Jack Thompson Profiled in Rolling Stone
Jack Thompson Profiled in Rolling Stone
November 7, 2006
He didn't get his picture on the cover, but anti-game attorney Jack Thompson is profiled in the November 16th issue of Rolling Stone.The article, Gaming's Worst Bully, is written by author David Kushner (Masters of Doom), a journalist who spent time with Thompson on the debate circuit a couple of years back.
So what do we learn that we didn't already know before?
- Thompson likes Frank Zappa (explicit lyrics and all?), telling Kushner, " I think Zappa was prescient..."
- Thompson sees his crusading as combat. "Within the rules, you try to destroy your opponent," he told Kushner.
ESA boss Doug Lowenstein offers counterpoint, telling Rolling Stone:
(Thompson) has made it his life's work to destroy the video game industry. Every time and every place he can, he turns up on the scene to exploit tragedy and get publicity for his agenda.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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Comments
Its what most consecutive males do Most TV pundits and politicians have working cover families ,their good for covers and chest thumbing but they spend so little time with them...they live in their own world 24/7
@Black Manta
Are you serious? He really does chase ambulances? I always thought that was a joke! So how does he find time away from his "crusade" to take care of business?
@ Brer
Thank you for the link to the qoute from Zappa! It was quite enlightening. Have you considered e-mailing that to Wacky-Jacky? Might make him Shut Up!
"I find it ironic that the issue’s cover has both Jon Stewart and Stepehn Colbert on it, two guys who’d be more than happy to take JT to task."
Well I know Stewart's brought up the whole 'videogame violence in congress' debate (even giving one of the greatest quotes on it ever), but I'd really like to see Colbert take him to the mat, like that one guy's campaign ad (I don't live in the state it airs in, so I don't know his name offhand.)
But the most telling thing came at the end when they talked about his son (whom the mentioned owns a PSP and an Xbox 360). Before leaving for lacrosse camp, he tells him that he's not going to tell any of the other kids he's his dad. For an instant he seems disappointed, but then he says to Kushner, "I'm sorry for what my son has to go through, but I don't regret anything I've done." (note: quote related to the best of my memory)
So apparently, his son really is embarassed by him and does indeed get a lot of hell for it. All I could think was, "Way to go, douchebag. Sacrificing your son's self-esteem on the altar of your own crusade. Abraham and Isaac comes to mind." :\
Yeah, they did mention that little sting operation at Best Buy where his son (then 10, he's 14 now) went in to buy a game with JT "crouched behind the door with a video camera." Made the whole thing sound sleazy and dishonest. Which, really, it was.
I remember JT saying in a radio interview that his son was "a little clone" of himself. But this interview casts serious doubt on that, especially now with him being a teenager and wanting to make his own identity. And especially with him being a gamer. Like others have talked about, he's of a generation that grew up with video games and thus they aren't foreign or frightening to him like they probably are with his old man. With that groundwork laid down, and that teenagers are prone to argue with their parents, I can forsee some heated ideological arguments arising in the near future.
Yep. Things are going to get very interesting in the Thompson household!
Oh, and just how does he support himself? Well, it's not living off his wife like we thought. Apparently he pays his bills with run-of-the-mill medical malpractice suits (remember, that's his primary specialty). So this anti-video game and otherwise "cultural crusade" is kind if an extracurricular thing with him. I can now see why he compares himself to a superhero. "Jack Thompsom: Ambulance-chasing attorney by day, Bible-thumping cultural warrior for God by night!"
Interesting.... Is this the same son who a year or two ago was supposed to be fully supporting him? Has there been a change of heart? Or perhaps said support was a lie to begin with? I wouldn't be suprised if it was, the way he readily uses his own family is quite twisted.
* Thompson sees his crusading as combat. “Within the rules, you try to destroy your opponent,” he told Kushner.
[/quote]
Thompson is a closet gamer.
