Jack Thompson presses on, attacks Sims 2
by Ross Miller 
{ Jul 23rd 2005 at 11:45AM }
Man, is this guy on a roll! I kind of expect to see pictures of Jack Thompson shouting dramatically about the "nipples" we see in Mario Party 5 (with the right patch, of course). Kidding aside, Jackie Boy is at it again, this time going after Will Wright's pet, The Sims 2, claiming that, with the right cheat code, one can see "full frontal nudity, including nipples, penises, labia, and pubic hair." Wow, I did not know those little Sim guys and girls had so much detail under the blurs, what with their faces still being kind of blockish. Turns out, this was all unsubstantiated nonsense, as EA lashes out with a rather cruel truth: all Sims, under those mysterious blurs, are devoid of genitals. In a word, they are all eunuchs. Ouch.
If there's one bit of good that might come of this, I suspect Electronic Arts has the power to stop Jack Thompson and
his McCarthyistic scare tactics. As evil and omnipotent as one might find EA to be, they might be our only hope
against a maniacal super villain like Jack Thompson.
[UPDATE: Well, while definitely not EA's fault, it should be noted the vast amounts of mods out there that have updated the "skins" to make them as detailed as Jack refers to them. I'm not going to link to any of them, but a simple google search should show that it is possible. Still, this is neither EA's fault nor is it the fault of the mod community - it is just something created for the bemusement of a few, nothing wrong with that.]
[Thanks, Shizzle]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Palmer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Has he ever heard of the game '7 Sins'? Or 'Lesuire Suit Larry'? Both games revolve around sex, I can't wait until this guy dies.
Drew @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Well, with the right web adddress kids can see hardcore porn too. Maybe we should ban computers altogether as well. And books, I hear books sometimes mention sex. Sex is evil. It is destroying the fabric of society.
retro @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
THAT MOTHER F***ER! >:(
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DETAIL LIKE THAT! YOU HAVE TO MAKE A NAKED SKIN AND THEN SKIN THE SIM THROUGH A MOD! WHY DON'T YOU JUST BAN ALL 3 DIMENSIONAL COMPUTER GAMES, JIMMY BOY? >:(
matt t @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
hahah i just did a paper on Joseph McCarthy. At least he was attempting (poorly) to weed out the true criminal's of the time.
Nelson @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I took some screenshots of what Sims 2 nude skins actually look like. They're at http://rt.nelson.monkey.org/sims2Nude/
Andrew Kaufmann @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
This is nothing like McCarthyism. At all.
There's nothing more annoying than an argument whose crux is "this is like Hitler!" or "this is like McCarthy!" It's an immediate proclamation that your inherent argument is weak and you need to support it by invoking imagery that evokes negative reactions, rather than simply letting the points of the argument at all.
McCarthyism was imprisoning suspected communists and making everyone scared of each other, thinking there were "reds" lurking everywhere. This isn't even remotely similar.
xbox360-forums.com @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Thanks for those pics Nelson. Wondered who was telling the truth and who was lying. I think this has crippled Jack Thompson's arguement, but why did EA need to have that cheat anyway?
www.xbox360-forums.com
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
I'll admit, Jack Thompson has little to do with Joseph McCarthy, and likely the link to his biography was a little too much, but McCarthyism in today's use of the word has expanded beyond the simple red scare phrasing and now refers to most any bout of public hysteria, where someone tries to blacklist or incite mass pressure on another for political reasons. I feel that Jack Thompson is trying to use the legal system and mass hysteria to push his political agenda and attack the video game industry on whatever he can, to pressure the ESRB or game publishers to follow his values for his own personal merit.
This latest bout I feel can be at least somewhat analagous to the "lists" McCarthy used to carry around - lists of suspected communists. Thompson has a list of suspected hacked games, or games that side with the mod community and allow for cracks or cheats or whatever (oh, and one note: to unblur the sims you actually have to download a patch, it's just a matter of a simple cheat code). Many have suspected McCarthy of having no proof in his briefcase whatsoever, that he was just making things up as he saw fit to destroy political opponents. He just wanted power, and I feel Jack Thompson is doing the same.
I do, however, think that a reference to a past event (in this case, McCarthyism), moreso than diminishes my argument or shows its weaknesses, shows how some of the present themes in this story have appeared in many other occasions throughout history. I am not a sociologist/psychologist, but I could see someone researching a correlation amongst hysterias/ones who attempt to incite public hysterias, respectively. One of McCarthy's primary motivations for his actions was to garner fame and power, and I feel that Jack Thompson's intentions may be quite similar.
