What happens when two of the biggest egos in games media sit back and discuss arguably the biggest release in videogame history? We’ll let you be the judge of that, as we welcome controversial defense attorney Jack Thompson to The Podcastle to discuss Grand Theft Auto with yours truly.
This week, we have a very short first half as the usual crew of Jim Sterling, Wardrox and Atheistium chat about Grand Theft Auto IV, and announce a special contest — simply use our Community Blogs and find an inventive way to mix the worlds of Jack Thompson and Grand Theft Auto together. Be it a short story, image, video, song or — my favorite — interpretive dance, the best four entries will receive redemption codes from Atheistium, allowing them to download Xbox Live GTA IV picture packs — for nothing!
Then we introduce the main event, as Jim Sterling speaks to Jack Thompson for the very first time. In this historic event, Jack Thompson actually makes good on his promise to appear on a videogames podcast. How do I manage to keep the volatile attorney on the phone for almost fifty minutes? How do I manage to get even a single word in edge ways? Did Jack Thompson confess that his son plays GTA? All these questions are for you to decide the answers for, but here are the highlights:
Jack Thompson thanked by a gamer? Jacko tells us why.
What is a “murder simulator?” Also, Jack’s expert is better than Jim’s expert, apparently.
Tom & Jerry needs to be less fun!
What was in Ted Bundy’s Xbox?
Jim tries to explain why Take-Two threatening Walmart is a ridiculous idea.
Jack tries to explain why Grand Theft Auto IV is illegal pornography.
Jack asks Jim to file an American lawsuit, even though he’s British.
Thompson is a gangsta rap expert.
At least Jim & Jack agree that IGN getting an exclusive review was rubbish.
Jack pushes for the final solution.
“Have I had my Wii Fix?”
Thompson’s terrifying vision of the future.
I really hope you enjoy the show, and that I did videogamers and Destructoid proud. I would also like to thank Jack Thompson for his time, despite the nature of his exit, and tip my hat at someone who, I must confess, was a pretty challenging arguer. As always, check out our Podcastle page to listen or download. Alternatively, we can be found on iTunes.
Enjoy.
The Podcastle episode 11:
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60 Responses to “The Podcastle episode 11: When Sterling met Thompson”
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May 1st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
“If you keep talking over me i don’t think the audience is gonna hear both of us”
So awesome.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I can’t wait to give it a listen! This is definitely gonna be the most popular PC to date I think…Now do I listen OVER the mayhem in GTA 4, or do I wait to play after I listen?
May 1st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Ocified-Xboxer, add it to your GTA custom radio
May 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pm
No wonder people hate this man. Jim, you kept it professional even when he was rambling off topic. i lauphed my ass off when you used his own saying against him. Awesome job on getting him to say “99.999% of people that play grand theft auto dont kill people” you won right there. I give you major props for that.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
It seems like towards the end, Jack was getting angry and desperate trying to talk over Jim to the point where he could not make a simple point that would contradict him.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:24 pm
The problem clearly lies with the American legal system & their lack of a legally enforceable age rating system for video games like we have here in the UK, it’s not a problem with the retailers or the publishers.
While I see on a basic level how shooting targets in game that represent people might make you think about acts of violence you wouldn’t do, they in no way train you to kill real people. I think such a point would be much more valid if they were applied to a light gun shooter which actually puts a replica run in your hand, in fact you could apply that to a number of Nintendo Wii games which are targeted at children.
The video game industry has matured along with its consumers, it’s not the childish cartoon-like form of entertainment the older generations believe it is. It was inevitable for some games to contain mature content similar to television & movies and they should be rated in exactly the same way.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Grrrr!
That was really starting to get to me how it was fine for jack to interrupt jim but god forbid jim interrupted him. christ, that was really pathetic.
Shame as otherwise it was a pretty level headed talk.
i do get the feeling its not really about selling to minors and realistically jack wants all violent games off the market.
lets hope his track record continues…
May 1st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Amazing work Jim, I still have a man-boner for you dude. Jack Thompson got fucking clowned, epic.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Jeez man,
I don’t know how you kept your calm in this discussion. Jack Thompson was being insanely hypocritical in his argument- fucker never allowed you to speak.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:35 pm
loved it guys it was a good interview, but really the man is a moron, i live in alabama and work at gamestop, we card everyone and let the parent know. Hey jim i’d love to have you on my podcast sometime email me, genejoke13666@yahoo.com
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 am
Holy crap.
