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| .....Jack Thompson Is A Fuckwad: Written By Marion |
Written 9-26-05
Lately, there's been a lot of controversy over adult content in videogames. The man at the center of all of this is a lawyer from Miami named Jack Thompson. This man is a raving lunatic, but we'll get to that shortly. I recently came across an interview he'd done a little earlier this year, and upon seeing his responses to some of the questions, I had no choice but to analyze this interview in an article for the site. So without further delay, I give you the Jack Thompson CBS: GameSpeak interview, with DVD-extra commentary track by yours truly.
Note: Text in bold is interviewer, plain text is Jack Thompson, and my comments are in blue
What constitutes violence in video games?
There's no real debate over that. Any M-rated game has violence levels unacceptable and definitionally harmful to anyone under 17. The industry will rue the day it accepted this labeled scheme.
RUE? RUE??? The gaming industry will RUE the day it chose to do something HE lobbied for? How in the hell is it gonna RUE the day that it adopted a rating system designed to attempt to keep violent videogames out of the hands of children? Isn't this what he wanted? How many activists do you know that regularly campaign for something and then run off into the sunset shouting "You've been tricked! You'll regret this day Spiderman videogame industry! MWAHAHA!"? Besides, when's the last time you've heard anyone say RUE outside of the cheesy villains with handlebar moustaches that tie damsels to railroad tracks?
What percentage of all games made would you say are violent, based upon your previous definition of violence in video games?
This gets to a fundamental lie being propagated by the video game industry.
GTA [Grand Theft Auto series] has sold 30 million units, with San Andreas expected to hit 20 million on its own. It's the #1 seller in the world right now. That fact alone does not square with ISA and ESRB's dodge that "the majority of games are not violent or M-rated." What matters is how many units delivered are violent, and to whom they are being delivered.
No, really. It can't be a lie when it's the truth, Jack. Just because it's not the statistic you would like to acknowledge, doesn't make it a lie. Maybe the gaming industry should just chooses to acknowledge the fact that MOST of the videogames released are, in fact, not overly violent, and that everything you say is a lie(although in this case, it'd be more true than his claiming their statements are lies). Just because more people want to buy the violent ones(thus showing that people like the violent ones, even when given choices), it doesn't change the fact that a large portion of games released aren't violent.
How many hate or violent crimes would you say are linked to or directly related to violence in video games?
I have no earthly idea, and no one can guess at that. I can tell you that some crimes would not occur but for the violent entertainment. For the families of the deceased, that is the only statistic that matters.
And some crimes would not occur if there weren't any black people. Great thinking, Jack! Yay for having you to champion for us! Let's outlaw videogames because some crimes happen as a result of stupid people playing and imitating them. While we're at it, no more blacks! Some of them commit crimes, so therefore blacks are bad, and dat's NOT cool!
Does age or sex play a factor in violent, aggressive behavior?
Sure, the sex and violence centers of the brain overlay one another, which is why the increasing mix of sex and violence is troubling. Armies have been known to go on rape rampages after battles because the violence stimulates sexual aggression. How lovely that GTA weds sex and violence in the same game. We are training a generation of teens to combine sex with violence, just what America needs.
Well clearly this is a well-thought, intelligent, fact-filled
stateme....wait a minute. What? WHAT???? Did I just read about rape rampages?
What the fuck? He's asked if age and GENDER
play a role violent behavior and he comes up a rant about RAPE RAMPAGES? Jack,
the question was about sex: GENDER, not sex: FUCKING, you sick asshole. They ask
if child, teen, or adult, and male or female makes a difference in violent
behavior and the first thing on your mind is rape rampages? You're like one
giant, walking snuff film, you sick fuck!
Is there a correlation between playing violent video games and acting in a violent manner?
Of course. Every parent who is paying attention knows that it is garbage in, garbage out with kids.
The heads of six major health care organizations testified before Congress that there are "hundreds" of studies that prove the link. All the video game industry has are studies paid for by them, which are geared to find the opposite result. Lawyers call such experts "whores."
Whores? Now we're resulting to namecalling? Jack Thompson may be even more immature than Michael Jackson. Actually, I know he is. Yes, there IS a correlation between violent, little fucktards playing videogames and then going out and murdering people, but here's the thing: NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T FUCKING KILL PEOPLE BECAUSE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT MEDIUM! Also, last time I checked, The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics wasn't a videogame industry "whore"
Looks to me like violent crime's actually been going down recently. Even more coinicidentally, is the fact that the decrese in violent crimes started right around the time the Playstation was released, and has continued despite the release of the Grand Theft Auto series. But clearly, you're right. Everyone's a maniac that can't control themselves all because of videogames. It's the case all the way through history, obviously.
