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Jack Thompson Decides He's In GTA IV
gzerphey writes "Outspoken anti-games lawyer Jack Thompson has decided that a representation of a 2nd amendment lawyer in GTA IV is a mocking version of him. He has declared that if the representation is not removed he will attempt to block the release of the game. Excerpt from GamePolitics: 'The showcasing play of the game to Game Informer revealed that the first killing mission of the hero of the game, Niko, is to kill a certain lawyer. When Niko comes into this lawyer's office, having used subterfuge to do so, Niko pulls a gun on the lawyer who says, that the firm supports the second amendment and that 'Guns don't kill people. Video games do.'"
Lots of games parody high profile people, with little repercussions.
But what if you parody someone who is already a parody of himself. The deepness is as unlimited as the psychosis.
The irony of this of course being that by making the claim, he just verified it....
Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
...The fact that the lawyer, killed on Niko's first mission, would bring up video games, makes it clearly a reference to me... And the fact that Niko is a regular guy just looking to make some money & very eager to kill a certain lawyer to start off his career makes it clearly a reference to me!Can I join you in this suit, Jack? Perhaps a class action lawsuit? I'll meet you in your office tomorrow at noon using methods of subterfuge
What was your address again? "The magical man, from Happy Land, who lives in a gumdrop house on Lolly Pop Lane?" It's so very hard to remember when you're all over the road.
P.S. I hope the president has gotten back to you about your appeal to him. Your entertainment is endless & I highly value it, it would be a shame to have men in clean white suits censoring your communications to the outside world. Truly, it would.
My work here is dung.
Did somebody make parody a crime, or something? This sounds perfectly legal, unless maybe they actually use his name. If what they do on Robot Chicken (or for the older among us Mad Magazine) is legal, then this certainly is also. What a wanker.
from the i-bet-i'm-in-there-toooo dept.
::grabs molatov cocktail::
I hope you are, Zonk.
But wouldn't Jack Thompson had to have played the game to know that the game has a parody of him? Is that hypocrite I smell?
http://blog.heavensdomain.net
Come on Jack! Let's go to candy mountain! http://youtube.com/watch?v=JPONTneuaF4
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
It is pointless articles like this that give that ridiculous man publicity (which he seems to thrive on). I don't want to read any more about it, stop posting on /. and he will be forgotten. Nobody is taking him seriously anyway (not anyone that counts at least - e.g. courts).
I must admit that the in game parody sound good though. But still, not newsworthy.
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
I'm starting to think Jack Thompson was created by the industry to help sales. Every game this guy rails against becomes a top seller.
I recall a funny statement about how GTA4 was going to be placed in an alternate universe NYC, to which some idiot congressman replied, "placing GTA in New York City is like placing Halo in Disneyland" (because New York is supposedly the safest big city). Well that got everyone thinking, "you know what? That would be the COOLEST BOARD EVER, to play in Disneyland". In a likewise fashion, I would like to make a mod for unreal tournament 3 (since they are much friendlier for user created mods than microsoft) where everybody is Jack Thompson. Who wouldn't want to have a death match of you versus 15 Jack Thompsons??
Hmmm... maybe if I could kill him in Disneyland, that would be even better!
"Thank you for using Stop-n-Drop, America's favorite suicide booth since 2008"
people still listen to what this guy has to say? simple solution: by his logic, surely real lawyers can sue for an injunction against jack thomspon ever speaking again since he is clearly a representation of them...
There is nothing better, in my opinion, than having others ridicule you, parody you, or even work to convince others that you're evil or crazy. Opinions that polarize attitudes in readers/viewers is a great way to get people to search out the topic, and possibly come across the ridiculed party's opinion on a given subject.
It's like slashdot's "friend/foe" system. I probably have more foes than friends, but I appreciate both equally, and might even have more appreciation for those who consider me their foes than their friends. If someone rates me a foe, it definitely gives SOME people an interest in "who is this guy that is so hated" moreso than "who is this guy with so many friends." When people trackback to my blog posts with aggressive posts against my opinion, it also brings in a new market of readers to peruse my topics of discussion -- people who likely will HATE my opinion, but in some cases end up jumping over to my side.
While I don't think Thompson will gain many friends because of the parody, he might get quite a bit of traffic for those who are unfamiliar with his opinion, and this is still positive traffic for him as he can then say "Look at how many gamers are looking up my opinion -- I must be right!"