That was awesome.
Fucking awesome.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:06 am
I applaud you, Jim Sterling. A great interview that really showed us all how stupid and uneducated Jack Thompson is. He won’t rest until video games are banned and polygamy is once again legal in neck of the woods.
I must say that Podcastle has become one of my favourite podcasts to listen to and is the best podcast in the Destructoid family, no lies. Keep up the good work and I hope to hear you guys on a weekly basis.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 am
I must add that GTA IV is great but I do agree with you on the graphics and game play faults. The game should not be rated a full 10/10 by so many prominent magazines and journalists because then it’s not fair to other games that will truly deserve a higher score in the near future. The game should be rated 8.5 or 9 out of 10 overall. Amazing game but not perfect.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:33 am
On and on and on and Ariston.
He talks more than my four year old daughter, and she talks alot, he also talks more shit than she talks, and she talks alot of shit
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 am
Just finished the Podcast.
I have been a gamer for about 16 years now. I am 23 years old and I can say that some of the games I played back in the days, were not age appropiate. So this might come as a surprise, but I definitly take the same position as Jack Thompson.
A whole bunch of games, being sold and advertised are not appropiate for kids. GTa IV should NOT be sold to kids.
Now the big BUT: … hehe big but…. ermm. Well: I think this is a problem that has to be adressed by the LAW! As Jim mentioned, selling a mature rated game in the EU ( I’m from Germany) to a kid, is punishable by law. Games that are too brutal in Germany get “indexed”, meaning they can only be sold in an “age restricted area” you can only enter if you’re 18 years or older. These games also aren’t allowed to be advertised in ANY public media.
Having played other GTA titles (don’t own a next-gen console…yet), I also do say that GTA isn’t appropiate for kids.
Now we ALL know, Jack Thompson is a lawyer. And as such you got to exaggerate certain things to build a case. So instead of saying: “Shouldn’t be sold to kids.” (And getting support by mature gamers around the globe) he is trying to make a hazardous “Killing-Simulator” out of it, filled with pornography and criminal energy that make you commit adultery and felonies right away.
If you ask me: GTaIV is as dangerous and violent as a “Die Hard” movie. In the end it’s up to parents to make sure their kids don’t get their hands on either on of them.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 am
Also, Thompson might want to try and copy down a copy of EDGE 178 (an old issue admittedly) and read their article on the Virtual Reality Simulators that the army used that they let Games Journos test, theres a world of difference between something such as GTA/Call of Duty/Halo or even America’s Army and what the British Army, and no doubt the US Army use.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:07 am
Good job Jim. Damn that guy is intolerable.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:11 am
Oh, oh, “Final Solution” wasn’t that one of Hitller and the Nazi Party’s idea’s that led to the Second World War?
Podcastle in Jack Thompson = Hitler Exclusive!!!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 am
I Hate to say this but old Jacky boy’s not wrong. He’s going about making his point in entirely the wrong way, but stopping kids getting 18 rated games aint so bad. Clearly he should not be focusing on individual incidents and be putting his efforts towards organising some kind of regulation board. But if you’re going to argue with a experienced lawyer you gonna have to make valued points instead of desperately saying anything you can to piss him off. I mean you made the man look good!?
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 am
Oh oh oh, I want to listen to Podcastle episode 1 but can’t find a link anywhere (the page for it doesn’t actually include the podcast and it links to the big list here but starts at Episode 2). Can anyone help?
(PS: Why did I get this “I’m sorry, our Spam Ninja has punched you in the mouth (your comment was moderated). Maybe try again with less links or pornish words? ” I didn’t swear at all!)
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:22 am
First listen to a podcast, and i enjoyed it, even though i live in the states. Jim bravo to you for your attempt to have an intelligent discussion from both sides of the fence. I don’t know how you didn’t break down and call him a miserable cunt. He does a good job trying to keep control of the conversation to make his points, what a jackass.
