Jack Thompson Update: Threatens Penny Arcade Staff, Family Group Blasts Tactics

[PittsburghAfterDark]

Jack Thompson is blasted by pro-family group

Rob Fahey 15:32 14/10/2005
National Institute on Media and the Family distances itself from vociferous lawyer

Florida attorney and anti-videogame campaigner Jack Thompson has come under fire from America's National Institute on Media and the Family for claiming to have the support of the group in his regular open letters.

The decision of the group to distance itself from the attorney and his headline-grabbing tactics comes despite the fact that like Thompson, the institute is a vocal critic of games such as Manhunt and 25 to Life for their violent content.

The institute's founder, Dr David Walsh, wrote an open letter to Thompson, a copy of which was obtained by US website Game Politics. The letter was also sent to the likes of senator Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates and Doug Lowenstein of the ESA - the same Doug Lowenstein whom Thompson has previously compared to Hitler.

It begins with Dr Walsh explaining that he established the institute ten years ago "to engage in research and education about the effects of media on children's health and development." Walsh writes that one of the areas of most concern to the institute is the effects of violent media.

"I know that you share that common concern and I am well aware that you have frequently cited me and our organisation as a source of scientific information," Walsh continues.

"However, over the past few months, I and members of my board 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.

"Your commentary has included extreme hyperbole and your tactics have included personally attacking individuals for whom I have a great deal of respect... Some of the people that you have publicly criticised are not only people of integrity, but are people who have worked to improve the lives of children."

Walsh goes on to note that Thompson has been using his name in correspondence even though they have no formal relationship, creating the impression "That we condone these tactics. We do not.

"The result is that our position and reputation as a research based, non-partisan, solution-focused organisation has been jeopardised.

"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." Walsh also requests that Thompson remove the link to the institute's website from his own site.

Walsh's letter comes just days after Thompson issued an open letter to the videogames industry in which he outlined his idea for a game where the CEO of fictional company Take This, Paula Eibel, is murdered along with her husband and children. Should any developer agree to make the game, Thompson will donate $10,000 to the charity of choice of Paul Eibeler, the CEO of Take Two.

Mike Krahulik, the artist behind popular gaming culture comic Penny-Arcade and a founder of the hugely successful Child's Play charity, contacted Thompson after he made this offer to point out that Child's Play has raised over half a million dollars for children's hospitals around the USA since its inception.

Commenting on Penny-Arcade.com, Krahulik reports that Thompson proceeded to call him directly - keen, no doubt, to congratulate such a successful fellow organiser of videogaming-related charity efforts.

Or perhaps not. "Jack actually just called and screamed at me for a couple minutes," Krahulik said. "He said if I email him again I will 'regret it'. What a violent man."
Link ( http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=12259)

Yes, it's the daily Jack Thompson update. I seriously wonder if he's under professional care for psychological issues, no I'm not kidding. I think this guy is seriously deranged and a megalomaniac. I also wonder if he's medicated and what kind of childhood he had.

[Quackzilla]

WTF? He is even stupider than I originally thought.

[Javery]

WTF? He is even stupider than I originally thought.

QFT.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

Letter, in its entirety, on gamepolitics.com. (http://www.gamepolitics.com/)

GP EXCLUSIVE: National Institute on Media & Family Disavows Jack Thompson

It appears that Jack Thompson's act is wearing thin lately, and not just among gamers.

GamePolitics has obtained a hard copy of a blistering letter faxed to the Miami attorney on Thursday by Dr. David Walsh of the National Institute on Media and the Family. (http://www.mediafamily.org/about/index.shtml)

Walsh has been a leading critic of video game violence, and stood beside Senator Hillary Clinton during her Hot Coffee press conference in July as Mrs. Clinton called for an FTC investigation into Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The two-page document sent by Walsh to Thompson reads as follows:

"Dear Mr. Thompson,

I founded the National Institute on Media and the Family ten years ago to engage in research and education about the effects of media on children's health and development. Our original premise that "media are powerful" has been validated scientifically and socially many times over. Our work has been cited by organizations around the world and our credibility has been well established.

One of the areas of greatest concern is the issue of violent media's effect on children. I know that you share that common concern and I am well aware that you have frequently cited me and our organization as a source of scientific information. However, over the past few months, I and members of my board 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.

