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Jack Thompson DESTROYS BioShock ... oh wait ... no he doesn't photo

Last week, Jack Thompson promised "big trouble" for the eagerly awaited BioShock. While I felt dirty that such a beautiful game was being uttered from the filthy mouth of the silver haired panty-buncher, I patiently waited for this trouble, wondering what it was that Jumpin' Jack Twat had up his sleeve. Now the time has come and BioShock's ultimate doom has been decided ...

Jack Thompson ... WROTE AN ANGRY LITTLE LETTER! OH NO!

For some undisclosed reason, Jack Thompson was watching World Wrestling Entertainment's Smackdown and spotted the classy BioShock commercial that's been airing. Sensing some straws to clutch at, Darth Thompson has written one of his classic little love notes to Take-Two, whining about how people under 17 like wrestling, so this means BioShock and all its terrible violence is being marketed to them. Jacky baby, take it from me, this is one of the most desperate things you've ever done in your quest for relevance. Ever.

Hit the jump for more, including Jack's latest rant in full.

[Thanks to TheGoldenDonut]

Take-Two… is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids under 17 years of age… On this Friday’s night’s 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE’s wrestling program “Smackdown,” there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game’s Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock…

A check of the demographics of the audience of that program reveals that teens under 17 years of age watch that program in huge numbers…

Remarkably, the video game industry is running ads for games like BioShock on teen-intensive television programs while at the same time its industry-captured “watchdog,” the ESRB, is running a self-congratulatory ad campaign to assure parents that the video game ratings system is working and that the industry can be trusted not to target their kids with these Mature-rated games.  It is all a lie, as the BioShock ads prove.

This rampant fraudulent trade practice is precisely what “Big Tobacco” did with its “Joe Camel” and other teen-targeting ads, while at the same time lying to Congress that it was not marketing its adult product to kids.

Even when watching half naked men wrestling around on a canvas mat, Jack Thompson can't stop himself from thinking about children. On a 'serious' note, this newest spectacle has clearly shown that there is no low he won't sink to in order to get his attention. It's attention I'll gladly give him as well, because he's free comedy at this point and there is no greater entertainment than watching a bitter old man make a complete fool of himself. Thompson feels a little less insecure about his lack of significance, the videogames get more exposure and we get to laugh. Everybody wins!

The game in question, on its way to becoming the most critically acclaimed interactive masterpiece of all time, is being released on Tuesday and there is nothing he can do about it. It will be played, it will be loved, and children WILL experience it ... but not because Take-Two sold it to them. Of course, we all know that, but we'll be too busy having fun to stomp our feet and whine about something so pointless. That's the job of this old wanker. Also, when did showing a TV spot classify as aggression? Thompson, you are utterly pathetic.

Now who's Jack's favorite wrestler? I think it's Randy Orton, since they both look like they've done some terrible things with dates and a glass of wine.


Continue: More Utterly pathetic stories





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97 comments | showing # 51 to 97

Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 14:25
Mxyzptlk
Awesome, I'm sure Take Two appreciates the free press from JT.
DannyBoy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 14:27
DannyBoy
ZombieEmily:

He is currently facing disciplinary proceedings with the Florida Bar, but as of now he's still licensed to practice law. In 2005 he lost pro hac vice admission in Alabama (permission for an out-of-state attorney to practice in that state) for a wrongful death case involving GTA.
Arro's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 14:27
Arro
Because video games are as bad to your health as cigarettes...

Yeah...good one Thompson...

Almost laughed there...
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 14:32
comradetrotskii
I'm with Jack on this one, an advert for a mature/18 rated game probably shouldn't be aired during a show with a large proportion of teenage and children viewers. Can anyone tell me what time Smackdown airs.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 14:55
Jim Sterling
comradetrotskii: Surely then, the network is to blame, not Take-Two and the ESRB?
LordRegulus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:04
LordRegulus
[i]Jack Thompson, from the bottom of my heart. Please die, perish, hang, and by any and all means, DROP THE FUCK DEAD you worthless left over fuck hole used by 8 foot tall prison inmates. In case you read this and didn't catch my drift, I personally wish endless hours of pain and suffering upon your disruptive media whoring ass.

