Thompson sends own son on personal sting operation against Best Buy
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Sep 13th 2007 at 6:25PM }
Thompson goes on to say that retailers and the gaming industry are "engaged in a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice across the nation" by claiming to check IDs. This is exacerbated by his son purchasing the M-rated game from the same Best Buy store Thompson sent his son to buy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at when he was 10-years-old. Thompson is demanding that Best Buy fire the store's manager and the girl with the "piercing through her right eyebrow" who sold his son the game. Thompson finishes by saying, "The entire video game age rating system is a fraud perpetrated upon American families from sea to shining sea." We should keep that in mind the next time we recruit our own child into a crusade and approve of him or her purchasing an M-rated game.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
bighit24 @ Sep 13th 2007 6:29PM
Jack Thompson if you read this....FUCK YOU!
Vegnagun @ Sep 13th 2007 6:32PM
*GASP!* You learned that from a video game!
Bperry @ Sep 13th 2007 6:29PM
Well on the positive side, he probably pretty much just invalidated his agreement with take-two, here's to hoping they continue their legal actions against thim.
ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Sep 14th 2007 12:11AM
anyone know the status of his psychological report? this guy needs fucking help.
t_m @ Sep 14th 2007 7:47AM
weirdly, the guy he paid to test him cleared him. sigh.
Calviin @ Sep 14th 2007 9:50AM
He's just another parent who wants someone else to parent his kid instead of doing it himself. I mean, come on. Parenting is too hard. Why should HE have to do it?
Bloodshed @ Sep 14th 2007 10:48AM
I don't get it, he gets all worked up when his son goes and buys a M rated game but he's perfectly okay with him tapping his foot under another mans bathroom stall. I think he needs to readjust his priorities.
skinrock @ Sep 15th 2007 1:00PM
That was Larry Craig...
Vegnagun @ Sep 13th 2007 6:31PM
Why the hell does he care so goddamn much? It's not the ESRB and video game sellers that need to be fixed, it's him. He's insane.
Besides his whole logic that video games turn people into violent blood crazed fiends is flawed. If it were true I would be eating his heart right now. Instead I'm sitting here typing crazy violent words.
He better hurry up his plans to turn America into Nazi Germany, I've been playing some games I'd like to reenact in real life! Hahahaha!!! Guns, violence, and drugs are all I know!!
copa @ Sep 13th 2007 6:58PM
"Why the hell does he care so goddamn much?"
Because Joystiq will give him free publicity, and even print letters that he sends them.
Never mind that he is thoroughly discredited in the mainstream when he subpoenas George Bush to appear at his little videogame trial.
After a few months of covering his every move and giving him a status he doesn't deserve, Joystiq will reinvent him as an expert that gets to sit in on crafting anti-videogame legislation again.
Joshua @ Sep 13th 2007 7:54PM
Seriously, Joystiq, ignore this man. No one here can stomach reading about him for too long, so please don't waste your time publishing stories about him.
He doesn't understand it's parents' jobs to police their children, and won't stop until he gets everyone he can to do his job for him.
DWells55 @ Sep 13th 2007 9:17PM
Video games don't make people violent. It's just that simple. I grew up playing my fair share of first person shooters and other violent media. I played Goldeneye and Perfect Dark with my friends, DOOM, Rainbow Six, and literally thousands of hours of Halo 2 online. I did well enough in high school to get into college. I've never so much as tasted alcohol and have never used drugs. I never got into a fight or even so much as a serious confrontation with anyone and I've never been in trouble with the law. I don't even cuss.
Yet I played all those "terrible video games" and watched violent movies and television shows as a child. According to Mr. Thompson here, I should be a psychopathic killer by now. Surely the amount of time I've spent playing Halo 2 online shooting my opponents or all the cars I've stolen in Grand Theft Auto should have me out and committing horrific crimes as I type this. But I'm not. Violent video games are not the cause of youth violence and need to stop being blamed for it.
