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Hal Halpin lends a hand in the Fox News pressure photo

With Cooper Lawrence having retracted the statements she made on Fox News' reckless Mass Effect sex "scandal," the channel has some egg to wipe from its metaphorical face, but so far has remained tight lipped and arrogantly unapologetic. EA's request for a retraction has been ignored, and it is now the turn of Hal Halpin, Entertainment Consumer Association president, to try and coax a shred of integrity from the "unbiased" network.

Writing to Live Desk producer Teri Van Horn, Halpin has very much followed in EA's footsteps, but uses the added ammunition of Lawrence's retraction to show the flimsy foundations that Fox's attack was built on:

On behalf of the [ECA], the national non-profit organization representing American video game consumers, I urge you to correct and repudiate the misstatements leveled by Fox News’ Live Desk regarding the story and character interactions in Mass Effect.

Your show’s reporting was irresponsible and incorrect.  Your own “expert” Cooper Lawrence has subsequently disclaimed her misstatements… In the future, we ask that you book real gamer and industry experts on your show…

ECA’s members are disturbed by your news organization’s apparent disregard of the truth in this instance.  We represent a diverse group that cuts across all ages, with the weightiest portion in the coveted 18 - 45 age group, and with women accounting for 38% of gamers. Over the past week, our members have mobilized to speak out and set the record straight on Mass Effect, and we ask the same of you.

As Fox continues to stick its fingers in its ears and scream "LALALALA," all I can do is giggle at how irrelevant Jack "please remember me" Thompson has become. Mr. Lawyer will have to step up his game if he wants to be a bigger douchebag than the Fox Network now.


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28 comments | showing # 1 to 28

Jaren Face's Avatar
Jaren Face at 01/28/2008 23:44
"Mr. Lawyer will have to step up his game if he wants to be a bigger douchebag than the Fox Network now."

I guess the fact that he sort of defended Mass Effect as well doesn't help huh.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 01/28/2008 23:48
Damn it ...

I should have wrote "a Halpin' Hand."


Damn it!
Namelessted's Avatar
Namelessted at 01/28/2008 23:49
Sterling, you can always change it.
Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 01/28/2008 23:49
To: Fox News
From: Fronz

Do a barrel roll!

Also, Fox.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 01/28/2008 23:52
JUSTICE
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 01/28/2008 23:53
Fox choosing not to apologize. Reflects just how the channel feels about video games. They think they're silly and childish and apologizing for this is ridiculous.
ThelolDranger's Avatar
ThelolDranger at 01/28/2008 23:53
You know, Jack Thompson apparently regularly posts on Gaming Today, Filefront's gaming news site. I mean, people imitate other people, but apparently it really is him. And you know what? He's a huge, huge dick. And he really thinks he's something special. Want to see an example of this? Check this out: http://news.filefront.com/virginia-tech-suicide-and-world-of-warcraft/#comment-93719

It's a short article, but there are a lot of comments. Even when presented with legitimate arguments, this asshole Mr. Thompson says things like "Tell your Libertarian fantasies to Ron Paul while you're both high on marijuana," without replying to a single point.

He makes me very mad.
Origim's Avatar
Origim at 01/28/2008 23:54
My guess is good old Jack didn’t see enough strength in coming out against the rampant sex in Mass Affect. Plus he’s still wetting is depends in anticipation of another GTA being released. If the other networks have any brains (and they don't) they'll avoid this type of mess in the future. Still I doubt Fox will retract anything.
ThelolDranger's Avatar
ThelolDranger at 01/28/2008 23:58
I COULD be wrong, if it isn't him, it's someone who's an even bigger dick than the man himself!
MonkeyKombat's Avatar
MonkeyKombat at 01/28/2008 23:59
I doubt Fox will ever apologize.
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 01/29/2008 00:06
Jim if only you knew how much that picture made me lawl with glee. If only you knew.
CaffeinePowered's Avatar
CaffeinePowered at 01/29/2008 00:06
Faux news is gonna have to try a somersault if they want to get out of this one
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 01/29/2008 00:20
Fox News...ah, how sad you are.
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 01/29/2008 00:24
Yes, that fox rules!

Good job, Mr. Halpin.
Azereki's Avatar
Azereki at 01/29/2008 01:13
Great to see people finally stepping up against the blatantly obvious bias that major news conglomerates and mainstream media outlets have against the game industry. Don't even get me started on the sheer ignorance these so-called "professionals" display when they speak about games.