I would never, EVER go against anyone who attributes me in jest, parody or ridicule, even if they're pushing libel or slander (especially if they're pushing libel or slander). All marketing and traffic is positive in some way. The more hated you are, the more popular you become, even if that popularity is towards the negative. Look at people like Hitler and Stalin -- they are STILL talked about, even though their legacy is horrific and detested by most people. To me, that's proof that polarization is a key factor in building fame or infamy for those who want it.
Maybe it's a sociopathic attitude, but it's still truth in my book.
I've never bought a single GTA game, but I may just buy this one just so I can put a virtual bullet in Jack Thompson.
I'm sure there's more than one lawyer in Manhattan that likes the GTA series. If any of you read this, send Rockstar a letter inviting them to use your name and likeness in the game. You get to put screenshots for publicity while at the same time stick it to Thompson.
Imagine the interviews. Jack Thompson claims the lawyer is him, then the camera cuts to you: No, it's me. Look at this screenshot. Here's a signed affidavit saying it's me!
Pity I'm not a lawyer, I'd go for it.
I had no interest in "Bully". THe plot concept didnt apeal to me. The name was simple and basic.
Jack made me buy it.
After all, he lives in Florida, not New York (even a fictional New York), correct? :D
"People" using "unnecessary" quotes should be "shot".
If I recall correctly, wasn't there an "agreement" made between the makers of GTA and Thompson, the primary factor being that Thompson agreed to no longer speak out against the games or try to block their sales directly or indirectly?
Or, is Thompson on the payroll now and just bringing more publicity to the title? Hmmm?
Those who believe the Internet is private,
find their privates are on the Internet.
This guy is a laugh. I love hearing about him. He's like a four year old that was given a law degree.
Even if it is a bald-faced parody, sounds like a certain crazy lawyer needs to read up on Hustler Magazine v. Falwell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustler_Magazine_v._Falwell
He doesn't have a legal leg to stand on; parody has been a form of protected speech for centuries. And to Mr. Jack Thompson: You, sir, are an idiot. Are you attempting to claim that you are copyrighted, or a piece of IP? Even if you were, you still wouldn't have a case, because parody falls under fair use, something which someone as intelligent as you must surely know. Yes, I know that there isn't the slightest chance he's going to read that, but it still helps vent frustrations about how such an educated man can be so moronic.
And in other news, Carly Simon finally admits that Jack Thompson was the object of her scorn in her old hit song, "You're So Vain (You Probably Think This Song is About You)."
[
A few months ago, didn't JT dare R* to make a game depicting him being "taken out"? or something like that, my memory is fuzzy...
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
...in the September 2007 issue of GameInformer. I think the better question is "What is Jack Thompson doing reading GameInformer?" Has he been stealing his son's video game stuff again?
That kid is going to grow up to be the biggest leftist nut you could ever imagine.
"Daaaad, I wanted to go hang out with the guys tonight!"
"SILENCE! You're coming with me to EB Games, you're going to try to buy another copy of BioShock!"
Anyone else amused by the fact that Jack Thompson apparently spends more time playing video games and reading gaming mags than some gamers? Of course, it's all for research. Just like my collection of porn.
Isn't enough that I ruined a pony, making a gift for you?
The in-game lawyer's name is Tom Jackson, not Jack Thompson, so obviously it's nothing like him!
(actually, I have no clue. But that'd be pretty cool)
Look at people like Hitler and Stalin -- they are STILL talked about, even though their legacy is horrific and detested by most people. To me, that's proof that polarization is a key factor in building fame or infamy for those who want it.
:\
Did you just imply that you would be perfectly happy to be remembered in the same vain as Hitler or Stalin ?
Did you just imply that you would be perfectly happy to be remembered in the same vain as Hitler or Stalin ?
Definitely not, but I am just comparing how some people who have sociopathic tendencies should want any sort of coverage in order to be promoted as an "expert" in their given industry. Hitler and Stalin were, in the long run, experts in the industry of death -- but I can't say they're worse than the current experts in the industry of death to become more powerful.
For those who want to be experts in the industry of artistic control and censorship (a la Jack Thompson), any sort of promotion of themselves is a gain for them because it gives them a wider portfolio of listeners, even if those listeners hate them.