I'm not saying it's necessarily a good for children to be exposed to large amounts of violent media. There are those that are easily impressionable and have a hard time separating fantasy from reality. It is the responsibility of their parents to properly regulate what they feel is appropriate for their child. My parents waited until either late elementary school or early middle school until they felt that it was okay for me to be laying violent video games. They waited until they felt that I was emotionally capable of handling the subject matter and were comfortable with me being exposed to it. While I didn't agree with or understand them at the time and still did occasionally get the chance to play violent games at friends' houses, I completely respect their decision now.
smjames23 @ Sep 13th 2007 6:32PM
Maybe he should drive his kid to every corner store to see if he can buy beer and cigarettes and see how many sell to him. I bet more than a few. This is a Best buy prob NOT Take 2. Damn Thompson you really suck.
Vegnagun @ Sep 13th 2007 6:33PM
Oh you haven't heard? Best Buy and Take Two are trying to turn kids evil so they can make hordes of blood zombies to help them overthrow the government and society.
Matt B (SDF - White Gold Ring) @ Sep 13th 2007 7:32PM
You don't need to be bloodthirsty or a zombie to want to overthrow the government.
Tyler @ Sep 13th 2007 6:35PM
wow, congrats are in order for Mr. Thompson. hes just like the rest of the parents who let their kids buy M rated games. Way to be a hypocrit!, Jackass
phattie @ Sep 13th 2007 6:32PM
I would hate to be Jack Thompson's kid... all you would have to do is read the bible. No movies, video games, pron, girls, booze, etc, etc.
waves @ Sep 13th 2007 7:25PM
What's worse is he makes you buy it, then tells you it's evil. Someone's going to need therapy when he grows up.
Zeus the God @ Sep 14th 2007 1:46AM
I'd hate to hate to be you- too fat to get girls, booze, or even reach your wiener to make use of that pr0n.
ferrarimanf355 @ Sep 14th 2007 1:33PM
Yeah, I doubt that this kid is popular in school...
Tesley @ Sep 13th 2007 6:34PM
He needs to get laid. Seriously...WTF is wrong w/ that guy?
Die Thompson...die
TRUTH @ Sep 13th 2007 6:34PM
Thompson is an A-HOLE!! Ohhh everyone knows already!!!
Why don't you do something more consructive, like store's selling cigarettes to minors!!!
NATO_Duke @ Sep 14th 2007 10:41AM
Honestly man, Thompson wants police guarding every electronics store in the nation. He's a sham and a glory hound, who would freak if his anti first amendment rhetoric were turned and used against him. How would you do Jack if you couldn’t express yourself? There you are, like a crazed animal attacking Take 2 every chance you get, and but for the fact you contracted your speech rights away regarding them, you could have continued to talk all the smack you wanted. The constitution protected you and you won’t allow it to protect others.
Jack is an embarrassment to lawyers who fight for people’s rights. Keep using your son as a puppet Jack, because God knows we want him to grow up feeling just as negative about you as we do.
On a final thought, how the hell does Take 2 or any other developer police stores for who comes in and buys? Seems to me you have the wrong target in mind.
Atlas @ Sep 13th 2007 6:34PM
Would you kindly go to Thompson's office and kill that son of a bitch?
Vegnagun @ Sep 13th 2007 6:37PM
made me laugh
Spartacus @ Sep 13th 2007 6:45PM
Best comment of the day.
Neebs @ Sep 13th 2007 6:51PM
I can't even think of anything Bioshock related to add on, well done.
Andrew Ryan @ Sep 13th 2007 6:57PM
A man chooses, a slave obeys. OBEY!
Micheal82 @ Sep 13th 2007 10:47PM
Son if you kindly go buy Bioshock if you kindly. What's that you don't want to obey is said go buy Bioshock if you kindly! OK then code yellow
ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Sep 14th 2007 12:15AM
wow, you made me laugh for like 10 minutes
David @ Sep 14th 2007 2:16AM
Look Mr. B! It's the Devil!
Dave @ Sep 13th 2007 6:34PM
He forced his son to commit a sin.
milestailsprowe @ Sep 13th 2007 6:37PM
the man needs a life and what does he do for a living anymore cause no body in their right mind would hire him for a lawyer
rom @ Sep 13th 2007 6:36PM
Wait, I thought the ESRB rating on the box was a warning to the consumer/parents, and that retailers were not legally responsible for monitoring that. I'm so confused. Is it actually the law to restrict games of mature content? I don't remember anymore.
ryan @ Sep 13th 2007 8:08PM
according to the law a store can be fined alot of money if they sell something to a underage kid...
hence the retailers are responsible for ensuring underage kids cant get the game at least now without the ok from the parent
Number Six @ Sep 13th 2007 9:48PM
WHAT?!? Dude, ryan, show all of us the "law" that states stores can be fined for not carding a game sale. Oh, right...You can't! 'Cause you're full of shit!!!
