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Thompson: Gamers don't care about dead people

1:42 PM on 02.18.2008, Jim Sterling 139 comments

Thompson: Gamers don't care about dead people photo
     Destructoid

The Destructoid community is abuzz with the arrival of its newest member (and avid Destructoid reader) Jack Thompson. Thompson, a man who still clings to the obsolete belief that gamers are sociopathic children, chose to make his grand entrance by calling us just that, and was even cutting enough to describe us all as E-tards. While most of the community fired right back at him, one of our readers sought some manner of rational discourse.

Paying him respect and urging him to engage Destructoid in a less hostile manner, CBlogger Mecha Monkey hoped to crack through the bravado and find a man whose beliefs we could get behind. It was a futile effort, but a noble one. After suggesting he appear on one of our podcasts, Jack Thompson quickly declined his own offer, deciding instead to retort to the up-until-then polite Mecha Monkey with condescending words and finally offering up this amazing description of all gamers:

Gamers are ill-mannered and uninformed, and they prove it everyday. They couldn't care less about the people killed. 

Thompson, the man who has a history of being rude to correspondents, called the manners of everybody reading this into question. Thompson, the man who continues to implicate videogames in the Virginia Tech shooting regardless of proof showing otherwise, has called everybody reading this uninformed. Furthermore, the man who used the NIU tragedy to plug his own book as gone on record as saying not a single one of us cares about the people killed.

If it any wonder that gamers treat him like a figure of fun and a complete joke when he can't even respond to polite ones with any degree of respect?


Next page: More Jack Thompson stories




Horatio Caine's Avatar
Horatio Caine at 02/18/2008 13:41
Oh no he didn't.
Clockwork's Avatar
Clockwork at 02/18/2008 13:42
Nothing has bothered me nearly as much as that comment. Who the fuck does this guy think he is to call us inhumane based on the fact we play video games?
emotaku's Avatar
emotaku at 02/18/2008 13:42
People die?
Surf314's Avatar
Surf314 at 02/18/2008 13:43
If anything I think he is hurting his cause. If anything I think we could all agree to some of his points. Also I'm sure there are compromises that would make all parties happy on others (or make all parties unhappy, the true sign of a perfect compromise).
Wookiee's Avatar
Wookiee at 02/18/2008 13:44
I was all for polite, civilized discussion until his response to that guy's chat board suicide and the way he handled the Flowers for Jack initiative. He's more or less burned all his bridges and shown he feels we are completely incapable of civility and tries to communicates in kind.
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 02/18/2008 13:44
Jim vs. JT. Two men enter, wait, no, no, one angry british guy and one douche enter, one angry brit leaves.
Surf314's Avatar
Surf314 at 02/18/2008 13:44
I really need to start reading things I write before posting.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 02/18/2008 13:45
Thats generalization, thats like saying "Jews are greedy" or "East Coast people suck"

It doesnt work
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 02/18/2008 13:45
@ emotaku

Actually people didn't start dying until 1972, after the release of the Magnavox Odyssey. The more you know!
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 02/18/2008 13:45
*Fully agrees with Clockwork*
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 02/18/2008 13:45
Us? Rude? he can go fuck himself.


See, that was a joke. I'm just offended by his words.
Murder64's Avatar
Murder64 at 02/18/2008 13:46
I hate how Jackie's nose, mouth and eyes are too small for his head. He looks so silly.
bhive01's Avatar
bhive01 at 02/18/2008 13:47
All jokes aside, to say that gamers are apathetic to the cries of the friends and families of the fallen from NIU and VT is a absolutely ludicrous statement.

I absolutely do care as I'm sure everyone else does around here and elsewhere on the gaming blogosphere.

I haven't read any of Mechamonkey's questions or JT's responses though. Are we sure there wasn't any condescension on our part that instigated his response? I'm asking to make sure that he's given a fair opportunity and not just lambasted because "Jim says so."™
madninja's Avatar
madninja at 02/18/2008 13:47
Can we stop covering this dude. He is like the videogame's Pairs Hilton. He may do stuff and say some things but does he really matter. He is close to losing his license and he was almost proved crazy.
bhive01's Avatar
bhive01 at 02/18/2008 13:47
All jokes aside, to say that gamers are apathetic to the cries of the friends and families of the fallen from NIU and VT is a absolutely ludicrous statement.

I absolutely do care as I'm sure everyone else does around here and elsewhere on the gaming blogosphere.

