Spankings for anti-game crusader Jack Thompson
Anti-game crusader Dave Walsh served anti-game crusader
Jack Thompson a spankalicious letter that calls Thompson out
for being even more extreme and over-the-top than even Walsh can handle. Here's why Walsh has issues with Thompson:
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Members of Walsh's organization have a "growing concern that your use of our name, without our permission, has had a negative influence as we try to educate the public on this important issue"
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Thompson's tactics include "extreme hyperbole" [Yet, Walsh is quite familiar with using the hyperbole technique himself. Heck, he calls the graphics of Grand Theft Auto "horrifyingly realistic."]
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Thompson has attacked "individuals for whom [Walsh has] a great deal of respect." We can only assume here that Walsh must mean that time when Thompson told us to "go to Hell more quietly." That really hurt our feelings.
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Thompson's use of Walsh's name in his anti-game correspondence implies that Walsh endorses Thompson. This is not true, according to Walsh.
The bottom line? "Consequently, I ask that you cease using the Institute's or my name in any way that would give the impression that we support your efforts. I also ask that you remove the link to our website that appears on your site."
We don't care for misleading anti-game zealotry in any form, but it's nice to see one of their more extreme members censured.
[Props to GamePolitics for scoring the exclusive full text of the letter from Walsh to Thompson.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jabronigamer @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
OMFG!!! *happy dance* I love it more than I love... videogames? Nah... but it comes close.
Ryan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
The email address on his site no longer works. I tried sending him a note yesterday, and it bounced back. I guess he upset Comcast a little too much.
Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
i have one word for this situation, and i think it's the single word that is most suited this and sums it up the best:
pwned.
paralipsis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
The laws of the universe have to distort to accomodate Jack Thompson's twisted fanatacism. He deserves all verbal lashings we can muster for being such an igorant and dangerous individual. I'm not surprised other anti-game-violence folks want to steer clear of him too.
Rocket Punch @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Well there is no better way to settle it other than turning those two into UFC game characters and let them fight to the death!
Gimbal @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Check out today's Penny Arcade for some additional fun with Jack.
32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
A few comments on this.
First off, last I checked the registry of stopkill.com, it was registered through an AT&T Broadband address (jackpeace@attbi.com). Maybe he just switched ISPs.
Second, Netjak ran a piece denouncing him and less than 12 hours later, the author of said piece got an email from the lawyer. Either he spends half his day searching for himself on Google News, or he's a regular reader of our site. I've been praying to God on the hour, every hour since that the former is true.
Third, this isn't the first time that Jack Thompson has alienated his erstwhile allies. I've read up on the man - he's widely hated amongst conservative activists for excessive self-aggrandizement. I mean, to be a staunch conservative like Thompson to get effectively banned from The Free Republic takes some doing.
jack thompson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Dave Walsh's organization, National Institute on Medi and the Family is funded by Target and by a foundation headed by a Best Buy director and its corporate lawyer, Elliot Kaplan. I am suing both Target and Best Buy because of their improper activities in distributing mature video games to minors.
If you "journalists" had bothered to contact me I could have explained what Walsh's tirade is really about--to protect his video game industry ties. Dr. Walsh is a useful tool, whether he knows it or not, of the video game industry and has been for quite sometime. Duh.
jack thompson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Banned by Free Republic? They're a bunch of crypto-Nazis.
32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
My my my, Jack Thompson finally spoke with me, and spoke to me derisively. I think that officially makes me a full-fledged member of the Evil Video Game Media (tm).
First things first, if in fact Mr. Walsh is just a puppet of the video games industry, why did you link to his organization's site? And please don't try to claim otherwise. The Internet Wayback Machine, as shown at http://web.archive.org/web/20040926121823/http://www.stopkill.com/ has an index of your site showing the link. If this group was such a problem, why link to them and why not denounce them years ago?
Moreover, it's interesting that you claim that no video game journalist will attempt to approach you, when you have an extremely well-documented pattern of abusive behavior towards journalists who cover the video game industry. These documents show contempt for the facilities of approaching journalists and an adamant refusal to answer submitted questions.
Of course, if you decide that you would like to talk to me and have an interview published on a video game site, I'm sure we can arrange something.
Finally, as for the Free Republic - I don't particularly care for their politics myself. However, perusing their website proved fascinating, as they detail their problems with you in their Frequently Asked Questions. Moreover, they helpfully make their complete archives free and open to peruse, show how you (under the alias "Batjack") caused repeated problems there with your attempt to make the site focus on you.
If they're crypto-Nazis, Mr. Thompson, your attempts to integrate yourself into their community would speak very poorly of you as well.