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
LoL, the title of this post is completely backwards, this is what I love about liberal revisionist history.
Every single person that McCarthy had on his list turned out to be an actual Soviet spy, there's not a single person that he mentions the name of that was not working in our federal government system while giving secrets to the Soviet Union. Here's a few if you wanna go do some research "T.A bisson, Mary Jane Keeney, Cedric Belfrage, Solomon Adler, Franz Neumann, Leonard Mins, William Remington" etc.. These all were betrayed(sp?) by the media at the time of being " victims of McCarthyism" when in fact decrypted Soviet cables and a little something called the "Venona papers/ project" proved unequivocably that they were Soviet spies working in our government system, and being protected by liberals.
What most people don't understand is he was not completely crazy and seeing communists everywhere. His main investigation consisted almost exclusively of government officials who would knowingly and repeatedly harbor these agents. He did not have a hatred for communism simply the fact that our government the left-wing liberals would allow them to continue to have high level security jobs.
The liberals could not prove that they were not spies, so in typical liberal fashion they attacked the man not his message.
Anyway and as to the poster who said he was imprisoning suspected communists, he was a senator, not a police man nor did he have the authority to arrest anyone.
And given the fact that his outing of these people was 100% accurate I would not described that as being" poorly"
Oh yeah and Jack thompson is an asshole, I like to refer to his actions as 'Kennedyism"
Sheikh Yerbouti @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Kennydyism! Ha, funny! Can I use that?
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Some of those names, yes, were released in 1995 under the VENONA transcripts, but many of this accusations to this day go without any evidence, as McCarthy himself lacked much. My point in referencing him, though, politics aside (this is a video game site, I do not want to start age-old punditry), McCarthy's scare tactics are the point of my reference: and for those, he was indeed condemned by the Senate in a vote of 67-22 on December 2, 1954 (http://www.apl.org/history/mccarthy/biography.html). I find the tactics McCarthy is noted for - extreme hyperboles and accusations without evidence (whether or not they ended up true) to be much akin to Thompson's arguments - especially here, where he accused The Sims of showing body parts that they didn't even have.
Adam F @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
A closer parallel might be Dr. Fredric Wertham (who wrote Seduction of the Innocent), who stated that comic books were a bad form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. Congressional hearings were held on the mater, which lead to the creation of the Comics Code Authority.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Like I said his targets were not communist themselves but the government officials who protected them, his campaign only lasted three years from 1950 to 1953 and the Liberals did a mobilize him in 1954 with their army McCarthy hearings and censure investigation. He conducted his investigations in the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations, which was the express mandate, surprisingly enough, to investigate the federal government. So that the fact that the senate condemned him, does not detract and is arguably a point in his favor of what he was trying to do and they were simply protecting themselves in trying to cover up their behavior to the public.
ROG27 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
To #8: slinger
You are an idiot. Even if they were communist spies, it's the principle of a man on his high horse pointing the finger at another man and pretending to be on a moral brigade that represents the lowest form of humanity on this planet. Even as a child you were told never to be a tattle-tale. I'm not a fan of communism, but I hate "haters" (people that hate, criticize, or are in constant suspicion of others in order to bolster their own ego, or simply because they are neurotic). If someone did something our nation considers wrong and they are clever enough to get away with it, not because they are evil, but because they feel it's the right thing to do--than so be it. People are never black and white, never good or evil--we are always both. But people can be characterized as either ignorant or educated. And you, my friend, are the former.
To everyone that sees the world in black and white, or good and evil--I give you a hefty "F*** YOU" and a "FAREWELL". The only thing which is treasonous is not being true to yourself or your beliefs. That's why McCarthy was an asshole, that's why this guy Jack Thompson is an assh***, and that is why you are an assh***.
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
It was never a moral action, it was a matter of national security you dumbass.
This is what I love about liberals, if they can not argue a valid point or present ant facts; they attack the person who is pointing out that
The emperor has no clothes. Go away you functional obsolete myrmidon, and let others discourse and debate like adults without blatantly attacking someone without providing any facts to the discussion.
I don’t care how “you feel” about moral superiority. It’s obvious that you do not know anything about the topic we were discussing,
So please go provide a village with a much needed idiot.
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Nah, no one's posts have been deleted, I just hit the wrong button when I was censoring some words; sorry Rog, but its back up there now.