I haven't read any of Mechamonkey's questions or JT's responses though. Are we sure there wasn't any condescension on our part that instigated his response? I'm asking to make sure that he's given a fair opportunity and not just lambasted because "Jim says so."™
RoMeRtHeGaMe's Avatar
RoMeRtHeGaMe at 02/18/2008 13:48
I feel like punching this guy right in the mouth, for such blasphemous statements.
Mushman's Avatar
Mushman at 02/18/2008 13:49
Fuck him, he'll die soon anyway, but WOW, he's actually on DTIOD!!! Bravo Niero, DTIOD really is going places, FUCK YEAH!!
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 02/18/2008 13:51
bhive01: He didn't like yesterday's article, mostly.
phenrix's Avatar
phenrix at 02/18/2008 13:51
His statement is much akin to saying: "People with gray hair are out of touch and smell of moth-balls"

can we please stop giving him attention, he's worse than an only child sorority girl at a frat party.
Phoenix Gamma's Avatar
Phoenix Gamma at 02/18/2008 13:52
I couldn't care less about Jack Thompson.
Sadie G's Avatar
Sadie G at 02/18/2008 13:55
Like I said, Jack Thompson is incapable of a rational discussion. He's always on the defense. To say that gamers don't care is not only ignorant but it shows you how blind this "man" really is.
Vigor's Avatar
Vigor at 02/18/2008 13:56
This guy just keeps digging his self deeper and deeper. I mean look at his logic now, he is so desperate its pathetic.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar
KamikazeTutor at 02/18/2008 13:57
How can a man who cares use the death of people and link those deaths to games for his "holy crusade" against the video game industry?

How can a man who cares take advantage of grieving families to his own advantage?
bhive01's Avatar
bhive01 at 02/18/2008 13:57
I just read MechaMonkey's email. I applaud him for keeping it civil however you assured Mr. Thompson that your communications would be private and yet you broke that... I'm just saying... bad idea?

Also, are you sure it was him?
Static Jak's Avatar
Static Jak at 02/18/2008 13:58
My god he's such an idiot. To call us ill-mannered when he has as much much manners as a monkey. Well at least we can take comfort in knowing he'll never be able to harm the gaming community and our games.
cbre88x's Avatar
cbre88x at 02/18/2008 13:59
I'm tired of hearing about Jack Thompson. He's definitely an attention whore and he's obviously getting here at Destructoid an Kotaku. I'd love to see the banhammer fall upon him and have to stop staring at useless post with his face on it. I'm getting really sick of it. Let the man completely make a fool of himself by childishly calling everyone stupid schoolyard names. This has got to stop.
odintal's Avatar
odintal at 02/18/2008 13:59
why does any intelligent gamer give 2 shits what this guy says or thinks.
his record against video games is laughable, he's under investigation for disbarment for being an asshat, and to top it all off he's a tragedy chaser.

stop giving him an audience and maybe he'll go back to wanting to topple the hip-hop industry or better yet Ice Cube for those terrible movies he's made that truly are destroying the youth of America.
Brandon Undead's Avatar
Brandon Undead at 02/18/2008 13:59
He's a scumbag. We all know it. You're feeding the troll. PLZ NO MOAR!
SubOrbital's Avatar
SubOrbital at 02/18/2008 14:00
Gamers don't care? We care a lot! About ourselves! Caring for other people is so last century. Also, Jack, some really cool dude in Australia called Jack Thompson wants to kill you for ruining his name.
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 02/18/2008 14:03
Hypocrisy at it's finest!

Jack Thompson couldn't care less about these poor kids who kill and are killed. He uses every opportunity of death to get his face in front of a camera, and spouts his rhetoric about evil gaming.

Well Mr. Thompson, by diverting people from the real issues these kids have, your just enabling more and more of these shootings by ignoring truth so you can spread your rhetoic instead.

So how should parents identify if their child needs help? He plays video games? Lets just ignore mental health problems, ignore that they acted out and were abused, ignore that they could have gotten mental help, and focus on the evil video games. Don't spend your time helping prevent these incidents by spreading awareness, keep spreading that all-powerful ignorance, Mr. Thompson.

Keep telling yourself we're the ill-mannered and uninformed ones, that we don't care about human life, that gamers and the games they play are evil. Then you look take a good look at yourself in a mirror Mr. Thompson, and just try to tell yourself your not the one who's heartless.

"You play in dirt, you get dirty." ~ James McNulty
Wookiee's Avatar
Wookiee at 02/18/2008 14:04
MePlayGames's Avatar
MePlayGames at 02/18/2008 14:05
Nyteshade, i whole heartedly agree with you
Sadie G's Avatar
Sadie G at 02/18/2008 14:06
@nyteshade
did you just quote HBO's The Wire?
Bas's Avatar
Bas at 02/18/2008 14:07
Hey Mr Thompson, instead of checking out some videogame site, shouldn't you be working?
Trev's Avatar
Trev at 02/18/2008 14:07
I'm just waiting for them to respawn.

In all seriousness, I think Jack Thompson needs every last bit of air time he can get.

Think about it. We, as gamers, could have someone competent, civil and honest making a real case against a hobby we enjoy... or we could let the legal equivalent of the unholy spawn of rodeo clown and French street mime try to make a case against us. We look awesome by comparison and anyone that believes him already hates video games anyway. His approach of tragedy-chasing, ham-handed book pimping, wild accusations, and propensity to go on game websites just to be a dick makes the average XBL 13 year old look like a saint.