They are so far out of touch with what is really going on and have their heads so far up their own asses I don't think they will ever truly live in our reality. I think I would be hard pressed to be more disgusted by how cool these people think they are when they bash games.

Cooper's condescending laugh when she said she hadn't played Mass Effect sealed the deal for me. It's almost as if knowing less about video games actually makes them a superior and more mature human being.

Seriously, are females like her and the other news anchor what the cheerleaders and other pretentious snooty chicks from high school grow up to become? You know, the ones that hated on nerds and only dated football players in high school because it was cool?

News flash for them, almost everyone plays video games in one form or another now. It's not really funny to act ignorant and insult those who have interests that are not your own. They must be making asses out of themselves as they struggle to stay relevant, like the attention whores they always have been. It's the only answer I can think of. Dramatic attention whoring, plain and simple.
Knives's Avatar
Knives at 01/29/2008 01:25
Jack is saving his energy for GTA IV and besides, EA and/or Bioware don't have the bad reputation that Rockstar already has for "murder simulators", JT would have to build up another bad guy and he won't do that with his white whale in-sight.

Anyway, glad to see Fox receive more pressure, I think MS should also say something.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 01/29/2008 01:25
Harsgault's Avatar
Harsgault at 01/29/2008 01:25
I have to admit I was a touch surprised to see this story up. As hours ago today with Fox News on in the background, an apology letter and a whole lot of eating crow was done there on this subject.

As well, how was EA's request for a retraction ignored when. . the comments were. . you know. . retracted? This confuses me some.
Azereki's Avatar
Azereki at 01/29/2008 02:01
Sessler's response, if you can get the video to load.
Im OK's Avatar
Im OK at 01/29/2008 02:31
In before Grimlock's latest sock puppet.

@Sharpless

To: Jack
From: Brian
I'm surprised you haven't been looking into Mass Effect.
http://kotaku.com/348692/ea-fighting-mad-about-fox-news-but-still-no-correction?cpage=2#viewcomments

To: Brian
From: Jack
Why would you be surprised. I don't see any problem with it. The guy who shot his mouth off about it had no idea what the Hell he was talking about.

To: Jack
From: Brian
You mean you're OK with mass effect?

To: Brian
From: Jack
Of course. This contrived controversy is absolutely ridiculous. Report that, why don't you?

All of that, coming out of Jack Thompson's mouth, is pure gold. The parts about the "guy shooting his mouth off" and "had no idea what the Hell he was talking about" were hilarious. Also epic were the choice phrases about "contrived controversy" and how it was "absolutely ridiculous". Ah good ol' Jackhole, that was about a clean an example of blatant hypocrisy as I could have ever hoped to see in my lifetime.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 01/29/2008 04:04
It's a shame that by this point, Fox has shown that they could care less about making a correction.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 01/29/2008 05:02
I absolutely love that fox news has trademarked "fair and balanced". I swear, that network is like one big self-satire.
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 01/29/2008 05:36
Noah's Avatar
Noah at 01/29/2008 07:33
38%...really!?
foxhound009's Avatar
foxhound009 at 01/29/2008 07:45
^^^ this FOX doesn't suck either...

they'll have to put some kind of pressure on them....

Kiss it..
huh?.
apologize.... kiss it..

:P
KamikazeTutor's Avatar
KamikazeTutor at 01/29/2008 09:51
While I don't like the type of menacing attitude Jack Thompson has to other people, it was always of my opinion that his anger is just miss-guided.

Of course, he sees that blaming companies rather than the parents is easier than the other way around.
stevenjazz787's Avatar
stevenjazz787 at 01/29/2008 10:05
Er... to defend Jack. He has been consistent. He says he doesn't like any violence or sex in games, but goes after the worst (read:best) ones, usually. The choice of game has hinged on what goes beyond acceptible violence on TV and whether the game let's the player do something morally wrong (in Jack's mind).

Usually the glorification of violence, acts of violence against innocent people, or over the top realistic violence.

I still think he is crazy, but he has been consistent and, legally speaking, only the last couple years have been ethically questionable.
Im OK's Avatar
Im OK at 01/29/2008 15:51
@stevenjazz787

Yeah, he goes after GTA and whatever, and they're the "worst" offenders, but...

He also went after The Sims 2, claiming it had crazy uncensored full nudity. He went after Halo, claiming it was a sniper trainer. Jack Thompson is not, in any way shape or form, in a good position to be criticizing these people who went after Mass Effect.
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