And I am sorry to make the McCarthy reference and bring this whole discussion wholly off topic; I never meant for this to turn into a history discussion or a political debate across the spectrum that I myself am guilty of continuing. I am sorry for that, deeply; I never wanted the writing to get in the way of the topic and it did.
Do you think Jack has gone overboard with his accusations?
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
In retribution, and to try not to stir up unnecessary (not pertaining to the video game) controversy, I have changed the picture and the title and have downgraded the McCarthy reference to a little quip in the second-to-last sentence. Sorry about everything.
joe @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
he attacked the wrong developer this time. let him rott:)
Yo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Were men and we like pornography. By 16, every little boys probably seen a pic of naked woman. Porn doesn't make us morally bad. Look at European with their nudist beach. Guys do go around doing something bad. Raper like to rape women because of they want control. There are nudity in PG-13 movies, why can't there be in games? What this fool is acusing is stupid. Developers can't control on what modders can do. No softwares are unvulnerable. I bet this guy like to check out all the naked mod in games so he can accuse all of those games. This guy is a fool and might even be g@y.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Jack Thompson Hurry up and die already, so that I can piss in your grave...
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Sh** dont apologize Miller... McCarthy was a douche...Jack Thompson shares that same title....
Hearing NeoCons whine about Lib this Lib that has gotten old and played out.
benhc911 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
eu·nuch Audio pronunciation of "eunuch" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ynk)
n.
1. A castrated man employed as a harem attendant or as a functionary in certain Asian courts.
2. A man or boy whose testes are nonfunctioning or have been removed.
3. Informal. An ineffectual, powerless, or unmasculine man.
Thought I'd point out the misuse of the term eunuch, as it refers to the removal of the testicals, not the absence of genitalia
MonkeyforaHead @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Jack Thompson is one heck of a cocky, sadistic b*st*rd, and he deserves to be sued for the havoc he's causing. Know what really pisses me off? The Sims 2 has been out for quite a long time already, and it's because he's now managed to change the ESRB rating of one of the world's most popular game franchises (GTA, duh), that he thinks he can go after EA for TS2. He's on a freaking power trip, and he needs to be stopped. Next thing you know he'll be condemning FPS war games for acts of violence, or Katamari Damacy for being drug-inspired.
Not that I'm overly concerned he'll actually be able to have TS2 banned (if that happened, it would really be a blow to EA and Maxis, considering how much they've got riding on it), but I need to remind myself to pick up a copy soon.
Heh, you know, I bet this whole incident actually boosts sales of the game for a brief time, because of people like me who don't want to risk losing it. :p
Finished.Law.School @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Jack Thompson is the uninformed c * * k sucker type of lawyer who gives all lawyers a bad name. Ignorant bastards like this sue in order to obtain settlements and this is where their income comes from - not from helping people.
joe @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
what an idiot he isnt just bending facts this time he is flat out lying. someone needs to send him a virus. he is giving out his email address. (hint, hint ;)
GXCori @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
The amazing thing here is that, this man is focused only on going after games that involve sex. Sex is how we all got here in the first place, so I'm thinking it's rather stupid to try to condemn it. It's the equivalent of trying to ban oxygen or I should say, things with oxygen in them.
Now violence on the other hand would be a better arguement if we're going to get into all of this. Why isn't he mad at Bungie or Midway for Halo and Area 51?
I don't know about you all but I'm kind of laughing at all of this. If any of you are old enough to remember back when Mrs. Clinton's husband was running for president, the big evil was rap. Well at the time, true enough, rap needed to get some ratings and parental guidance labels in place and none of the rappers, their publicists, or fans were truly equipped to deal with the attacks. But this time around with games...well gamers are not just the ignorant masses. We happen to have learned from the rap/government fiasco, and the gaming industry has already put labels into place to help combat these types of situations before they ever even started. We're well informed and have access to way more information than should be humanly possible via the internet. In short, we're a lot wiser at a younger age.
I'm also laughing because the very parents she's trying to preach to are gamers. A lot of them are Gen Xers, all grown up..with the power to vote. If they never voted before, they will be now. I for one am tired of letting jackasses into the white house and am glad Mrs. Clinton revealed her true colors, BEFORE she got herself in.
I think Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Thompson are going to have a hard time speaking in public, since this recent attack against EA. It's really hard to talk with a foot in your mouth.
GX Cori
www.gameinatrix.com
furtim @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
THE LIBERALS ARE COMING! THE LIBERALS ARE COMING! One if by land, two if by sea, and all that!