The more attention he gets, the more anti-game legislation supporters look like raving lunatics.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 02/18/2008 14:08
"All jokes aside, to say that gamers are apathetic to the cries of the friends and families of the fallen from NIU and VT is a absolutely ludicrous statement."

Yes well apparently gathering to pray at candlelight vigils are selfish attempts to make us feel better, and not genuine heartfelt reaching out to them. Apparently everyone at every college should just go to NIU and hang out there with them for the week or some shit.

I'm a VT student and the NIU situation brings back a lot of painful memories for myself and my friends. We want to be there for NIU and so we find the best ways of reaching out that we can.

And this douchebag, Jack Thompson, has the tenacity to say in his e-mail to MechaMonkey, that it's all just designed to make us feel better?

You know what makes us feel better? Reaching out to others in their time of need. We're not doing it to feel better, though that is unevitably a side effect of reaching out to our brothers and sisters there.

Jack, grow the hell up. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?
mix's Avatar
mix at 02/18/2008 14:08
So much Jack.....
P3T3Y's Avatar
P3T3Y at 02/18/2008 14:09
Maybe we should sue him for defamation and hate speech.
bruceleethree's Avatar
bruceleethree at 02/18/2008 14:09
Hey Jim,

I understand people want to see what Thompson says since he's the Ann Coulter of video game politics.

But there's no difference in going to an insane asylum and recording what some deranged schizo says about a topic than posting what Thompson says about anything.

Thompson is a deranged, psychopath who is one chromosome short of a down syndrome. Recording his thoughts is a waste of space.

Why do people care about him so much? He has no influence.
free touch's Avatar
free touch at 02/18/2008 14:10
woohoo headline aside, on a point, I'd prefer a stricter version of the ESRB as well. At least one that was enforced with fines and vigor.

I really don't think kids should have mature games. But I also don't think you should completely get rid of them. It'd be censorship.

If I'm in a game store, I'm usually the first one to tell an unsuspecting parent if a game is good for their kid, even in front of the kid.

So, can there be more done to stop kids from getting games, yes. Is the ESRB a joke, yes. Is the 1 year age gap between MA and AO games a joke, yes. Is the "stores won't sell AO games, but will sell unrated usually nc-17 versions of movies freely, not behind a counter a joke? YES!

Fix those things first, and go from there.
JohnnyWadd's Avatar
JohnnyWadd at 02/18/2008 14:10
Am wondering how long it will take before Dtoid is sued?
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 02/18/2008 14:11
@Sadie G -

Yeah, that's a Wire quote from season 4. I just grabbed the series after reading a review in Time and can't stop watching it, one of the best series on TV imho.
CypherVR's Avatar
CypherVR at 02/18/2008 14:12
JamnOnTheOne's Avatar
JamnOnTheOne at 02/18/2008 14:13
"Gamers are ill-mannered and uninformed, and they prove it everyday."

That point is pretty hard to argue.

@Jim
"Is it any wonder that gamers treat him like a figure of fun and a complete joke when he can't even respond to polite ones with any degree of respect?"

I can't believe I'm defending Jack Thompson, but....He did respond to a polite gamer until he read the site MechaMonkey belonged to. Had MechaMonkey been associated with a different site that didn't post snarky comments such as the one's he quoted, he might have had an intelligent discussion on a podcast. I applaud him for actually trying to do some research. Everyone here can definitely admit, Destructoid isn't exactly a haven for polite and "adult" gaming discussion.

I don't think anyone should be surprised that the tone of this email exchange went south once Jack discovered he would potentially be setting himself up on a podcast where he would most likely be berated. If anything he probably felt like MechaMonkey was trying to pull a fast one on him.
FlammableMoose's Avatar
FlammableMoose at 02/18/2008 14:15
While Mr. Thompson lives in this country he unfortunatly has the right to say whatever stupid, ignorant, fictional thing that comes to his mind. Just like we have the right to call him for what he is: a stupid, ingorant man who will use false facts to make himself seem more important and wont even accept an invitation to a discussion to prove his point.

What a brave man Jack Thompson is for coming to this hell hole of a place that is called the gaming community filled with murders, rapists, and person who don't care if over people die.

Bravo Mr. Thompson Bravo.
Colette Bennett's Avatar
Colette Bennett at 02/18/2008 14:15
I'm pretty much in the I don't care camp. There's no objective evidence present to prove video games and violence have direct correlation. Thompson is on a quest to prove they are, and if I got worked up about every little thing the man said and did I would be a mess. He's wrong. Therefore I don't waste emotion on him.
Wookiee's Avatar
Wookiee at 02/18/2008 14:16
@Bas

Maybe he gets President's Day off. Is he still working for a law firm? Or have they dumped him like the bar?
fetusmilk's Avatar
fetusmilk at 02/18/2008 14:18
welp if they ban video games and i cant get out my killing urges with virtual weapons. ill just have to join the military and shoot real people with real guns and not have to pay for the ammo. but no extra lives and no continues is gonna make war very difficult.
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