who always resorts to ad hominem, when it comes to me, can’t get his facts straight because he can’t do anything but spin. "
Gee Thompson, do you ever stop talking about yourself?
"Oh, and I almost forgot. Penny Arcade reneged on its offer to have me come out to PAX 2007 to debate these issues, the excuse being “security.” We’ve got security in Connecticut, and there’s no problem.
The Penny Arcade people proved to be cowards. Don’t tell me I wouldn’t go out there and debate these people. Dennis McCauley has the emails by which I repeatedly told them I would go. What a bunch of nonsense McCauley and you people crank out here. "
Wow Thompson, do you ever stop to smell what you're shoveling? The Penny Arcade guys wanted to keep it quiet to keep it as small as possible and prevent any possible violent attempts as well a prevent injury, but no, you wouldn't shut the fuck up about it, likely in the hope that someone would try to hurt you,and when they denied your self martyrdom attempt you spun it to look like they just didn't want ot debate you.
by the way, what happened to that promise to stop insulting us?
It was a lie? Oh, ok.
Anyway, I think I may write Fox News an email about this one. It was clearly an inflammatory segment.
That was well said indeed.
Have you ever heard of Godwin's Law?
Godwin's Law basically says whoever invokes the law, looks like a complete tit for doing so. Go look it up and find out what it is.
To compare anyone to Hitler is just the desperate technique of spin doctors of Fox News proportions.
Nope... he's had many opportunities but he always finds an excuse to back out and then declares a victory for himself. He's afraid of people who will debunk him.
Tycho and Gabe would own his ass.
It's a shame that Fox can't put a decent arguement together, but then when Thompson's on it's usually very one-sided.
Oh, it's a metaphor.
Why do they let that man on television.
He has the whiniest, most douchebag voice I have ever heard and he never, ever lets his opponent speak, he just speaks through them. I never even heard what the other guy said because there was this whiney, buzzing drone all the way through.
Jack, if you're reading this, please can you do me some favours:
1) Stop bringing up that psychological study bullshit. For every study there is that claims violent video games have a significant adverse effect on children, there are 10 more studies disproving it. It's the only point you have ever fought your battle against video games on, and it is a moot point. It is pointless.
2) If you ever get invited to talk about video games at all, anywhere, decline the offer. You are not an expert, you're a moron with a chip on his shoulder.
3) Stop saying the ESRB is a puppet of the industry, it is completely separate.
4) You claim Amazon are selling mature-rated games to children? First, prove it. Second, go after Amazon, not the developers. What next, you go after kitchen knife manufacturers after a shop sells a knife to an under-age kid? Idiot. The developers are doing nothing wrong.
5) Using the word 'magically' should mean an automatic revocation of your law license, which I doubt you have anyway. Understand how the rating system works, you cretin.
6) You accused your opponent of ad-hoc attacks? Pot? Kettle? Seriously, with some of the offensive, malicious, slanderous and frankly sometimes racist tripe you spout at anyone who disagrees with you, I wouldn't accuse others of ad-hoc attacks.
Also, that Fox presenter was a one-sided bitch. She hardly ever let Jack's opponent have a say and completely backed him up on his points. You might as well had two monkeys dressed into medieval dressing burning video games at the stake, since that was pretty much all it was.
Someone needs to go on one of these shows and call JT on his lies and rebuke him publicly for provding false witness.
It's not just me who thinks Jack sounds like a fly. You may have a cookie. Why? I'm not at all sure..
I debated David Kushner, who writes for wired and wrote the biography of the creators of Doom. I debated him on national television programs and on ten college campuses. Nobody in their right mind would say he doesn't know the video game industry and is not a formidable debate opponent.
I am in fact debating Lorne Lanning at the video game expo in Connecticut this next Saturday, November 3.
So, once again, Dennis McCauley, who always resorts to ad hominem, when it comes to me, can't get his facts straight because he can't do anything but spin.
The Penny Arcade people proved to be cowards. Don't tell me I wouldn't go out there and debate these people. Dennis McCauley has the emails by which I repeatedly told them I would go. What a bunch of nonsense McCauley and you people crank out here.
Some time back, John Bruce posted in one of the articles a challenge to Hal Halpin. Any word on that?
Now, we know what to expect:
John Bruce will hype it up the hilt, and then, all of a sudden, something happens (usually by some action of John Bruce's), and John Bruce backs out or gets kicked out and he blames everyone but himself.
But you know what I'd like to see?
A worldwide televised debate that would put the issue, ALL the "pop culture" issues, to bed once and for all. No "midnight show". Primetime. With politicians, "experts" (ALL forms of experts), industry and consumer defenders, the "anti-"s from the reasonable to the extreme to the "John Bruce 'Jack' Thompson and Lyndon LaRouche wack job beyond extreme" types. And not something that just lasts an hour or two. Something that takes place 8 hours a day for 5 days. And no "you have 5 minutes to speak and that's all you'll have the entire 40 hours of debate" crap.
We keep saying let one of these legislations make it all the way to the US Supreme Court so that that particular issue can finally be laid to rest. So why not do the same with the discussion? Hell, let's have internet and call-in participation. Let's do it for once and for all.