"i wrote a song about dental floss, nobodys teeth got any cleaner"
His son has only one childhood, and it's going to be one where he was ashamed of and manipulated by his father, he will have to carry that childhood with him for the rest of his life. Jack may be 'sorry', but he can never give his son back what he has taken away.
http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/p52.html
Sadly Jack, you may drive your own son away from Christianity with your little crusade, I hope that is really worth it to you.
If you nail him down, Jack CLAIMS all he wants is to keep games that are inappropriate for children out of their hands, and that's a pretty good idea (barring *completely informed* parental consent... oftentimes the problem with the M rating is a parent says "Of course my little Billy is mature enough for a GAME.") but occasionally through word or action, it slips through that Jack doesn't just want to keep little Billy from playing GTA... he wants to keep me from playing GTA.... he wants to stop GTA from existing so that nobody can play it. And he believes that he's on a mission from God to do so (leaving me and other Christians in the incredibly awkward position of saying "No, he's not with us.")
I agree the whole "don't fight back because you'll make him a martyr" approach simply isn't working. He needs to be nailed to the wall with his own lies.
Yes, I was surprised that Doug was quoted. He generally tries to pretend Thompson doesn't exist.
I call bullsh#t on that...
Since when has JT not avoided, bent or directly Violated LAWS in order to get what he wants? As in, lying in court about practically anything game-related, failing to provide Alabama the required material for Pro Hac Vice, contempt of court x 3 at the very least and so forth?
Still, it's nice to see Doug's statement crushing him. Finally shoving something back into that Jackhob's face.
(Thompson) has made it his life’s work to destroy the video game industry. Every time and every place he can, he turns up on the scene to exploit tragedy and get publicity for his agenda."
Yup, pretty much. He probably wouldn't even deny it. Just look at the latest Wrongful death suit he brought against Take-Two. The young man that killed his family was tortured and abused for years, and yet somehow Jack claims that video games did it.
For shame, John Bruce T, for shame.
As for Doug Lowenstein- his statement in RS pisses me off even more. He has done NOTHING to stop JT- even with all the lies, slander, threats, harrassment, etc. that make him an easy target to take down legally. Hell, Doug's statement is the MOST he has done in regards to JT ever.
Fire his ass and get someone with some BALLS and PRINCIPLES to run the ESA.
Anything JT says must be taken with a grain of salt- the man is a proven liar time and time again.
Well, that isn't entirely true. We do know the number one rule: If you oppose Jack Thompson you are evil and wrong.
(kidding about Tipper Gore)
Anyways, Jack has denied time and time again that he is out to destroy the video game industry, just to inform those who are unaware.
Only one though. He's still a tool.
Ironic, considering that Zappa helped cripple Tipper Gore's campaign against music.
By any chance, do you think he is sorry for mocking the people at that metal gear solid site when one of their members committed suicide? Is he sorry for his mendacious proposal promising 10 grand to charity he never followed through on? John Bruce has done some truly wicked things in his "crusade". But it is all justified in his mind, considering it is combat, and he can use any means to destroy his enemy.
Frank Zappa quotes that can link to/be used against Jack Thompson:
"Who you jivin' with that cosmic debris?"
"I'm the slime oozing out from your TV set."
"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."
"Help I'm a rock!"
"My best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: Keep him or her as far away from a church as you can."
God bless Frank Zappa. And Wikiquote. And my Dad's Best of Frank Zappa CD.
No joke.
What was the greatest Jon Stewart quote involving gaming? I must have missed it
The article said Thompson defends doctors who are being sued for medical malpractice . . . I think, I better re-read it.
And as mentioned before, I found the last 4-5 paragraphs about his son most interesting.
However, I think that what Jack just did, mentioning his son in the article, was one of his dumbest moves ever. Now we know he has a 14 year old son on the lacrosse team named Johnny Thompson who has a PSP and Xbox 360 and he denies he's JT's son. Jack just gave his son more unnecessary exposure and I really think he's more likely to get his ass kicked in school than ever before.