Your commentary has included extreme hyperbole and your tactics have included personally attacking individuals for whom I have a great deal of respect. I believe that respect is essential in all our dealings, including respect for those with whom we disagree. Some of the people that you have publicly criticized are not only people of integrity, but are people who have worked to improve the lives of children.

Even though we have no formal relationship your use of my name and your inclusion of my name in correspondence have created the impression that we condone these tactics. We do not. The result is that our position and reputation as a research based, non-partisan, solution-focused organization has been jeopardized. 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.

Sincerely,

David Walsh, PH.D."

EDITOR'S NOTE: cc's listed on the letter include Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Sam Brownback and Rick Santorum; the governor and attorney general of Minnesota, Bill Gates, the CEO's of Target and Best Buy, Pat Vance of the ESRB, Doug Lowenstein of the ESA, as well as several other Minnesota political figures.

GP tried to reach Jack Thompson (pictured at left) for comment. However neither a phone message nor an e-mail was returned by press time.

UPDATE 10/14 8:30 A.M. Thompson acknowledges receiving the letter, and GP has received a pair of response letters from the controversial attorney to Dr. David Walsh. We will be publishing them.

Do note that MediaFamily.org, the group in question, is NOT interested in censorship of materials, banning titles etc. They merely want enforcement of ratings standards and to keep certain media out of kids hands using free market means to an end.

[Reality's Fringe]

I wonder what the long term ramifications of this guy will be?

[Tromack]

I wonder what the long term ramifications of this guy will be?

Of Jack Thompson? He's spent. He's done. That's not to say some other crackpot isn't going to fill the void, but his time is over.

[psiufoxx2]

Hah the institute from which he derived all of his "OMG DATA" just pwned Jack Thompson. Who wants to join me in a game of Manhunt and a beer? Eh?

[Javery]

What I want to do is find out if Jack Thompson is earning a decent living. I'd gladly quit my job here and become the anti-Thompson and crusade for the furtherance of violent video games if I could make a living at it. I'd get a copy of GTA in every kids hands by the end of the year... OK, not really but I'd happily give presentations or speeches advocating video games and the positive effects they have on society, etc. if someone showed me the money. 1 speech a month for $10,000 per and I'm sold.

[punqsux]

anyone making a jack thompson map on doom?

[Diiz]

The sheer mindless tenacity of this guy is amazing. It's hilarious to just watch him self destruct, since so much basis from his arguments were fabricated and exaggerated.

[SithFran]

How about going as Thompson for Halloween? Scare all the gamers out there.

[snotnose_colossal]

you guys should ckeck out wikipedia for Jack Thompson. Theres a bunch of articles of weird things hes done not even related to videogames. A judge once ordered him to have a psychiatric evaluation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_%28attorney%29

[punqsux]

How about going as Thompson for Halloween? Scare all the gamers out there.
more like have all the gamers go online and post "omfg wtf jack thompson tried to steal my candy LOLerbearz!!1"

[Kayden]

I thought this wing-nut was from Florida... why was the letter sent to a bunch of MN VIPs?

[Quackzilla]

He want's a game made, huh?

I can map in Source (Half-Life 2 engine), if there are any modellers and coders here on CAG we could make a "Kill Jack Thompson" mod.

[RedvsBlue]

So much for being opposed to the death penalty, I think I'll make an exception in this guy's case.

On a serious note now, the more outrageous and outlandish this guy gets, the more he compromises his original message. He HAS to realize that at this point he has basically burned up any credibility that he originally had.

[camoor]

Damn, this guy was the best thing that anti-censorship advocates had going.

[62t]

Check out PA today on how Gabe owned Jack

http://penny-arcade.com/

[Dr Mario Kart]

Our frothing demand for the defeat of this man increases

[FriskyTanuki]

Along with the PA story, this is just too good. :rofl:

http://penny-arcade.com/images/2005/20051014l.jpg

[Reality's Fringe]

This vile "challenge" Jack Thompson has put to the supposedly monolithic "game industry" is like a topographical map of the twisted fantasy realm he inhabits. I could excerpt it, but I don't want to be accused of selective editing. The reality is that what he suggests is grotesque. I mean that it is literally disgusting. Of course, the violent acts he's cobbled together here from other games are robbed of a narrative context in which they make sense. Killing Gamestop and EB employees, though? That's not metaphor. He's not being metaphorical. He is batshit fucking loco insane.

This is true.

[I D 10 T]

The idiot has now fired back:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6135846.html

(Since alot of people have my joke account blocked, someone copy and paste this plz).