Hitler SUCKED at Wall Street Kid. Naturally, this caused him to try killing all the Jews in envy of their ability to handle money. Frankly, I preferred to just have my guy sleep all month long and get his girlfriend pissed by ignoring her, but to each his own.
Saddam Hussein? You guessed it. Angry that his parents never bought him Pokemon. If only Mama Hussein had let baby Saddam have a Squirtle!
He looks so happy! How adorable!
Is gaming escapism?
Yes, just as Ted Bundy escaped into pornography. It is not a release of aggression. It is training for aggression.
Once again, the wisdom of Jack Thompson is infallible! I know I personally became trained to kill and murder as a child playing my cousin's Sesame Street game. FUCK THAT RUBBER DUCKIE! To this day I can't walk by the letter L and the number 6 without feeling a hate rise up inside me.
On a serious note though, yes it's escapism. You use gaming to escape the bullshit in real life so you DON'T lose it an kill everyone at your work. We've become so trained to bottle up and repress all our anger until it gets so pent up that we blow up a ferris wheel or something. Gaming allows us a safe outlet for that anger. It allows us a way to release all that anger without harming others. Escapism? Yeah, but a pretty damn therapeutic form of escapism.
Do you think the interactivity of game violence makes it different than violence on television, which is passive?
Of course, as you actually grow neural pathways called dendrites that enable you to perform more easily the physical acts of violence. Plus, from a psychological perspective, to act out of virtual violence in a virtual setting is far more damaging than just viewing it. You enter into the violence, you become the protagonist.
Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche. Jack Thompson is a douche.
Different mediums, as they've come along, have had their share of controversy. From pulp horror and graphic novels, to movies, music and television; is this part of a cycle?
Yes, it is the last cycle. These are murder simulators. Manhunt has been called the video game equivalent of a snuff film. I am working with an Oakland, CA prosecutor in a murder trial in which the older gang members used GTA 3 to train teens to do carjackings and murders. The Army uses these games to break down the inhibition to kill of new recruits.
Look at the Institute for Creative Technologies created by DOD to create these killing games. Tax dollars paid to the industry to create the games to suppress the inhibition to kill, and then the industry turns around and sells these games to kids. One instance is Pandemic Studio's Full Spectrum Warrior. If it works for soldiers, of course it works for teens. The video game industry has absolutely no rebuttal to that argument. NONE.
Well you and Manhunt are a perfect combination then, as you are the human equivalent of a snuff film. I really can't stress this enough though. THESE ARE ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE GAMES OUT THERE! Madden NFL isn't a murder simulator, no matter how much you
want to stab John Madden in the face after each "Maddenism" where he states the obvious again and again.
As a sidenote, I'd LOVE to get carjacked by someone trained on GTA. I'd laugh my
ass off when the little gang member ran up to my car shouting, "TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE!" Not to mention, if "running up, opening the door, and taking the car" is a working strategy for you, I'm pretty sure you didn't need Grand Theft Auto to learn that.
Above: A gang member shows off the skills he acquired from GTA
Is the self-imposed rating system for video games enough? Is the ESRB working? What is the relevance of a rating system for video games if the powers that be will black-list certain games because of their graphic content?
No, of course it's not working. Senator Lieberman and Dr. Walsh just had their latest "Video Game Report Card" news conference. Underage kids can buy the most violent games half the time. I just successfully sued Best Buy and compelled them to institute a new nationwide policy. They will now ID anyone appearing to be 21 or younger to make sure no one under 17 buys M-rated games. This is a huge development. You really need to report that. It is an industry first.
How can this man continually blame the videogame companies, yet say their rating system doesn't work because of stores not enforcing it!?? You can't crusade against one group and then go on to say that a completely unrelated group is causing the problem by not enforcing guidelines imposed by the first group!
Besides, not ALL stores are staffed by irresponsible douchebags. Just like some convenience / liquor stores will sell tobacco products or alcohol to people too young for them, doesn't mean they all will. When I worked at Gamestop, we NEVER sold an M rated game to anyone under 17. If a person didn't have ID to prove they were over 17, they didn't get the game. We'd even go one step further and explain just what to expect whenever an idiot parent would come up with GTA for their 7 year old. And you know what? MOST OF THEM DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT!
How does free speech factor in?
There is no right of children to buy adult entertainment. None.
My power went out and I lost this paragraph. I blame Jack Thompson trying to silence my voice. I WILL NOT BE SILENCED, JACK! DO YOUR WORST!
Are parents paying attention to what their kids play?
Nope.
What beauty! What eloquence! What poise! I hope that I too, am someday able to be half the wordsmith that Jack Thompson is.
