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In a surprisingly well-done interview, Jack Thompson gets his ass handed to him by a Nightline correspondent. Some highlights after the jump, but my personal favorite moment must be on the home page, as Jack talks about his perseverence in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds:

JACK: "The most favorite story in the Bible is David and Goliath."

REPORTER: "...But you know how that story ended. He knocked him down with a slingshot [Bully ftw] and beheaded Goliath. If there was a David and Goliath video game, would you be fine with that?" 

JACK: "I wouldn't want my son, hour after hour, practicing violence."  

Another legitimate question successfully dodged! Looks like Jack's been upping his Verbal Agility level. Discuss after the jump.

 

"Nobody in their right mind says that a videogame or a movie can turn their little angel into a demon."

Really? Then what are you complaining about?

He then goes on to reference Harvard studies using MRI machines that say playing videogames activates your midbrain ("the animal part of the brain," according to Jack), before drawing the absurd conclusion that since part of your brain is active during this activity, that you are actually "learning" how to kill. Ignoring, of course, the fact that the midbrain is responsible for visual system reflexes, auditory system function, and normal motor function. Which are kind of, you know, the parts of your brain that you USE to play video games. Maybe THAT's why the midbrain becomes overactive, and not because your subconscious is learning some sort of murder method?

And how does Jack respond to the fact that since 1994, as the sales of violent video games has risen, violent crime amongst teenagers has steadily decreased?

"It's not true."

Two points for Jack! You and Bill O'Reilly should start a debate team or something.

Granted, most of the discussions would consist of everyone holding their fingers in their ears and going "LALALA, I can't hear you," but that isn't to say it wouldn't be entertaining as hell.

Anyway, it's really nice to see the mainstream media asking him questions that we gamers have been asking since the beginning, instead of mindlessly giving credence to his complaints like all the other news outlets on Earth.


Continue: More Jack Thompson stories





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29 comments | showing # 1 to 29

Toneman's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 14:59
Toneman
Why does he have a Star of David on his Christmas tree?
demonelite's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:10
demonelite
Man I love to hate Jack Thompson.
Toneman's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:11
Toneman
You learn something new everyday :D
Topher Cantler's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:17
Topher Cantler
Haha, Pwned.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:21
Holyetheline
Wow Jack got owned. Hell yeah.
Petrie's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:23
Petrie
I was incredibly impressed with how well that reporter took it to Thompson instead of just allowing him to spout things with no factual base. Typically these reporters would spin gaming in a negative light to help spur fear-based ratings. It's nice to see games defended with some intelligence on a mainstream media.
fin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:26
fin
I love the face of the reporter as he plays the game; you know he was having fun.
Buster's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:39
Buster
"the experts I talked to...."

this guy is retarded, also you know, the experts IIIII talked to said that jack thompson eats through his ass and craps through his mouth, it has to be true, cuase the experts i talked to said it.
Pistolaero's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:50
Pistolaero
I hate that fucker. He's so ass-backward.
Vorin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:53
Vorin
I agree with Jack Thompson, at the end we should, "Never, never, never, never give in" *cough* "to Jack's bullshit" *cough*
Vigor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 15:58
Vigor
Yo when does his game come out it looks funny haha...
gamehunter101's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 16:03
gamehunter101
jack can suck on all those wiis and burn on the ps3 heat sinks
deanhatescoffee's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 16:26
deanhatescoffee
That report was awesome! Bill Weir FTW!
LeeMon's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 17:09
LeeMon
Vigor: Here, play it yourself:
http://dollidol.com/ImOK/

Or watch someone go through the whole thing:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5647661917350346117
galagabug 's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 17:18
galagabug
i hear jack thompson's car is powered by his own self importance.
Jecrell's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 18:07
Jecrell
Jack is an idiot. The problem is that there are actually people who agree with him.

Now we must use your knowledge gained from video games on how to kill to eliminate these ... rashes on our gaming society.
Vigor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 18:28
Vigor
I hope a nintendo sign falls on this guy... Or a cosplay guy dressed as Master Chief shoots him would be so ironic but funny.. If you guys havent looked at LeeMon's comment he gives you the game. And a guy playing the game. Look at the opening for his company "Thompsonsoft" i almost fell off my chair in laughter.
Ballistic90's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 18:35
Ballistic90
There is no 'animal' part of the brain. Hell, I bet if you took an MRI of a gamer listening to Jack Thompson talking it would be even more lit up as the enourmous rage they would be experiencing.
Konradl's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 19:16
Konradl
it gotta be easy for Jack Thompson to give a sh!t when he's so full of sh!t. stfuajpg
RskimB's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 19:28
RskimB
Props to Bill for exposes the holes in JT's argument to mainstream America.
Milofo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 19:47
Milofo
I gotta give props to ABC, they were calling bullshit on Jack the whole interview. I have a newfound respect for ABC news; even if they are all media attention whores like any other news show.
B__'s Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 20:30
B__
Facts: Killing in video games is fun. Kids play video games. Kids have fun simulating murder.

Is that a good thing for society? Probably not.

Is this creating a problem that is impacting our country enough that our government needs to step in and usurp peoples autonomy over what games they play? Absolutely not.
HalifaxFan's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/15/2006 23:03
HalifaxFan
Does anybody have JT's e-mail? Please tell me someone has his e-mail. I wanna send him a missive on behalf of all gamers. :D
blah's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/16/2006 00:01
blah
Nex, you are wrong. The Star of David has been used by the Jews since before Jesus was even born, therefore it was in use by the Jews before Christmas even existed. From wikipedia: "There earliest archaeological evidence for the Jewish use of the symbol comes from an inscription attributed to Joshua ben Asayahu in late 7th Century BCE Sidon." As in archeological evidence shows that Jews were using it 700 years before Jesus.

Yeah, I know this is something completely random to post, but I don't like it when people do not have their facts straight.
Joel's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/16/2006 00:15
Joel
Bill Weir kicks ass. He was doing sports in LA for ABC then went national. The guy is funny and better than most of the wooden suits out there. Props to Bill
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/16/2006 06:04
Im OK
Oh Jack Thompson, how I love thee... let me count the ways:

1) .... ....um.... er....

Okay, I got nothing.
aliasL's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/17/2007 13:00
aliasL
This is why i believe cristianity is dying
aliasL's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/17/2007 13:00
aliasL
This is why i believe cristianity is dying
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/19/2007 19:44
Eschatos
Why does noone realize one possibility about violent video games? That they're sinks for violent emotions. For example, you play GTA for a few hours, kill a couple hundred people, and that uses up your aggressive emotions and stops you from killing five people in real life. The reporter did say that since video game popularity goes up, violence goes down. I think violent video games in moderation are actually good for society. It's only when a psychopathic freak who would already go on a killing spree plays them that bad things happen.
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