Jack Thompson is a disgusting excuse for a human being

[Cactus Drags]

Playing the blame game

By Winda Benedetti

MSNBC contributor

Say what you will about Jack Thompson, but the attorney-turned-anti-video-game crusader has what can only be described as a breathtaking genius for transforming ghastly national tragedies into shining moments of self promotion.

On Friday, police were still struggling to figure out why a seemingly polite, well-respected graduate student named Steven Kazmierczak had shot and killed five students at Northern Illinois University and then turned the gun on himself. But Thompson had it all figured out. Faster than you can say wild speculation and reckless sensationalism, he leapt in front of Fox News cameras and suggested that video games were to blame.

“We find from brain scan studies out of Harvard that if you get started playing, for example, violent video games you are more likely to copycat the behaviors in the games,” Thompson said in a rambling commentary that had nothing to do with what the interviewer had actually asked him. “The disturbing thing that keeps popping up in many of these…is that you can rehearse these type of massacres on simulators, which are called video games.”

Story continues below ↓advertisement

During his brief air time, Thompson made sure to plug a book he’s written (which I will not plug here). Then, fresh off the boob tube, he began firing off press releases to various Web sites, trumpeting his screen time and flashing a photograph of himself in all his broadcast glory. (Look ma, I’m on TV!)

And in what can only be construed as an attempt to terrify grandmothers everywhere, Thompson declared in a “news” release: “We have a nation of Manchurian Candidate video gamers out there who are ready, willing, and able to massacre, and some of them will.”

The Northwest Herald and New York Post have since reported that Kazmierczak's former dormmates say he used to play the popular first-person shooter “Counter-Strike.” Though Thompson is now using these reports to make himself sound like a prognosticator extraordinaire, the truth is he's simply playing the numbers. The fact is, one would be hard pressed to find a young man of Kazmierczak's age who has not played video games. Indeed, The Herald reports that Kazmierczak's dormmates said playing "Counter-Strike" was a common activity among the students living in the building — none of whom have opened fire on their classmates.

While the video game connection remains tenuous at best, what seems far more pertinent are initial reports that Kazmierczak previously had been placed in a psychiatric treatment center and had recently stopped taking antidepressant medication.

This is not the first time Thompson has put his mug in front of every camera possible immediately after a mentally disturbed gunman has opened fire on innocent people. When last we spoke with the controversial Florida attorney, he was blaming video games for the massacre of 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech last April.

Not-so-funnily enough, while Thompson's misinfomation-laced pronouncements claim that the shooter — Seung-Hui Cho — had a passion for violent video games, a governor-ordered review of that horrific incident found no connection whatsoever with games. Instead, what the review panel found was a young man with a long history of psychiatric illness and a student who fell through the cracks of a deeply flawed mental health system. In fact, according to the the extensive 260-page report, it's unclear if Cho — who was passionate about books (gasp!) and not video games — ever played anything more aggressive than the kid-friendly "Sonic the Hedgehog."

Needless to say, video game players and proponents are collectively rolling their eyes in disgust at Thompson’s latest attempts to use a nightmarish tragedy to further his own cause and beat his own drum.

[Kyle_]

It's funny, playing GH has not given me the ability to play guitar. Strange

[NobBe Nobbs]

This is a fucking rip-off! I bought Virtua Tennis because I was under the impression I'd become a world-class tennis star by playing it! I'm suing!

[Slogger]

Wait, So according to him, If i've played Counter-Strike, I'm going to shoot someone?

[Cactus Drags]

No, according to him, you already did, and raped your whore mother while you were at it.

[Magus978]

If I may be so blunt...

Fuck Jack Thompson. He's a fucking quack who ought to shut the fuck up for once. Is he so pathetic as to blame EVERYTHING on video games? I strongly suggest that he try to find something else to do with his remaining years, because he's sounding like a complete waste of a human being.

Thompson: I STUBBED MY TOE! IT'S ALL GUITAR HERO'S FAULT!

Edited February 20, 2008 by Magus978

[Sousa]

It's funny, playing GH has not given me the ability to play guitar. Strange

That's strange. My life is basically a series of darkened mazes in which I run and consume fruit, pretzels, and round pellets, all the while pursued by the ghosts of my past.

I played a lot of Duck Hunt.

[IAceI]

Only games I play are Sonic and Dynasty Warriors on the Playstation.

To be fair my hair is getting a little sonic-esque although minus the blue just now. On the other hand I've had no urges to time warp to 184AD China and slash up some Yellow Scarves and hunt down Zhang Jiao.

Where does that leave me?

[RavenBlack]

So if I play a lot of Castlevania, does that mean I'll travel to Transylvania, team up with a (generally) cute vampire hunter and go slay Dracula? If I play lots of RPGs, will I be able to wield a sword IRL as well as my character does? If I happen to play an animal care simulator, will I be able to take care of a little critter of my own? (Answers are no, hell no, and...well, that one's cheating, I've had pets for years)

Jack Thompson fails at life. He's a one-trick pony who needs to be shut down for good.

[stokeriño]

Yeah, well, Viva Pinata teaches you that smashing cute animals' heads open produces delicious, fruity, fruity, delicious sweets to feast on.

A spree of mysterious bunny murders is only a matter of time.

[Cactus Drags]

I think this joke has run its course.

[stokeriño]

Joke or not, Viva Pinata is one disturbing game.

[Cactus Drags]

Cheah it is.

[Benji]

You know what's really surprising? That people still care about him. Seriously, we've heard it all before, he has no credibility, why does anyone give a shit? And now I hate that I give a shit that people give a shit about him, thusly, I hate you all.

[LL!]

An Attention Whore, or at least a GOOD Attention Whore, will always find a way into the spotlight. That's what Jack Thompson is, and that's what he's good at doing. He's always going to be like that one fly that you think you killed that one time, but it ends up slapping you in the face 5 minutes later.

[Cactus Drags]

I wouldn't have posted the article, because I'm of the same opinion, but for once this is someone in the media (and the real media at that, not just a blogger or something), criticising him for being a vulture and an idiot with no credible argument. I don't think I've seen that before, other than the guy on the gaming show arguing with him (and really, of course a gaming show is going to be a different opinion), and thought it was worth posting. Everyone seems to have missed that point and gone for the easy joke that wasn't funny the second time.

[Benji]

I wouldn't have posted the article, because I'm of the same opinion, but for once this is someone in the media (and the real media at that, not just a blogger or something), criticising him for being a vulture and an idiot with no credible argument. I don't think I've seen that before, other than the guy on the gaming show arguing with him (and really, of course a gaming show is going to be a different opinion), and thought it was worth posting. Everyone seems to have missed that point and gone for the easy joke that wasn't funny the second time.

Valid point, MSNBC probably just caught on because of his (former?) association with Hilary Clinton, considering the timing.

[jase12881]

I wouldn't have posted the article, because I'm of the same opinion, but for once this is someone in the media (and the real media at that, not just a blogger or something), criticising him for being a vulture and an idiot with no credible argument. I don't think I've seen that before, other than the guy on the gaming show arguing with him (and really, of course a gaming show is going to be a different opinion), and thought it was worth posting. Everyone seems to have missed that point and gone for the easy joke that wasn't funny the second time.

Valid point, MSNBC probably just caught on because of his (former?) association with Hilary Clinton, considering the timing.

[Guest deknegt]

hmm thats why i randomly stab people with screwdrivers.

and run around with a chainsaw smashing doors of cars.

[Skummy]

To be fair, though, I am building a Katamari as we speak.