Also, if it’s true, gamers who call and threaten to kill him are idiots, your making the rest of us look bad.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:15 am
This started off pretty good and I thought that maybe there’d finally be an argument-driven debate between mr. thompson and a representative of the gamer commmunity, but it seems that was too much to hope for.
Once again thompson refuses to let anybody other than himself talk; constantly uses names of victims and incidents (to make people who debate him seem like they’re defending the slaughter of innocent people) and changes the topic when he has to defend his position in the slightest.
The problem is that people like JT don’t particulary care about being wrong or right (as his total refusal to listen to any argument that doesn’t support his cause demonstrates) because all he’s interested in is shifting the blame. That’s pretty much what laywers do anyway; to shift the responsibility of a crime to the other guy.
I’m done hoping that idiots like JT will see reason, and should point out that the people sending him death threats are in the same category as far as I’m concerned.
Video games, just like pinball machines, rock music and movies before them will be attacked by loud-mouthed dicks who do it for personal gain or sincere belief that people are ticking time bombs who are ready to rape, murder & pillage just as soon as they’re exposed to the right kind of evil mind-programming media until the generation that grows up with that particular type of entertainment matures and takes its place in society.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 am
It sounded to me that Jack wasn’t really interested in having a conversation. He seemed content to throw the same old rhetoric he’s been spewing for years (GTA IS BAD WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN etc etc). Also, i found the condescending nature of most of his comments rather insulting and pretty humerous. The fact that he’s sat with murderers on death row and Jim hasn’t does not make Jack the absolute authority on what drives somebody to kill another human, although it sounds like he likes to thin so.
I kinda noticed that Jack approached every question as if he was in a courtroom, which i suppose he cant really be faulted for (being a lawyer and all), but zealous defence of a cause doesn’t work well when applied to a debate.
Anyway, good ep. Will listen to more for sure.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 am
Seriously jack. I know you’ll read this, you intterupted Jim way more than he interupted you. You push you own agenda but you’re still the laughing stock of the judicial world. Good luck getting work its your stupid kind that give christians a bad name.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 am
It’s funny that Jack Thompson only wants kids to be GTA-free… which everyone who calls themselves a gamer can agree with. The problem is that he’s being such a cunt about it. He thinks there’s a conspiracy to sell games to minors concocted directly by Rockstar and Take 2.
If he were to just come back down to Earth a little bit, focus directly on the retailers where the problem truly lies — or try to help create legislation that prevents retailers from selling to minors — then I think we’d have no problem with him, in fact, some like myself would even HELP HIM in his quest to keep M-rated games from kids.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
(Punched by Spam Ninja for dropping the C-bomb…)
It’s funny that Jack Thompson only wants kids to be GTA-free… which everyone who calls themselves a gamer can agree with. The problem is that he’s being such a dick about it. He thinks there’s a conspiracy to sell games to minors concocted directly by Rockstar and Take 2.
If he were to just come back down to Earth a little bit, focus directly on the retailers where the problem truly lies — or try to help create legislation that prevents retailers from selling to minors — then I think we’d have no problem with him, in fact, some like myself would even HELP HIM in his quest to keep M-rated games from kids.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:06 am
I don’t think Jack quite knew what the hell he was talking about, who he was talking to and came off as pushing his toys out of the pram near the end.
“Oh wah! I’m being intrupted when I myself have previously interupted, I’m going to disconect and tell mummy on you!”
Christ, what is that idiot playing at?
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Whoever was interviewing Thompson was awful. He asked the most ridiculous questions and tried to make points that didn’t make any sense at all. It was like he didn’t even understand the issues he was trying to debate with Thompson about.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 am
Wow. Jack isn’t even attempting to have a two sided debate. All this is is Jack spewing barely on-topic arguments and not letting the interviewer get a single word in!
“If you keep talking over me i don’t think the audience is gonna hear both of us” what a dick! If he’d shut up for half a second there would be no “talking over!”
