AP ignores Paris, who should we ignore?
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Mar 3rd 2007 at 11:10AM }
Yesterday the Associated Press, the wire service depended upon by almost every news organization on the planet, admitted to experimenting with a weeklong blackout on the "celebutant" Paris Hilton. GameSetWatch took note of this and discussed how former head of the Electronic Software Association, Doug Lowenstein, condemned the gaming press for granting legitimacy to Jack Thompson by writing about him and thus feeding the beast. In essence, saying the gaming press should have put a blackout on Thompson ages ago.The thing is that if the gaming press ignores Jack Thompson, he doesn't just go away. By reporting on Thompson and his antics, which get ever more desperate over time, we chronicle the man. When mainstream media organizations Google search Thompson, they find the gaming press' work. It gives them a better understanding of Thompson and his work. So, other than Thompson, is there anyone or anything the gaming press should take a cue from the AP and ignore within the industry?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Savok @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:19AM
Thompson is dangerous, Paris is annoying and utterly useless, that's the difference.
Blackout people like Mark Rein who continuously spout bullshit just to get everyone riled up.
Louis XVI @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:23AM
Uwe Boll!
Arno @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:24AM
I say ignore Sony, just in time for GDC.
whosmav @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:27AM
Thomson doesn't seem dangerous to me. He hasn't stopped a single game from being made. The truth is he is a wannabe celeb. So yeah, a blackout would be totally appropriate.
John @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:13PM
If we ignore Jackey Poo he'll go away.
Patrick @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:38AM
paris, what the hell is so important about her, shes not even an actor or anything shes just a rich sl*t
Fatass of Kickassness @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:39AM
At this point, anyone who has Tretton or Harrison in their names. Bring back the good Sony PR of old.
Also, anyone from Nintendo that ISN'T Miyamoto or Reggie.
ALSO.... EA games. And ALL of Ubisoft's port-outings.
rarehero @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:45AM
Thompson is probably less dangerous than Paris Hilton... I'd say ignore Thompson, also ignore sales numbers, as they are completely useless to gamers too, and usually inaccurate and inconsequential.
miles foreman @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:48AM
All of this talk is masking the truly important news stories... namely those about Anna Nicole Smith.
Michael @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:51AM
Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan. This woman doesn't know anything and even knows less about videogames or Nintendo.
ele©tro @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:53AM
Yes, Uwe! He thrives on negative publicity. Quit feeding the beast!
Andrew @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:58AM
Phil Harrison, without question.
The man is a real-life internet forum troll.
TheChaz @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:04PM
I do think that there's a difference between ignoring Paris and Jack. Paris' entire celebrity is based on celebrity alone. Thus, if you ignore her celebrity, she's no longer a celebrity. If you ignore Jack, however, he's still a lawyer. At the very least, he can still go into a courtroom and try to get a result, even if no one reports on it.
Renagade242 @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:08PM
God yes, SONY (again, to echo Arno, just in time for GDC).
Also, EA. While making the gaming public aware of their antics related to the nickel-and-diming they perform more severely with each new game seems important to chronicle, perhaps every other news bit about them can just happen to get lost in the shuffle?
dsh @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:16PM
The difference is that if the gaming press (which mainly reports on Jack to ridicule his pointless crusades and his many failures) stops reporting on him, it doesn't stop the blinkered press and his cronies from reporting on him. I'd rather that we continue to laugh at Jack and provide that balance than not.
Doug Lowenstein incorrectly asserts we're feeding his fire - something that he clearly doesn't need. If going by his tragic emails tells us anything, he'd be more than happy not to have the gaming press making him constantly look like a fool.
Ninegauger @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:19PM
Sony... and you'd be doing them a favor.
J @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:26PM
I think it would just be a nice touch to boycott that bitch. I personally wouldn't miss it if the AP would stop reporting Paris Hilton crap. I really don't give two turds about that over rated coke headed slut bag.I don't know why everyone sweats her. So what is she has money. She still has no tits. And fake tits wouldn't help much either. On top of that shes a used up banged out piece of twat skin. Bravo AP... Bravo.
Jack Thompson is a different story. Giving him attention just exposes him for what he is. Jack is a lunatic with completely unjustified (and scientifically proven against) views that encompass all gamers as having psychotic tendencies. He may be a media whore but its all bad for Jack. Paris on the other hand needs to be forgotten about. Its not like she betters any one but her own life. She is a useless coke slut. Bang her in the butt for coke indeed.
bootsielon @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:31PM
Anyone that thinks a Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft or any other game dev company rep or the company as a whole should be ignored by the gaming press is a dipshit.
Twist @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:39PM
How about ignoring the rumormongers for a while. I get sick and tired of seeing ridiculous rumors spread all over the internet just because one site decides to run it and then all the relinkers (like JoyStiq, I do like the site but the majority of your content still seems to be coming from other sites) think they have to run it also. With GDC coming up these rumors are going to start flying like crazy and it would be nice to go without them for a change.