Why doesn't a Big Daddy shove a drill up his ass.[/i]

[b]Okay, guys? The death threats?

NOT HELPING.[/b]
LordRegulus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:06
LordRegulus
And apparently BBCode doesn't help much either...

Regardless, could we chill out for a few seconds and not give the man even MORE reason to think we're a pack of psychotic philistines?
Ghoulunatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:09
Ghoulunatic
@ LordRegulus:

YEAH! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!
LordRegulus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:18
LordRegulus
Jesus. I just realized that without any ACTUAL italics, my above comment looks like I'm saying that demented crap myself rather than quoting peeps.

Nevertheless, telling people you want them to suffer heinous torture is probably not the best way to make them go away, y'hear?
DannyBoy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:25
DannyBoy
I'm Regulus on the death stuff. Thompson has showed several times he's incapable of distinguishing internet from real life, and has gone to the police several times apparently with similar comments. This is also what lead to his suit against Kotaku.
DannyBoy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:26
DannyBoy
Fuck... I'm with Regulus.
mikeohara's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:32
mikeohara
why's ol' shitdick mad now??
ghettosmurf's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:35
ghettosmurf
I wonder how many R-rated movies were previewed during the event - I hope he wrote to all those distributors too.
Geoff's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:41
Geoff
I called Jack Thompson up and he was a complete dick to me. So I e-mailed him and he was really dickish.

Jack: The "cut off time is 9:30?" Really, where is that written. Your rudeness has eclipsed what you attribute to me. I don't do term papers for people.

Me: Well, Mr. Thompson, I would appreciate it if you could tell me what your personal cutoff time is, so I don't have to keep guessing, though I doubt you will get very many calls from me any more. I do not believe I was rude whatsoever, but please tell me how else you believe I am being rude so I can learn from my mistakes. I want to make myself a better person, Mr. Thompson. And yes, I realize you don't do term papers for people, thank you for restating that. I believe since we are Christian followers, the Bible says we must forgive those who have wronged us, so I am asking you to forgive me for my rudeness. I respect you Mr. Thompson.

Jack: Thanks.

---

I got owned! T_T
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:44
comradetrotskii
I just noticed that it actually states in the 'letter' the programme was aired at 8pm. Reading skills FTW. I also just noticed Blaaguu's handy post indicating the viewer demographics and would hereby like to withdraw my support for Jack Thompson on this matter. My impression was that pro wrestling was much more popular among children and teens than adults like it appears to be here in the UK.

Jim: I'm not sure what the ESRBs involvement would be in advertising matters other than providing the rating for the game so I can't comment there.

If there was any blame to levelled though surely it would be shared among the network (for actually showing the advert) and Take Two (and/or whatever advertising agency is working on their behalf) for having the advert shown at that time. The network and Take Two (or their ad agency) will be fully aware of the demographics watching shows and both should have a duty to use advertising time appropriately and responsibly.
Lucca's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 15:50
Lucca
...Yeah. Whateva.

*ignores*
thisissami's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 16:03
thisissami
i'll just listen to layla...

good ol' derek and your dominoes!!!
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 16:05
Eschatos
If someones "mature" enough to watch WWE, then I'm sure they're "mature" enough to watch a bioshock commercial.
boxhound's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 16:08
boxhound
Jack Thompson + Random videogame = Ultimate LAWLS!!!!
joeisremy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 16:21
joeisremy
can someone please shove a dick in his mouth so he stops talking?
narcosis219's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 17:02
narcosis219
I saw commercials for tampons. I am now fully influenced to buy tampons for my 16 year old male body.
I saw a commercial for birthcontrol. I am now fully influenced to buy and take the advertised birthcontrol pills for my 16 year old male body.