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim….. Of course Jack Thompson doesn’t know anything about wii fit, he only goes after anything he know’s will get him media attention for being the spawn of the devil.
Oh and nice patience man how many curse words did you say in your head throughout that interview?
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Hey Jim,
I hate to say it but a lot of what Jack said makes sense. I’m Canadian, so I don’t know the full story, but if what Jack says is true: American kids can go into a store and buy a copy of an M rated game, then I agree that should stop.
As for his attitude and contour, he needs some manners classes. You were letting him speak, and he would often interrupt you. When you interrupted him, he would get pissed. Good job getting this interview
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
^^^ I contour = cantor
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Well done with the interview- you did an expert job of making him look like an idiot, All you had to do was keep quiet.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Sadly its a problem when you have a cause which does need addressing in america, but the person whos standing up for that is trying to overstrain the situation by adding propaganda on top of it while also coming across as subtle as Brian blessed saying ‘Look at me!’.
America DOES need a real version of the bbfc. but get ersb and the movie rating industry into one conglomerate, into some thing like ‘abec’ (American Board of Entertainment Classification).
Jack is right on the rating system in which case i think its more of a esrb fuck up by saying mature games are 17+ not 18+. somehow i dont think this arguement would exsist at least to the strength it is if that age rating was 1 year higher.
Though he did admit if he cant get his way with this, he’ll try going after the creators which is utter rubbish, mainly because we adults shouldnt be penalised for sad issues.
Unfortunately what happens in America does tend to ripple over into britain and we usually have to suffer in some respect, like the housing market situation recently.
Stores need to be held accountable not the makers of the entertainment being sold otherwise horror icons like michael myers wouldnt be doing what he does best scaring people senseless, and giving everyone a makeover… though thats just as scary just not in a pant wetting way.
The biggest mystery I’m finding is I havent heard many people disagree with the fact 18 rated material should be sold to 17’s or under. Britains society hasnt fallen apart from this method of regulating entertainment but it may have thanks to gordon brown but then hes only entertaining on headcases.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Niiice job mate! Had the most entertaining train ride I’ve had in a long time listening to this. In all fairness, I think I can understand his frame of mind more clearly now, but that doesn’t change the fact that his past actions have frankly been ridiculous, not to mention misdirected.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I applaud your patience Jim.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Bravo Jim, bravo.
Thanks for an excellent job, man. I could hear the temptation to tell the idiot to shut the fuck up in your voice, but you held the line and stayed professional. You did us proud, mate. This man is an embarrassment to the legal profession, and you made him sound like an uppity schoolgirl. Seriously, great work my friend.
God, let’s put this thing in front of a jury! Please. I mean it. Because the second the opposing point of view gets an airing, Mr. Thompson will start bleating about getting talked over (Despite the hours he’s had to spew forth his melodramatic, rambling rhetoric unhindered by fair means and foul), and resorting to personal insults before strutting out of the room in a consummately cunty funk, leaving the jury with absolutely no doubt of what a joke he is, and how much of their precious time he has wasted. Can’t he see how his attitude basically destroys the good points he does have to make re: the ratings system?
Note to Mr. Thompson (Because, being the inveterate attention junkie you are, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re actually reading this thing): Admit it. You have no interest in debate. You have no interest in hearing then perspective of others, and the notion of ‘context’ is completely foreign to you. You have your beliefs, that’s all you deem important, and your only concern is bleating them out with as little in the way of interruption as you can out-shout people into. That’s why you agreed to appear on what I’m sure you considered an insignificant little Internet show, created and consumed by the ‘trainee murderers’ you’ve created to have contempt for in your own image.
How sad for you this particular show had a host that was insolent enough to actually question you. Well you had your chance; you could’ve listened to Jim’s points and responded to them intelligently in front of a large audience of gamers who, incidentally, ALSO agree games with a mature rating should not be sold to minors. Unfortunately Jack, at the end of the day you didn’t have the intellect or humility to do so. You just wanted to talk, and when the other guy wanted to raise some points of his own you spat the dummy. Jesus man, and you’re meant to be an attorney?
How sad.