ALH @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:41PM
while theyre at it could they put a stop on jade goody? That obnoxious woman is all over every newspaper every day, im sick of seeing her bloated pg face
J @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:53PM
Oh.... just one more person I'd like to see get banned. Could we please get rid of Nancy Grace? Does she really help anyone with her ranting and bull crap? I don't think she has helped one case that she has stuck her nose in. Every time I see her she is drawing some cacamaeme idea of whats going on and he has no idea what shes talking about.
Maybe we should do Bush a favor also and just ban him too. Its not like he is making anything better at this point. The whole Bush Admin needs to be muzzled.
Rod Munch @ Mar 3rd 2007 12:54PM
Why don't we ignore the commentors?
Grant @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:21PM
any game involving barbie or the olsen twins...
oh wait, we already do that.
PHEW!
NintendoFanbot @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:11PM
Instead of complaining about how the world is so full of shit and retards like BOOTSIELON, I've decided to change the perspective of the whole situation.
Taking a topic that makes you all hateful inside and turning it inside out!
Teh Fanbot 4aXXorZ Joystiq!
http://sites.gizoogle.com/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joystiq.com%2F2007%2F03%2F03%2Fap-ignores-paris-who-should-we-ignore%2F%23comments
Anyways, ignoring the problem is NEVER the solution. A couple days ago I read an article that name Paris Hilton one of the 10 worst women capable of being a female 'role model' simply from her huge celebrity and media exposure. I'd rather see media criticizing her than try to ignore that nothing's happened.
Not acknowledging the critical faults kind of destroys the reason for ignoring them in the first place.
sheppy @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:19PM
The problem, and danger, of ignoring jacky is that he's well and truly the Jerry Fawell of the gaming industry. The man has no clues, no idea about how things are or what these stats he's quoting even means, and he's constantly attacking and industry he doesn't understand.
If our side was to completely ignore him. His side and his followers (and yes, there are many and some even have power) would be allowed to run completely unfettered. There would be no one offering counterpoints when the games go to trial. There would be no studies being offered up in defense of the game industry. And what is the link? The killers played video games. In todays culture, that's roughly the same as saying "since all school shootings happen at school, let's ban schools."
But on the other side, each time he hits the news, the retards go flocking to death threats, screaming, and ultimately offering credence to his cause. As outrageous as he is, most of the time, the people he faces in the public arena have nothing more to say than "I play video games and I should fucking kill you for trying to take them away." This is partially the games industries fault as well. My point is summed up in the following video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yREGBKZggwA
They take Jack Thompson against Adam Sessler. Now Adam Sessler has always been a fucking clown shoe, period. But during the debate, Jack Thompson seems prepared, Adam merely fumbles with opinions.
One of the first things to use against jackie during this debate was the Padukah case. He, along with David Grossman, claimed that Carneal trained exclusively on Doom. Which is false. Carneal was not only a paranoid schitzophrenic but had trained with the gun he stole for the shooting. yes, you read that right. A troubled youth with a hatred for his fellow students, and a local adult decides to teach him how to long range shoot to better relieve stress. And how exactly did Padukah happen? Oh yes, long range sniping fire into a prayer group. From someone who was bullied and bruised everyday because he was an open atheist. Yeppers, Doom pulled that shit.
But then he mentions one study. A study that, should Sessler have recognized is the same study Thompson has been quoting for years, shows the increased violence due to video games directly relates to children who are bullied, neglected, abused by parents, and all fit the profile that we associate with future criminals. But no, yet another opportunity missed.
And then Jacki-O mentions the "changes" (the original hypelines included the ability to fight back against children and teachers) made to Bully as a bad thing. Adam could have just as easily pushed that point and said, "Doesn't the changes made to Bully indicate Rockstar's ability to recognize a line crossed and willingness to listen to a concerned community?"
Instead, sessler jumps off the deep end, not attacking JTs sources or points but instead uses blanketing statements. The gaming press rarely throws anyone at JT willing to slam down points with facts but instead, each time a Sessler takes down Thompson, gamers applaud like "Yeah, fucking take him down!" All Sessler managed to achieve in this debate is prove a hardcore gamers amazing inability to research before a debate. But hell, looking at the comments, you can't tell just how badly Sessler failed.
Forceusr @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:22PM
Ignore Jack Tretton and Phil Harrison (Sony execs...) Idiots, the both of them.
WryTerra @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:41PM
Sony. It would be the perfect response to their 'blackballing' Kotaku.