Eskimo Bob @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
"i have one word for this situation, and i think it's the single word that is most suited this and sums it up the best:
pwned."
again.
Ninkul @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
lol, that really is pwned =P
Jack Thompson really did take it too far... I mean violence is kinda bad for like 12 year olds n stuff but yeah... See maddox's article about GTA:SA ;)
Batzarro @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
I'm sorry Mr Jackson, but I am for real when I ask wich is worse: Hypothetical damage to the mind of some kids(that is, of course, if you consider media THE ONLY way a child grows into a murderer) or the very real damage done by a war built upon lies and hype. Because that's what'ts wrong with polliticians. They don't see the evidence in their face of thousands of dead persons (civilians, soldiers and enemy forces) of something wrong, but then the BAD games they never seem to have played are corrupting the young people that aren't even supposed to be playing them because their parents are way to busy(or is that smart?) to care. THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE VOTED FOR YOU TO SOLVE! WORK ON THOSE! HOW IS "REAL DEATH" SOMEHOW LESS OFFENSIVE THAN "MIMICKED DEATH"?
Now, I know how it works. It's all votes and money to you, isn't it? But as I said before, I doubt your hands have ever touched a game. If you disagree with Thompsons views, please express it openly. While he seems harmless, movements like these have led to bad stuff in the past(Campy Batman).
jakk of guildofIV @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
finally.....
i would like to join in and say
PWNED!!!!
XenoCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Jack Thompson should really get to know The Ultimate Warrior. They'd probably get along quite well, and could become the new Sizzler Sisters (see The Kids in the Hall). Thompson and Warrior are both batshite crazy, they're both attention whores, and they both scream like babies when anyone who approaches them to ask them *why* they're acting so batshite crazy. I'm surprised Thompson doesn't refer to himself in the third person like Warrior does. Well--- There's still time, Jack.
Yes, sir- I'm calling you a nutcase. I'm 34 years old, and have been playing video games since 1977. I'm a peacenik, man; a pacifist that doesn't believe in harming my fellow man, but I do enjoy playing GTA:SA and other violent games. Your kind have been trying to tell me ALL MY LIFE that I'd end up a mass-murderer if I was exposed to violence in comic books, on TV, in movies, in cartoons, in music and in video games. So why am I not killing people, Jack? Perhaps it's because I was mentally defective in the first place, like the case in Grand Rapids, or like the case in Columbine, or like in pretty much every other case you point to. Those kids were messed up already, and you know it. Only a nutcase would let some form of media influence their decision on whether or not to TAKE A LIFE. Hell, Jack- Unlike you, I won't even joke about murdering people I don't like. You seemed to be pretty comfortable basically calling out a hit on the CEO of Take Two.
I sell games for a living. It's my business to advise parents about the ratings, and do you know that even when they are made aware that a game is M-rated, the majority of parents STILL purchase the game for little Billy? It's true.
What I'm saying is that those of us in the business are doing our jobs and trying to keep M-rated games out of kids' hands. When are freakjobs like you going to target the PARENTS for being irresponsible and allowing their kids to play M-rated games (or not KNOWING what their kid is doing), rather than targeting the industry and the millions of safe, sane, normal people who play games?
Do you get the sense that nobody cares what you have to say anymore? You're becoming more and more of a self-parody as the moments tick by. History will remember you, all right. You'll be remembered in the same vein as Fredric Wertham and the PMRC: You'll be the punchline to some really bad jokes about censorship in America.
Enjoy the notoriety, Jack. Keep screaming about the sky falling. We'll keep laughing at your wacky antics.
XenoCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Damn Joystiq for not having an edit...
"Maybe it's because I was NOT mentally defective in the first place"
You take my meaning.
Daniel Gerlach @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Has anyone noted that Thompson has a book publishing in November? Could this in any way be a stunt to call attention on that? I wonder...
It seems to me that the more you prove him wrong, the higher and more hysterical he screams his delusions.
Daniel Gerlach @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Has anyone noted that Thompson has a book publishing in November? Could this in any way be a stunt to call attention on that? I wonder...
It seems to me that the more you prove him wrong, the higher and more hysterical he screams his delusions.
VGD @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
All I can say is, if ol' Jacky knows he is on the losing side of an arguement, his only way out is threatening legal action, which would be a harmless threat, were he not a lawyer.
Fight like a man for once, and stop being a pussy lawyer.
El-Rawr @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM
Wow.....Yah.. Yah that was swrnt, pwnt, ownt, ubrownt, uberpwnzorized, swrntified, and like..All around RAWPed. Jack was all like *whacks the ball towards the hole* "Learned that in the hockey rink." Then all of the sudden, the world hits the ball too, and smiles, saying "Somebody's closer!"