In closing, Mr. Thompson: Maybe YOU need a remedial class in the concept of intellectual debate. Because if you can’t handle one, SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH.
(OK, I know he can’t hear me. Just saying, like)
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 am
….
I love you Jim.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
That said, I have to applaud you for this.
Anyone who can stay calm with THAT, deserves my respect.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
What a wasted opportunity. So many chances to put Jack Thompson in his place and they were totally missed. The interviewer hadn’t done his homework and could have undermined a lot of what Jack was spouting. For example - WalMart wouldn’t sell GTA 4 “blind” - the ESRB make damn sure these days there’s explicit content in there. Also when Hot Coffee came about, Take Two’s shares took a tumble.
Jack Thompson appears very one-sided in his arguments. So many times he took over the so-called “interview” - it was more like a preaching sermon. Basically there’s several things at fault - parents are irresponsible and shouldn’t buy the game for their kids. I’ve known in the UK of parents taking their kids to the shop and buying the game.
Also, of course, the violent crime rates in the US have fallen because people are too busy being indoors playing GTA4. Oh, and people have a choice in the game. They’re not commanded to shoot Police. They don’t have to kill a hooker once they have had sex with her. You can escape the Police without shooting them.
Jack, if you’re reading this, I respect some of your points regarding not selling to minors, but your frankly offensive and aggressive tone towards the rather tame interviewer hasn’t really solved anything except made you out to be more of an ranting lunatic than usual.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I tried to make a valid point then and was punched in the mouth by your spam ninja.
Cheers for that. Free speech rules.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Urban Renewal Simulator. LAWL.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Hi Jim Sterling, you were excellent on the podcast but jack thompson was out of control. Jack could not stop talking, he kept going on that i had to unplug my head phones because it was bad information given. I bet he has never finished any stories in all grand theft auto franchise. When I play gta and get 3 or 5 stars i have to run my ass away from the cops before i get hurt in game. the cops in the are bit scary to get away. gta does not make anyone a killer or threating person. Adults too play video games. I play gta for the story just as godfather and popular mafia ( pulp fiction) are good stories from a person movie perspective. in gta i don’t i have to shoot the innocent or hurt anyone unless they get in the way in-game. gta pornography does not make me feel arouse or sexualy active. to me pornography would be real hardcore sex such as real Naked intercourse with someone with emotions. but in a game it does feel real or make me feel anything. I to play other games and I have a nintendo wii with mario, rayman, house of dead, zelda. In real life i would not hurt anyone like in gta. I think i heard someone say how can i reload the weapon in which gta doesn’t have in it. It was terrible listening or hearing jack voice the whole time. I can’t believe he would not let you talk that much. ++would it make jack a killer for buying and playing a couple of gta games.++ People should know its for older people, I did not play the first gta until part 3 ( i beat the game). He never mention about rockstar tennis or the original or early gta games. Jack could of have stop gta part 1 but was not aware about which is weired to me. Maybe he will mention gta 2 someday or not. His facts are terrible. jack needs to get a life and take care of his family instead of wasting his kid life. Why doesn’t jack fix the iraq war issues or Guantanamo Bay. by the way “Marine Doom” is only intend for marines not any other army, navy, us airforce. plus in doom its not an accurate way to shoot. you cant really shoot upward or downward it just shoot the monster. jack needs go on a family vacation instead or get lost in the dessert or jungle.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
How’s this for an argument, paint ball is a more realistic murder simulator than any video game ever could be. You’re shooting at real people with a gun and its ammunition which can cause pain and permanent injury unless you’re properly protected.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:15 am
I dont get it, I get carded whenever I buy a Mature game. Im 17 and when I was 16 I couldnt buy a mature game at walmart, target, gamestop without someone of age. BTW I live in the U.S.
edit…I kept listening and heard he considers 17 minors (which they are) but its not Take Twos fault ESRB allows it, and im sure they dont care. Every mature game is allowed to be sold to 17+ not just take two games.
**drunk-ste, thats a really good point, paintball is alot more of a “murder simulater” than a 3rd person game with auto aim, auto reload. I wouldnt even know how to load a pistol correctly yet and ive been training to be a murderer for years according to Jack.