I also love how you acknowledge the parents don't give a fuck, yet continue your crusade against the videogame industry each time one of these idiot parents wants off the hook for their kid being a sick fuck-up. Thanks again, Jack! You sir, are a real American hero! I bet that when someone hurts your friends, they hurt your pride. You gotta be a man! You can't let it slide! I salute you, Jack Thompson, a real American!
Whatcha gonna do when Jackamania runs wild on YOU?
Do you think that video games are similar to sports? There are much-touted statistics that link aggression levels to video game playing, but isn't that precisely what happens in any kind of competition?
I'm sorry, but a basketball games goal is to score more points, not maim the other player. That is where sportsmanship comes in. There is no sportsmanship in any GTA game. None.
Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche. Jack Thompson is still a douche.
According to the Center for Child Death Review, 1,242 kids were murdered with guns and 174 children died from accidental firearm-related injuries in 2000. Aside from stories that get covered in the news [like Columbine], there are few, if any, actual statistics that show how many children's deaths are directly linked to video games. Do the facts speak for themselves? Or is it just that nobody is really keeping tabs?
The federal government found that in the school year 2003, there were 48 school killings. The year before that there were 16, and the year before that 17. Something is going on. I submit that the video game generation is coming of age.
So in 2001 there were 17 killings and 16 in 2002? Interesting....Grand Theft Auto 3 was released in 2001. Then Vice City was released in 2002, and the number of killings went down. How could that be, Jack? I thought GTA made people foam at the mouth and rape and kill old people? Whoa. There wasn't a GTA game released in 2003, the year killings skyrocketed! You're absolutely right, Mr. Thompson! There IS a link between school shootings and Grand Theft Auto! Irrefutable proof: Grand Theft Auto prevents death!!!! The proof is all there, Jack! It can't be denied!
See? I can make up connections between completely unrelated things to justify my arguments too!
Where does the accountability lie? Are parents responsible for their children's behavior? Society?
There is plenty of blame to go around. The parents must do a better job, but you know what? When we were on 60 Minutes the Sunday after Columbine (we predicted Columbine on NBC's Today eight days before it happened) with the parents in Paducah, Ed Bradley asked Joe James "Isn't this a parent's responsibility?" Joe said "Ed, I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. I had my daughter in school and in a pre-school prayer meeting where she was shot and killed. If I hadn't raised her right, she'd be alive today."
You see, the industry is selling these games to kids whose parents are reckless. How is that Joe James' fault? We need to punish the industry and the parents who are putting innocent people in harm's way.
You just watch. There is going to be a Columbine-times-10 incident, and everyone will finally get it. Either that, or some video gamer is going to go Columbine at some video game exec's expense or at E3, and then the industry will begin to realize that there is no place to hide, that it has trained a nation of Manchurian Children.
Kids took guns to school for 200 years in this country without turning them on one another. President Clinton understood that if we want to do something about gun violence, we need also to look at the stimuli to use those guns. 3000 gun laws on the books. Not a single law on the books to stop the sale of murder simulators to kids. Idiotic.
Carl Sandberg, Lincoln's great biographer, defined freedom as "moving easy in harness." The selfish, childish video game industry accepts no harness. Their freedom is pure license.
They are about to pay a wicked price, and I aim to make sure they pay it.
Isn't it a little petty to seem excited about getting to prove the evil of videogames as a result of a possible "Columbine-times-10" incident. Not to mention, pretty fucked up, but we already discussed the fact you're a walking snuff film that gets off on this kinda stuff:
The industry doesn't sell the games to kids or parents. It sells them to stores to distribute. I really must have missed the memo the gaming industry sent out to stores asking them to sell violent, M rated games specifically to children and ignore the ratings system altogether. IT'S THE PARENTS FAULT! If a parent does a shitty job with their child, of course that child will turn out to be a lunatic with no sense of right or wrong. You said it yourself, "Garbage in, garbage out."
You mention how there's 3000 gun laws like making laws on videogames would magically fix things. In case you didn't noticed, in your Joe James example up there, HIS DAUGHTER WAS FUCKING SHOT! Where were your fix-all gun laws there? But OF COURSE, it's the videogame industry's fault, not the fault of the people that made or supplied the killer with a gun. No, it couldn't possibly be their fault, because we have gun laws! Idiotic.
I'm glad that Carl Sandberg's definition of freedom is a universally accepted truth, Jack. Because, you know, the founding fathers were catering specifically to the views of Lincoln's biographer when they founded this country based on freedom. One nation, under Carl Sandberg!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have sex with a hooker, beat her to death with a giant purple dildo, and then kill a cop while holding it down for the Grove Street boys. Then I might play some Grand Theft Auto.
source: CBS News GameSpeak | March 8, 2005
Marion
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