This responce from Thompson was comedy genius. No really, he should be a comedian:

"Dr. Walsh's efforts are funded by Target and by a foundation run by Best Buy lawyer and Best Buy Director Elliot Kaplan," Thompson wrote, later adding, "I am suing Target and Best Buy over the Bully game, which both Target and Best Buy are pre-selling. You connect the dots."

[guardian_owl]

The idiot has now fired back:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6135846.html

(Since alot of people have my joke account blocked, someone copy and paste this plz).

This responce from Thompson was comedy genius. No really, he should be a comedian:

"Dr. Walsh's efforts are funded by Target and by a foundation run by Best Buy lawyer and Best Buy Director Elliot Kaplan," Thompson wrote, later adding, "I am suing Target and Best Buy over the Bully game, which both Target and Best Buy are pre-selling. You connect the dots."
No problem:

Earlier today, GamePolitics.com (http://www.gamepolitics.com/index.htm) broke the news that Jack Thompson, long known for his tireless efforts against controversial media from the 2 Live Crew to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, had been asked to stop invoking the name of the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF).

NIMF president David Walsh distanced himself and his group from the Florida attorney in an open letter to Thompson, writing, "Over the past few months, I and members of my board 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.

"Your commentary has included extreme hyperbole and your tactics have included personally attacking individuals for whom I have a great deal of respect."

Walsh then asked Thompson to stop using his or the group's name to give people the impression that the NIMF supports his efforts. He also asked Thompson to remove the NIMF Web site link from Thompson's own site.

Thompson, who has in the past made headlines for comparing Entertainment Software Association Douglas Lowenstein to Adolf Hitler, responded to Walsh's letter Friday in a letter sent to GameSpot, among others.

"Dr. Walsh's efforts are funded by Target and by a foundation run by Best Buy lawyer and Best Buy Director Elliot Kaplan," Thompson wrote, later adding, "I am suing Target and Best Buy over the Bully game, which both Target and Best Buy are pre-selling. You connect the dots."

Thompson also denied ever claiming that Walsh or the NIMF supported his actions. "The fact is, I have never suggested that Dr. Walsh approves of what I do," Thompson wrote. "I have countless times told people that I believe he is an expert about the dangers of video games. The mistake I made, apparently naively, is in thinking that a person of his expertise would use it actually to help some bereaved families rather than choose to protect his relationship with portions of the video game industry and its reckless retail network."

Walsh's decision to air his grievances in an open letter that was also sent to Kaplan, Target chairman Robert Ulrich, and Lowenstein drew particular criticism from Thompson.

"I am a Christian. As far as I know, Dr. Walsh is as well," Thompson wrote. "There is a very clear passage in the New Testament in which believers are admonished that if they have a problem with someone, to go to that person in private and try and work it out. He didn't do that. He did not want to do that. What he wanted to do, it seems is ingratiate himself with some of the folks that fund his organization, so that he will continue to be considered 'a responsible critic'--one who can be counted upon not to go too far with his criticism."

In closing, Thompson again lamented Walsh's actions. "A child psychologist who would give a heads up to Doug Lowenstein in such a matter without confronting me directly man-to-man is a person who has lost his way, in more ways than one. He is the latest casualty in an escalating war started by a reckless industry whose socipathic [sic] poster child is [Take-Two Interactive president] Paul Eibeler. Dr. Walsh has now cast his [lot] and his efforts, whether wittingly or unwittingly, with him."

By Brendan Sinclair -- GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/)

[anomynous]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/cool1337/gamerswin.jpg

[cletus]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php?date=2005-10-17#2834

It was only a matter of time until a mod team took Jack Thompson's disgusting revenge fantasy and made it flesh - and, just as I suggested, it was deemed insufficient.

Thompson now claims that his repellent suggestion was "satire," and we must conclude that his financial offer was also satire, some new breed of satire apparently that I'm sure is just hilarious to people in need.

You know what, Jack? We're going to be the men you're not. You said that your insulting, illusory ten thousand dollars would go to the charity of Paul Eibeler's choice. We've got a good guess that he'd direct your nonexistant largesse toward The Entertainment Software Association Foundation, a body that has raised over six point seven million dollars over the last eight years. We've just made the donation you never would, and never meant to. Ten thousand dollars' worth. And we made it in your name.

(CW)TB

That guy is losing credibility by the second.