Hey, wait a minute. Did I just hear him accuse Ike bloody Eisenhower's government of being left-wing liberals? I'm confused here.
Spike_J_Wolfwood @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
What a tool... Never mind that it's virtually impossible these days to keep a piece of software from being modified by anyone talented enough to do it. He obviously has no clue what he's talking about, he attacked EA without having all the facts, and he wants to hold game companies responsible for something that they have no control over. With this line of logic any game is potentially worthy of an AO rating. Quick, better slap an AO on Mario... someone may come out with a "Hot-Mushroom" mod or something.
Asher @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
"It was never a moral action, it was a matter of national security you dumbass."
Sorry, but national security was just a vehicle for his ego trip, quest for power, etc.
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Hey Furtim, not to keep this thread Continually off topic, Eisenhower was just as bad as the “obvious” liberals at the time, he defended Alger Hiss, who was a soviet agent, and Truman was just as bad when he was informed of what Hiss was, he ignored the warnings of Adolf Berele, who was a close friend of Whittaker Chambers, who broke with the communist party in 1938. Also if you look at the timeline of these topics, MCcarthy’s campaign ended in 1953, the year Eisenhower took office, so no I never accused his entire tenure as left wing,
Don’t take this the wrong way, but perhaps some people here should read a history book that isn’t issued from their High-school, or that’s filtered through their “Government” library... Whatever... I won’t go on, I’ve yet to have anyone make a valid point against what I’ve said about McCarthy, just amazing insights as “He’s a douche" oohh that’s poignant and thoughtful with absolutely no evidence or facts, just a random blurb from a, IMO moron
Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
slinger, please shut the f*** up.
no one really cares quite how accurate their historical knowledge is. it's the principle of the thing, right?
i think thompson was pretty ambitious in going after EA. while i've been pretty disgusted with some of their recent actions, i'll be rooting for them here..
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Yep McCarthy was a true American hero, just misunderstood....Damn you LIBERALS and your revisionist history.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
For the mildly retarded #32 was sarcasm.....
Nintendoblows @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Slinger do you really think someone wants to dabate you about what you believe is true history, on a gaming site? Really dude get a life because IMO you are the moron. Keep your politics to yourself cause no one cares.
Chris Mankey @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
It was never a moral action, it was a matter of national security you dumbass.
This is what I love about liberals, if they can not argue a valid point or present ant facts; they attack the person who is pointing out that
The emperor has no clothes. Go away you functional obsolete myrmidon, and let others discourse and debate like adults without blatantly attacking someone without providing any facts to the discussion.
You don't have any facts. Your assertion that all blacklisted actors in the 50's were proven to be communist spys is a bizzare delusion with out foundation in reality. Maybe next you can tell us how "The protocols of the elders of zion" is 100% true and stupid liberals just can't figure it out! Tell lyndon larouche I said hi!
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Rare Hare “no one really cares quite how accurate their historical knowledge is. It’s the principle of the thing, right?”
LOL Jesus is what they teach in today’s high schools?
Accuracy doesn’t matter? Just the “feelings” or the intention of what was being said,
Holy Crap I feel sorry for you if this is how you choose to live your life and assimilate whatever knowledge you come across... good luck to you.. You’re going to need it.
Chill, yet again you offer no points or facts just you misguided opinions that don’t matter, again show me where I was / am wrong?
Chris Mankey” LOL I have offered nothing but facts, with the names & times of events, that you can feel free to go and research yourself if you can pull yourself away from sitting on your ignorant ass for five minuets and learn something about this country.
I never said anything about actor’s asshole, look at my posts, McCarthy was after government officials who harbored, these dicks, & continually protected them in their professional & private lives, Do you just like making stuff up?
Again you’re a victim of revisionist history, Please name me one “Actor” that McCarthy wanted to stand trial for being a communist?
No one here has offered anything to discount what I’ve said they have typically just attacked me, or my message, No facts argued, no points made just “Go away Slinger” we like being ignorant about history, and we like being brainwashed, so go F*** yourself.
Again Chris, you Are the delusional one, please feel free to provide some evidence to you’re wholly “substantial” point of view,
I would love to hear it…
You know I have re-learned something by stating these things here,
“Never argue with imbeciles, they will only drag you down to their level & then beat you with experience”
Don’t sweat it kids, just keep getting your news from the Daily Show, it’s easier that way.
l0tus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
slinger, this isn't a damn chat room. try saving some of that self-righteous bullsh*t for someone who might care. you've got to be the biggest hypocrite i've seen on here in a while, saying "never argue with imbeciles," yet you try to specifically address (and argue with) several things said by the "imbeciles" in this thread. seriously kid, you need to get over yourself.