And now he says its some how take twos fault a store clerk sells it to a minor.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Monkey!
May 5th, 2008 at 8:12 am
great interview. i was irritated at his constant interruption / complaining about being interrupted. i lol’d when jim said “what did you do?” at the end, when talking about being in the cell with the inmates.
the problem i see is that jack does not attack R rated movies, yet the video game industry is the bad guy. for those of you who dont know — selling R rated movies to minors is in fact legal in this country (the US), but retailers do not do it because it is a self governed industry (like the video game industry). 5 years ago, when i was 15, i was able to buy more R rated movies than M rated games. why? because INDIVIDUALS did not card. it wasnt the movie makers or game makers fault. and believe me, there was no tricking these people — i looked like a was friggin 12 years old (i still get carded for R movies at the theater). last time i bought a game, i got carded. the problem lies with individual retailers and workers who dont think it is a big deal to card. from there, it is the responsibility of parents to educate themselves about the games and decide whether or not to restrict games.
when i was 8 years old, i saw the movie aliens. my parents let me watch it. however, they wouldnt let me watch other R rated movies. why is it so hard for other parents to do the same with video games?
that being said, jack thompson is not necessarily that bad of a person. i think he is just really misguided. i really do think he has the best in mind for kids, but ultimately, if an actual government-enforced rating system is put into place, it will ruin a lot of the great innovation the game industry has had. violence will stop being more realistic. “Adults only” is a mark of death (same as NC-17). right now, the way the games are rated is perfectly fine. gta should be rated M. shouldnt go to kids, but shouldnt be AO.
and there is nothing pornographic. how can it be pornographic if there is no nudity?
May 5th, 2008 at 8:15 am
not sure why i got “moderated”? i did not curse or use any offensive language. no links either. but in any case — sorry about that, whatever it was.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Jim, I do have to say that up untill the point where you got Jack flustered he was actually making some good points, (impressionable 6yrold plays GTA, now he thinks killing is ok). Noone (besides maby Jack) is saying that ADULTS that are mature shouldnt play it or teens whos parents feel their kids are mature enough to handle it, shouldnt play a game, but somone needs to teach Jack + cohorts that its not his job to be the watchdog, its time for parents to actually guess what…. PARENT. If parents do their job and keep this game out of the hands of impressionable children then theres no problem. If the parents fail at their most important job (to protect and raise their children) then lets actually tryout a novel idea, blame the parents, its not Rockstar games or Take two’s fault that you were too lazy to raise you little peice of turd and then he went out and shot up a minimall.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:47 am
That had to be a major endurance test, Jim. The Douche-o-meter was reading off the scale…
May 7th, 2008 at 2:45 am
“I can’t kill anyone without auto-aim”. Genius.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
You are a man of infinite patience Jim Sterling.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:43 am
After listening to this, i think that Jack has the right idea. But he is going about it completely the wrong way! Here in the UK, we do have a good system, i think that the US should take up our rating system. But as for jack thinking that the developers and publishers should get punished for retailers not doing there job is just crazy!
May 8th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Freddie…
Do you really believe what you write?…
May 9th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Hi Jim,
I think you did well to hold your own against Jack Thompson - even though everyone thinks he’s a dumb douche he’s actually a shrewd debater and an experienced speaker… so well done! Hats off to you sir
May 12th, 2008 at 3:59 am
This guy makes me angry. Though I guess I’m not alone. =P
May 21st, 2008 at 7:38 pm
By Thompson’s definition, not all pornography is obscene, and something deemed not obscene cannot be restricted. And even if GTA was, under the Miller Test, found to be obscene there is no legal recourse for Take Two. The ESRB placed the voluntary M on the game, which states that 17 year olds, like myself, are allowed to purchase said game. (By the way, I have never once not been carded for a game, but I got into Rambo unchecked. =/)
So Thompson’s unnamed law enforcement agencies are going to do one of two things; they will either throw his requests in the trash, or throw his requests in the trash and laugh.