The sad part is, though, that it won't happen. We'll have the tabloid trash TV news and affiliates like FOX blathering ignorant clap trap. We'll continue to have politicians ignorant to the hilt and taking word of mouth information over facts and evidence claiming that the government will make better Parents for children than the children's own Parents, even though those same politicians show their ignorance about the very things they are making legislation about. (No one has yet to show even ONE video game, commercially sold in a brick and motar retail shop (which are the only retailers that the various legislations govern) that allows Player Characters to commit virtual RAPE, even though it's an argument used at nearly EVERY hearing debating the legislations being voted on.) We'll continue to hear individuals and organizations knowingly and intentionally lying to and deceiving individuals and using and abusing the tragedies of families and communities just to push their personal, religious, and/or political beliefs. And, as time goes by, newer forms of "pop culture" will be used to blame the various actions of a relatively small number of individuals rather than dealing with the actual, TRUE problems that exist in society.
Ah phooey! Since when did anyone ever truthfully claim the Human species was INTELLIGENT?
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Isn't this moron going to be on a panel with Dennis for something soon?
Yes, actually. Someone had better give links for it.
Please feel free to correct and/or educate me if any of the aforementioned seems a bit off.
It's a sad state of affairs when I'm looking more forward to Jack's disbarment than Christmas.
a) Jack says KIDS can go on Amazon and buy the game...how many kids under the age of 17 have credit cards?
b) If a clerk sells someone under 21(19 in canada) Alcohol, is it the Clerks or the Alcohol fault? How can they say it's the ESRB for someone not asking for ID?
c) They really need to bring up in debates when Jack goes all 'science on our side', that increased aggression doesn't equal increased violence. Use the argument of increased aggression at football events.
Too many people get in there with Jack and look for the quick zing instead of laying out the facts and watching him shoot himself in the foot.
Because it makes Paradoxes. Paradoxes make ratings. And ratings make money, and subsequently, Little Green Men.
Well, that's what they'll tell you. In reality, the definitions of Political terms have become so cloudy it's not real. For example, the Liberal Democrats (Party in the UK) aren't actually Liberals. Neither are the Conservatives, well, Conservative in the traditional sense. Well, okay, so they are, but they're still more Liberal than the Lib Dems ever were.
But you could argue it down to the fact that Thompson is Conservative, so is FOX, and te US hates Liberals.
And talk about rude.
@Jack Thompson
Talking over somebody else's turn doesn't make your argument any more valid. We probably wouldn't spite you as much if you could actually give people the chance to prove how you're wrong.
Yes, Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar Games and it's branches.
Of course it doesn't but we can't expect Jacko to act civilized. That would mean his instant defeat in a fair debate.
Shirt, yes. Tie, no.
Hell, I could go in dressed as a Junkie and i'd still be more credible than him.
Actually, I think that is exactly what Mr. Zelnick intends to do. Jack has violated every agreement he has ever made with them, and I would expect their patience is wearing very thin right now..
That's one for a rainy day :P
@mary
You're assuming that he hasn't already done just that.
Why don't we try Hannibal Lecter and the Zodiac Killer?
That's exactly what he did the last 15 times.. I'm sure you know about his Conspiracy Theory.
How about Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, or Jigsaw?
Like I said, he's got this droning, adenoidal voice that's annoying as hell. Glad to know I was on the money on that one. :)
@ Al Wesker
The reason he's on Fox News is beacuse that's the only major news network that will give him the time of day anymore. Most of them have caught on to him by now, but because it's Fox and they want conservatives on there, they get him. Also because as Norm Kent said, JT is one of those "monkeys in the trees who stands at the edge of branches and screams the loudest."
Typical Fox News tactic: they let the conservative ride roughshod over the opposition, hardly giving them the opportunity to get a word in edgewise. They've empolyed that tactic for years now. Read Al Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them for more evidence.
I have to hand it to Hoenig. Unfortunately, as Gabe of Penny Arcade once said, you can't just go up against Thompson and "wing it." But as Dennis speculated, the deck was stacked against him from the get-go by Fox.
I'm pretty much convinced now that Jack will back-out at the last minute on the VGXpo. The people he's appearing with (Spencer Halpin, N'Gai Croal, Lorne Lanning, Dennis, etc.) are too articulate and well-informed. And if he does drone on, we in the audience will shout him down. It'll be almost as ridiculous as Mahmoud Amahdenijad's appearance at Columbia University. :P
By the way, is it just me, or does the protagonist of Manhunt 2 look like Chester Bennington of Linkin Park? Every time I see a screenshot or footage with him in it, I expect him to start belting out one of their tunes of self-loathing...
Craaaaawling in my skin!
These wounds the will not heal!
I've become so numb...
I tried so hard, and come so far
but in the end, it doesn't even matter...
Forgive me whaaaat I've doooone...
I'm bleeding out. Digging deeper just to throw it away..."
Thank you! I'm here all week! ;)
Jack once again rattling on about the APA report that didn't say what he believes it did, and his "We did 2 stings the whole country is at it" illogical nonsense.