Aberu @ Sep 13th 2007 11:49PM
Uh yeah, there is no law outside of New York currently by my memory. Only games with an AO rating I believe, in a lot of states, but not ALL. It's just company policies most of the time, a policy that Best Buy supposedly upholds.
Poisoned Al @ Sep 13th 2007 6:37PM
He has a son?
Poor little bastard!
Sircolby45 @ Sep 13th 2007 6:55PM
Lol exactly what I was thinking. His son is probably playing Bioshock right now with the door shut and the volume turned down lol!
Nushio (Honorary NDF Member) @ Sep 13th 2007 6:59PM
Dad, you're embarrassing me!
And that goth with the piercing is my prom date!
Signed,
JT's kid.
Brymo @ Sep 13th 2007 6:39PM
I am ALWAYS checked when I buy a M rated game and I am 21! I don't mind, but this dumb ass keeps on trying.
He over generalizes constantly. One BB must mean all of them! He can die in a fire for all I care.
Grant @ Sep 13th 2007 8:24PM
Seriously,
i was just about to chime in that i got ID'd to buy bioshock, and am also 21.
I can go to bars and not get IDed half the time to buy a drink, but BB managed to deem that i might not be over 17 to buy this game.
Ross @ Sep 13th 2007 6:39PM
No Jack, the video game rating system is meant to be used by responsible parents to determine whether a game is appropriate for their child.
It's not up to Best Buy and Walmart clerks to raise your children, it's up to you as a parent.
I'll make it real simple:
Store Clerk's Job: Sell Merchandise
Parent's Job: Raise their kid and take responsiblity for that job.
James @ Sep 16th 2007 4:23PM
Not so sure about that -- so if I determine that I don't want my e.g. 15-year-old kid playing M-rated games, I have to follow him around everywhere he goes to make sure he doesn't buy one when I'm not looking? I mean, I'm right at the front of the line as far as hating people who refuse to parent, but I think retailers have a place in the equation as well. I don't want Wal-Mart selling R-rated movies to 12-year-olds, and I don't want EB/BB/CC/whoever selling M-rated games to them either.
JT is a giant douche-bag, but that's because a) he earnestly believes that playing video games will make you kill people, and as a result b) he thinks there shouldn't be any violent video games. Parents have a right to decide what their kids do or do not see or play, but in today's world it's pretty hard to enforce that sort of thing 100% on your own.
Noxat @ Sep 13th 2007 6:39PM
Bah. I got carded buying M-rated Oblivion Game of the Year edition yesterday at Gamestop, and I'm 28, yet I'm frequently NOT carded buying alcohol, and when I smoked I was hardly ever carded buying cigarettes. Blame uncaring employees, not the system.
slacker164 @ Sep 13th 2007 7:08PM
Yup, me too. I got carded when buying RE4 Wii and again when picking up Bioshock for PC. Ironically, I bought both games at Best Buy. I’m also 28, and games are pretty much the only thing I get carded for. It’s been at least a year since I got carded for beer.
Hawk @ Sep 15th 2007 1:04PM
Maybe they ID the people that they know are fine and able to buy the games to show that they are 'doing their job'.
lilguy @ Sep 13th 2007 6:43PM
And he's saying this as he let's his kid BUY the game?
DBuck_Eye @ Sep 13th 2007 6:41PM
Jacko is one human being who should not be allowed to have a child, or be let near children, or have anything to do with children. BTW, I went into the EB Games in early summer to by Resident Evil 4:Wii Edition (I'm 14) and they didn't sell it to me until I showed them my chaperone. Just goes to show the system isn't made broken, it just gets broken by those who don't care.
jeresun @ Sep 13th 2007 6:43PM
so he takes his one single instance, and uses it as grounds to condemn the entire video game industry? and aren't Christians taught not to be judgmental? This self-proclaimed conservative christian guy is accusing people left and right like a maniac!