By the way Jack, you should be smashing people with steel chairs, since watching anything violent WILL make you a violent person. Oh? You're saying you don't do that? Fucking hypocrite.
Trevor McGee's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 17:04
Trevor McGee
Jack is currently over at GamePolitics.com hinting/treating a lawsuit against them if they don't moderate what people have to say about him, haha. What a piece of trash.
plkrtn's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:00
plkrtn
I'm pretty sure he won't be hitting them with a law suit, unless he wants to end up on the wrongside of the Florida bar.
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:24
comradetrotskii
[i]I saw commercials for tampons. I am now fully influenced to buy tampons for my 16 year old male body.
I saw a commercial for birthcontrol. I am now fully influenced to buy and take the advertised birthcontrol pills for my 16 year old male body.[/i]

Come on, you are being fucking stupid.

Do you, as a sixteen year old male, want to purchase Bioshock?
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:29
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain
Dammit, why isn't everybody ignoring him yet? Jack Thompson is a fucking troll. A troll trying to make a career out being a troll. You can't debate him because he has the sagacity of a 12-year-old girl at a Britney Spears concert, and he's too much of a wuss to reply to anyone's well-written counterpoints.
Wargasmic's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:32
Wargasmic
I <3 Jack Thompson and the amusement he brings me.
BlackbeardonGuitar's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:44
BlackbeardonGuitar
This is where anyone sane responds to Jack with "and?"
Obviously they market on Smackdown, but so do horror movies, because we know only 40 year old couples go see Hostel 2 right.
Vos's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:46
Vos
@ joeisremy

I believe that the dick must be removed from his ass first.
Cyberxion's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:55
Cyberxion
"Come on, you are being fucking stupid."

No, he was being ironic. There's a difference.

Anyway, whether or not he wants to buy it, it's up to his parents and the clerks at his local video game store to make sure it doesn't fall into his hands, at least not without their consent.

See, that's where JT's argument apart. When you consider that no matter whether or not this was marketed towards kids (Which is ridiculous when you consider that it played during a violent program not particularly intended for children...), it's all in the hands of the parents to make sure that their kids aren't getting their hands on age-inappropriate materials.

Personal responsibility is great.
Brandon Undead's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 18:56
Brandon Undead
Jack Thompson is off my AIM friends list after this stunt!
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 19:11
comradetrotskii
Nah, I'm pretty sure he was being stupid.
str8raz0r's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 19:16
str8raz0r
The most delightful part about this is Jacko has sealed his death warrant w/ the Florida bar.

Jack agreed to not go after Rockstar as an agreement for them dropping a countersuit a few months back. Seeing as how Rockstar is a subsidiary of T2, wouldn't this same luxury apply to T2 as a parent company?

The Wendy's suit wasn't a direct attack against Rockstar/Take 2 (although Manhunt 2 was named specifically in his grievances with the Wii toys), but this is the same bullshit he was pulling before.

I'm sure this will be pulled, as R-Rated movies are advertised all the time during WWE shows (including the Kane-starring See No Evil, as it was a WWE Films production), and there have been no issues there. However, the legal recourse that Take 2 could seek could be devastating for Jack.

I, personally, welcome his latest action. He's standing on the chair with the noose around his neck, and Take 2 has definite reason to kick the chair.
blehman's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 19:27
blehman
Why are sites like this one still promoting JT's stupid meanderings about games. I think that if enough of us just ignore him, maybe he'll go crawl into his ignorance hole and die. Hopefully. If not, then maybe he'll realize that movies and music have just as much violence promotion in them too, so he'll leave us alone and go fuck up fighting against them too.
mikeohara's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 19:48
mikeohara
str8raz0r:

I completely agree with your comment man ... and I'm fully surprised that as a part of the agreement that was reached earlier this year that 2K Games wasn't named as a company that ol' shitdick could not go after. If there ever was a reason for Take Two to kick out the proverbial chair, this is definitely it.
Andrew5329's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 22:00
Andrew5329
Its hard to deny that his intentions at their most basic levels arent good, but however he seems to have most definitely taken this to an illogical level, its my personal opinion that Jack Thompson isn't just a guy with a dick shoved in his ass as an above post claimed, but rather I think he is afraid of us the gamer, that he has developed this notion that all gamers that expereriance violent content in a game, are programmed to repeat that violence in real life, the horrors of that violence he has personal experiance with as a lawyer, and as such he is afraid of us and that fear has lead to an illogical reaction such as that similar to a person suffering from a classic phobia. As someone on the D-toid site said a good while ago, as with any new form of entertainment there will always be some fear of that not understood by the older generation, be it rock and roll a few generations ago, or film before that, the principle is inevitably the same. To whoever read through this enormous block of text thanks for reading, and if it all makes any sense good, if not, oh well.
Stewball's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 22:52
Stewball
"take two/rockstar"

what the does he mean by that the game is being made by irrational games now known as 2k?
The Unbiased Voice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 22:52
The Unbiased Voice
For all of you with DVR's. I would like you to answer one question, I don't think has been brought up. How many R-rated movies were advertised during the same WWE broadcast. I personally lost interest in wrastling a long time ago but it seems to me he should be upset at any form of media that is advertised during the time his precious little someones could be watching.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 23:06
Jim Sterling
"Its hard to deny that his intentions at their most basic levels arent good"

Actually, the intentions he PRETENDS to have are good, if misguided.

His real intentions -- notoriety by any means -- are not so admirable.
Stewball's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 23:08
Stewball
oh nvm
ZMTToxics's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 23:53
ZMTToxics
Not to be a stickler or anything, I hate Jack The Fucking Asshole Thompson as much as the next guy, but I really think we the gamers are prolonging his reign of terror by reacting the way we do.

The real truth is we need to defend our positions and that parents and retailers really need to enforce ESRB etc etc. The other hand is, I think if we just ignored Jack that he would go away. If people stopped caring about every letter he wrote or dumb thing that came out of his mouth, he would stop getting the media press that he his keeping him alive in our sacred community.

I didnt even consider him (at all, let alone a problem) until this article was posted.
bumbuliuz's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/19/2007 23:56
bumbuliuz
Jackie rubs me the wrong way, I am thankfull that I dont live in the same country as that man. Amazing that he still tries to force Rockstar into every sentece he speaks. Rockstar has nothing to do with this game. It´s a Irrational game last time I checked. Jack has never been good with the facts.
ZMTToxics's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 00:02
ZMTToxics
Bumb, I love the fact you and i both ripped off vgcats for avatars.

*Highfive.
moclippa's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 06:05
moclippa
Bioshock advertises on a professional wrestling channel? People still watch professional wrestling? Jack Thompson watches professional wrestling??!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?1headxplodes..........
ShawnKelfonne's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 07:59
ShawnKelfonne
It just reminds me of Ned Flanders from an episode of the Simpsons that was on recently.

Rod: Daddy, what are you doing?
Ned Flanders: Imploring people I never met to pressure government with better things to do to punish a man who meant no harm for something nobody even saw, that's what I'm doing!
jerrt's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 09:29
jerrt
wow, so he saw the '2' in '2k' and thought 'take-two' made this game? am i missing something, or did he just totally drop the ball on this one? and he was watching wrestling? something fishy is going on.
Brandwag's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 11:01
Brandwag
I think the more attention we give this tosser the more his going to come back and do this sort of thing over and over. I mean really, who gives a flying fuck what this guy thinks?
Anduryl's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/20/2007 21:45
Anduryl
Professional Wrestling almost makes me ashamed of being a HS wrestler. I personally believe people who watch it really are a part of the Lowest Common Denominator for American Society.


Funny, why is JT watching it?
/sarcasm

@Little Burro
That's a common misconception. JT actually in favor of a nanny-state. Which is Far left. Damn neocons >.<
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