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You all may want to check out the ChatterBox interview with Gabe and Tycho that was done this past Sunday. Gabe talks a little about his recent conversations with Jack Thompson. Apparently the first thing Jack said after calling Gabe up and establishing his identity was:

"Let me tell you something, idiot."

This utter professionalism is well-reflected in the text of his fax to the Seattle police.

"There are a bunch of computer geeks out there who think..."
"These idiots have been so careless as to..."

I can only imagine what some of his non-game-related correspondence is like.

Also, this has probably been posted before, but here it is again: the ChatterBox interview with Thompson. Lunacy thrown into the sharpest relief.

You all may want to check out the ChatterBox interview with Gabe and Tycho that was done this past Sunday. Gabe talks a little about his recent conversations with Jack Thompson. Apparently the first thing Jack said after calling Gabe up and establishing his identity was:

"Let me tell you something, idiot."

This utter professionalism is well-reflected in the text of his fax to the Seattle police.

"There are a bunch of computer geeks out there who think..."
"These idiots have been so careless as to..."

I can only imagine what some of his non-game-related correspondence is like.

Also, this has probably been posted before, but here it is again: the ChatterBox interview with Thompson. Lunacy thrown into the sharpest relief.

Jack Thompson:

+Led the campaign against the 1989 2 Live Crew album "As Nasty As They Wanna Be", and later, Ice T's "Cop Killer."
+Filed with the FCC regarding the contents of a 2003 edition of Howard Stern's radio show resulted in Clear Channel Communications being fined $496,000 in 2004.
+Filed, in 1999, a $33 million federal products liability lawsuit against several entertainment companies, including Time Warner Inc., Polygram Film Entertainment Distribution Inc., Palm Pictures, Island Pictures and New Line Cinema, Atari Corp., Nintendo of America, Sega of America Inc. and Sony Computer Entertainment on behalf of the parents of victims of the 1997 Paducah schoolhouse shootings.
+Most recently has taken his tirade against videogame publishers Take Two (Grand Theft Auto series, Bully et. al.), Capcom (Killer 7), and EA (The Sims. Yeah really).

A great interview with Jack by Chatterbox Video Game Radio can be found at: http://www.chatterboxgameshow.com/jack.htm .

This guy has really made himself a credible source for irrationality and brought many smiles to sane peoples faces.

Most comment points excerpted from Wikipedia.org

No, I think you never actually listened to what he has to say.

Here is an article that doesn't show any kind of bias towards the videogame industry. In Defense of Jack Thompson. While it doesn't paint a pretty picture of Mr Thompson, it certainly doesn't slander him as a whack job who is out to hurt a billion dollar industry.

If you have the 80 minutes eats up, feel free to listen to this interview Interview he gave to chatterbox radio [MP3].

...this Jack Thompson fellow. And I say this as a games programmer, although not one who's ever worked on a violent game of any sort. Anyway.

When all this fuss kicked off over the last few weeks, I read a bit of what he has to say. And to be honest, reading what he says to people in private correspondance (and to an extent in his public statements) you get the impression that he's a rabid loon. Then on Penny Arcade, I spotted a link to an audio interview some guys did with him. I downloaded and had a listen. And to give the man some credit, he comes across much better in person. I'm much less surprised that he gets the attention he does, having listened to him - he comes across as a slightly opinionated but earnest and frank concerned guy, worried about the effect games have on kids and teenagers. At least, he does initially.

After a while though, when he's gone past the fairly logical point of discussing M-rated game sales to minors with someone who agrees with him, he starts getting a bit out there. EA in cahoots with the porn industry, deliberately aiming for them to make porno skins for The Sims? Please. Thing is, because he *seems* reasonable, people who don't know too much about games probably think he *is* reasonable. And in small doses, for short periods of time, he probably is. But disagree too much, scratch the surface of his arguments, and things suddenly get a lot stranger...

What a coincidence that this interview is Slashdotted today... Some of the top guys from Behemoth will be on the ChatterBox Video Game Radio show on Sunday, July 31st. Since it's a live show, anyone can call in and talk to the guests themselves. So, if you're interested, visit http://www.chatterboxgameshow.com/ for all the info on how to listen (it's broadcast live in Phoenix, AZ, streamed live on the net, and podCast) and call in.

Just wanted to let you know that, through great coincidence, the creators of DDRFreak.com will be on my weekly radio show this coming Sunday (May 9th.) If anyone is interested in learning more about DDR and/or talking to them, you should listen to the show and call in to discuss Dance Dance Revolution and the music rhythm genre as a whole. The show can be heard on AM radio in Phoenix, AZ or through the internet anywhere in the world.

Just check out www.chatterboxgameshow.com for all the info on the show.

-Alon
The Host of ChatterBox