Asher @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
pwnd, son.
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Hey guys, can we please keep the trash talking to a minimum - or just remove it all together? This is meant to comment on the aforementioned topic, and not on the opinions of those posting here.
Andrew @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
http://www.answers.com
look up jack thompson
select the attorney
"In 1988 Thompson was the unsuccessful GOP challenger to Janet Reno for the Office of Dade County State Attorney. Following this, as the "Man in Miami" for NewsMax.com, he made a series of bizarre allegations regarding Reno, met with incredulity in the press claiming that she was a closet lesbian suffering from various mental disorders as side effects of Alzheimer's medication, and that she was being blackmailed by the Mafia."
Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
slinger, my only intention in making that comment was to say that you singlehandedly turned this into a totally off-topic historical debate, and no one cares. we're here to read about game news, not to read the posts of a self-righteous asshole.
sorry ross miller, that's my last word on it. PLEASE, back to the topic at hand.
joe @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
i emailed that jack thompson guy and he sounds very violoent. he threatened me and called me various names. some of these names include: clown , gamer thug, and so on etc. all i did was send him a link of the article. hmmmm...
jakk, blackrock @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
why are people here acting so infantile? i havent seen anything in the last 10 comments related to the topic of this post.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
My arent you the popular one. Hahahaha #34 and #41 said it best...Now go write your manifesto Ted jr.
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
self-right·eous (s lf r ch s)
adj.
1. Piously sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic.
2. Exhibiting pious self-assurance: self-righteous remarks.
self -right eous·ly adv.
self -right eous·ness n.
Well that's all well and good, I don't think I'm being self righteous, pertaining to this post, please Illumniate me as to how I'm a hippocrite?
I would love to hear your version?
Let's see the dictionary defines Hippocrite as
n : a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he does not hold [syn: dissembler , phony , phoney , pretender ]
How do I not hold to these beleifes?
However you do point out the fact that I'm arguing with morons of which I have stated that is a losing proposition, and yet I continue to do so so in fact you are right in that regard I am hypocrite wishing to try to enlighten my fellow gamers as to some of their true history, but which most of them blatantly and flagrantly rally against, so the fact that I keep beating my head against the wall does in fact make me a hypocrite other than that I would love to see your version of what makes me so.
Rare,
if you go back to the original post I was not the one that provided a link to McCarthy's biography or his web site so don't blame this on me as setting this up as some sort of history lesson. And you may think I'm a self-righteous ass yet again you or any one else has not disproved/ proved any of my points wrong or inconclusive, an ass-hole I may be. But apparently I have a decent grasp of US history. Of which I could say my fellow posters are woefully ignorant of.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
Hey slinger here's a nice read about your hero McCarthy? Tell me whats false about it!
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmccarthy.htm
Asher @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
"(You're)saying "never argue with imbeciles," yet you try to specifically address (and argue with) several things said by the "imbeciles" in this thread."
Seems pretty clear to me buddy.
Asher @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
"However you do point out the fact that I'm arguing with morons of which I have stated that is a losing proposition, and yet I continue to do so so in fact you are right in that regard I am hypocrite wishing to try to enlighten my fellow gamers as to some of their true history, but which most of them blatantly and flagrantly rally against, so the fact that I keep beating my head against the wall does in fact make me a hypocrite other than that I would love to see your version of what makes me so."
Woops. Didn't notice that you ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION.
Slinger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
By the way I can’t seem to find the author of the link you posted, would you be so kind as to state his/her name? Or is this just and obvious left wing liberal pussy that doesn’t want their name printed that likes a doing a smear campaign?
What’s funny to me is the hatred coming out of this, are all your parents’ ex-hippies that taught you to “hate the man”?
. Jesus please read something other that text messages in Final Fantasy XXXX99 or whatever, to learn about life. Again assholes, please state specifically where I am wrong and I will be the first to say. “You sir are correct, and I acknowledge your obvious intellect, and admire your chutzpa, in this matter” and yes you are right,
Other than that go F**k yourselves with a LINK TO A WEB SITE THAT SUPPOSEDLY ANSWERS YOUR QESTIONS” c’mon Billy tell me what you want to prove. Any asshole can post a link.
You should know….
sb @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM
"perhaps some people here should read a history book that isn’t issued from their High-school, or that’s filtered through their “Government” library..."
^^ this one is my favorite : )