FrankTheCrank @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:46PM
Peter "the troll" Moore
Sonic @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:47PM
Bill Gates
Cero @ Mar 3rd 2007 2:04PM
I agree with you all about not wanting to blackout Wacko Jacko. In fact, doesn't his tactics remind you of a certain Senator McCarthy? The one who went ballistic trying to find communists in our country?
Back then, President Eisenhower simply let McCarthy do as he pleased because [A] he didn't want to rile up his own party and, more importantly, [B] he believed the man's own frenzy would make the man do himself in.
Wacko Jacko is just that kind of guy. It seems that he gets more frenzied and fanatical in his one-man "crusade" against video game violence. The more of his own flaming crap his associates get to see courtesy of the gaming press, the more likely his associates are going to alienate him, and what will happen to him then? Let's leave things as they are with him right now; sooner or later he's going to be shut down by his own fanaticism, and not even his own buddies will want to pay him any attention anymore. That will be a sweeter revenge than anything I can hope to cook up.
reppy @ Mar 3rd 2007 2:06PM
Joystiq should quit reporting on every single analysts' take on the console wars.
Rod Munch @ Mar 3rd 2007 2:18PM
@33 You have exactly the right idea.
Courtney @ Mar 3rd 2007 2:27PM
That question is easy to answer...Sony. After the crap they pulled with some other gaming blogs the other day and the craptastic effort they've been putting forth lately, ignoring Sony would only make things better!
driven2sin @ Mar 3rd 2007 2:48PM
a rich slut is VERY important.. noob
samfish @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:05PM
The best thing Sony could hope for is if the press started to ignore guys like Harrison or Krazy Kaz. It seems to me that the resentment amongst the hardcore crowd towards Sony is finally trickling down to the general consumers, going by a few conversations i've had recently.
Oh, also - mAnn Coulter, just in general.
Nino @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:16PM
Nah, we shouldn't ignore Sony reps, it's too much fun seeing them shove their feet in their mouth.
sheppy @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:20PM
"Let's leave things as they are with him right now; sooner or later he's going to be shut down by his own fanaticism, and not even his own buddies will want to pay him any attention anymore. That will be a sweeter revenge than anything I can hope to cook up."
Well here's the problem. When Jackie-O self destructs, who will take his place? Imagine a competant Jack Thompson....
Mr Khan @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:31PM
I agree with Bootsielon, you shouldn't ignore anything that could possibly have an impact on gamers (except Perrin Kaplin, because everything she says winds up being false anyway)
Paris Hilton makes sense to ignore, becuase unless she starts, you know, doing something with her life, then nothing she does will effect anyone except desperate pre-teen girls
Uwe Boll is a good candidate, as is anything Cliffy B says that doesn't regard GoW
NintendoFanbot @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:54PM
I would love to believe that a competent version of Jack Thompson would embrace the industry and worth with it to give games a better public perception.
NintendoFanbot @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:59PM
*replace worth with work
why not the LS2/LS7? @ Mar 3rd 2007 5:43PM
Jack Tretton. He hasn't said anything that matters to me as a gamer anyway.
I find the commentors that say Sony completely hilarious. These are the same commentors who bitch about everything Sony says? You know, you are completely free to ignore Sony anyway. The fact that so many people bitch instead of ignoring Sony makes me thing that if joystiq stopped reporting on Sony, there'd be some really bored people out there.
scepia @ Mar 3rd 2007 6:54PM
The 3 Ps: Phil Harrison, Peter Moore, Perrin Kaplan.
steve17 @ Mar 3rd 2007 9:45PM
@24
i admit sessler might have done a better job but he made some excellent points. especially toward the beginning. jack came on talking about school shootings and how doom was responsible. adam countered by saying things like: with all the other media and violence and problems for american youth out there, to attempt to say video games are the sole cause in youth violence is insane!
the other guy said his kids punch and kick each other and fight all the time and they never play video games. they also went into the first ammendment and how creative expression is protected. and at the end of the day its parents' responsibility to censer whatever they find unsuitable for they kids to consume.
anyone with a brain can see jack has no case at all. he cited ONE study showing video games lead to violence. there could be ONE study out there that says the sun isnt the center of the solar system, or that the earth is flat. just because ONE group makes an outragious claim, does not, in any way, make it true.
MegaMan @ Mar 4th 2007 8:29AM
J "the other bald meat" Allard
Ant D @ Mar 4th 2007 11:54AM
Paris Hilton is a coozbag
iceachesocial @ Mar 5th 2007 9:13AM
if anything, any press by jack thompson = free press. Oh Jack, just so you know, Mass Effect and BioShock, both for the XBox 360, feature PEOPLE DYING and the extensive use of THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
Thad @ Mar 6th 2007 11:19AM
"When mainstream media organizations Google search Thompson, they find the gaming press' work. It gives them a better understanding of Thompson and his work."
For all the good it does us. They still treat him like an expert instead of a crazy person.