There are approximately 17,000 homicides in the US per year. He’s maybe found 10 that can be kind of linked to games, by his opinion, in the past, let’s say 8 years. So the ratio is about 1:13600 over 8 years. I can garuantee at least 5,000 played an instrument at one time, so clearly instruments are more likely to cause murders.
Of course, the best thing about this is that he never once mentions his failures. He claims that he’s making headway, and the government is backing him up, but he’s never once won one of these cases. “His” Alabama case was never his, in fact he was thrown off of it. And, the number one, is his hints of leading these future campaigns in court, even though he’s about to be tried by the Florida BAR, currently found (Suggested) to be guilty on 27 of 31 misconduct charges.
I read, I do my homework, I exercise, I’m at the top of my class, and I love to play video games.
“Thank you Jim, I enjoyed it.” (Minus the sarcasm) For the record I totally would have lost my cool ten minutes in. I had a small conversation with him through email, and it took all my self-control not to respond to his insulting replies in kind. So bravo for keeping it together.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I don’t know why I keep listening to Jack Thompson interviews. I tried fast forwarding to hear Sterling say something. I’d keep jumping ahead over and over and there would be nothing but this jerk yammering on.
I hate him so much. I hate him so very much. It’s not because of the side he’s on, either. I would hate him even if he was in complete agreement with me. How can you listen to an exchange like this and not hate him?
Jack: There’s childhood obesity! Tell me, do you think video games help that situation? Do you?
Sterling: Well I suppose that depends on how many people have Wiis. Jack: Fees?
Sterling: Wiis.
Jack: Bees?
(It goes on like this and eventually he figures out Wii)
Jack: *Chuckle* *gaffaw* *scoff* Oh yeah like Wiis are really that energetic.
Sterling: Have you heard of Wii Fit?
Jack: Have I had my wee fixed?
Sterling: No, Wii Fit (It goes on like this until sterling gives up)
Sterling: Wii Fit is a fitness platform that’s entirely video game based that’s made a splash in Japan and they’re hoping to make inroads in the US.
Jack: Well … well… IS GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 ON WII?!
Sterling pauses.. astonished. Subjected to schoolyard logic that shocks even HIM.
Jack: The answer is no. *cocky* . o O ( I win. I’m so bad ass. )
You don’t even have to interview Jack anymore, just fill out this template.
What do you think of X.
Z is nice. Also video games video games. Also , therefore video games are bad. , so video games are bad. You know, I would go away and leave everyone alone if . (ad. nauseum)
Wait, what do you think of X–
I DIDN’T INTERRUPT YOU!
.. But, I only asked one ques–
IF YOU KEEP INTERRUPTING ME, YOUR LISTENERS WILL RECOGNIZE YOUR BIAS AND CHILDISHNESS!! YOU DON’T WANT THEM TO REALIZE YOU HAVE NO VALID POINTS!
But wait–
You wouldn’t take violent hardcore pornography in which someone is fisted until they bleed to death and show it to a 3 year old, would you?! THEN SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH.
There. Jack Thompson interview, and you didn’t need to actually involve that douche bag.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Hm.. I tried posting and the spam moderator got it.. also it seems to have stripped my stuff (Raw HTML?)
Anyway it was just me ranting about how much I hate this guy… so it was mostly catharsis. No one needs to read it anyway.
Here’s the key points. He converses asymmetrically, and becomes enraged if you don’t let him soliloquize his entire life’s story. He uses strawman arguments (’You wouldn’t show hardcore porno to a three year old would you?’). He mixes up causation and correlation. He has a myriad of factual errors about the video games he’s talking about. He uses some really weird logic. Stuff that, on its face, proves nothing. (’Kids sometimes give me death threats. I’m directly targeting them, calling them mentally incapable, trying to strip away something that gives them joy and is an expression of their maturity. I hope to put their parents in jail if they sell video games to someone under arbitrary age X. They should be giving me hugs and calling me uncle Jack!’)
June 17th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
JIM, JIM PLEASE, JIM… JIM, JIMBERLY, JIMOTHY, LET ME FINISH. PLEASE.
That’s all I took away from this.
On the other hand, I can rest easy knowing that Jack Thompson knows more about gangsta rap than Jim Sterling. OG, bitch!