How do I want to be remembered? I really don't, I just want my thoughts and opinions to be part of the formulation of thoughts and opinions of generations to come, even if I am forgotten and never quoted once.
...I want my time back.
Your brain is not a computer.
I'm still trying to figure out which one of you was first to invoke Godwin's Law...
Paul Anderson
"I drank WHAT?!" -- Socrates
Sorry, Jack, but parody is protected speech here, and by making very public and very inflamatory comments every chance you get, you've made yourself a ripe target for parody. But even other media-whoring lawyers have managed to take it in stride in the past (see the late Johnny Cochrane), and have maybe even been a little flattered that they are culturally relevant enough to be parodied.
In general, you've made statements and filed lawsuits that show that you are either A: woefully ignorant of the law, or B: intentionally misrepresenting the law for your own benefit. Either way, you are an extremely shitty lawyer.
P.S. Don't try to sue me for libel. The preceding is a statement of fact.
Anonymous Luddite: "What do you think of the dehumanizing effects of the Internet?"
Andy Grove: "Not Much."
It's a good thing my COV character is called Jackie Thompson, Because A villian that learned all of his Nijitsu arts from playing Ninja Gaiden to prove that video games are just mindless cop killing simulators that turn kids into violent sociopaths doesn't sound like something Mr. Thompson would do at all.
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!
...that I'm not the lead designer on that game.
There would be a 10 minutes hidden scene where the Tom Jackson character is repeatedly raped by an enormous number of large farm animals.
The he'd be forced into oral copulation with filthy homeless guys who have genital sores as yet unidentified by science.
And it would just go downhill from there.
Finally, Dexter would show up and end Tom's pain.
...if he weren't in the game?
Dear Jack,
This story is progressing nicely across the net. Thank you for taking the bait and supplying us with the free advertisement. We couldn't have bought this much coverage for a million dollars.
Sincerely,
Take Two Entertainment
I've never been a big fan of GTA, but this makes me want to pick up a copy when this comes out, just to play that mission a couple times...
Just to play the first mission over, and over and over.
Is there a place to buy the T-shirt yet?
Take Two makes a game where a New York lawyer who works for a firm that believes that "guns don't kill people, video games do" gets killed. Jack Thompson doesn't live in New York, doesn't work for a legal firm, and has never uttered that quote, and I'll bet the lawyer in the game doesn't even look like or sound like him.
Jack Thompson proposes a video game where a CEO of New York-based "Take This" called Paula Eibel gets murdered for creating violent videogames. Lawyers who work at "Blank Stare" are also massacred. Paul Eibel was the CEO of Take Two at the time, and their headquarters is in New York, as is Blank Rome, the legal firm that they employ.
Jack's stuff is parody (his claim), but GTAIV is a death threat?
Please.
Magic doesn't work in my presence. My power of disbelief is too strong.
One minor problem: Ghandi was a lawyer.
--
Q: Why don't sharks attack lawyers?
A: Professional Courtesy.
Fans v Freaks: 622 v 276.
This is what a boring day of work gets you. Take that. It's ripe for the taking. Oh yea, so so fresh. God I'm so bored...
I think it would be far funnier if your first job in the game was to meet with the lawyer and make him take his meds.
Rockstar and Sony take note...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Last I checked satire is not illegal. So I guess Jack Thompson is screwed. All Take-Two and R* have to say is "Yup, we satirized him Judge. It is all American to do so. Heck Judge, look at the fool, if anyone in the world deserves to be satirized it is good ol' JT!". So once again good ol' JT proves to be a idiot. He need to blow off some steam by playing a video game. :) He is way to tense.
I can't help but wonder, with all of the free publicity he has kindly given to GTA, if he isn't on Take Two's bank-roll. Seriously, this is great advertising. I'm sure they intentionally released this information about the game simply to get JT to put up a stink. What brilliance on their part!
OBJECTION! I thought Jackie Boy wasn't allowed to attack Take Two anymore?
I am not a GTA fan. I have never played the series nor do I have anything against it). But, if I get to shoot a lawyer, it will definitely sway me.
If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0.
Magic doesn't work in my presence. My power of disbelief is too strong.
So.... who's this "Jack Thompson" guy, anyway?
They should've called him Tack Johnson. That would've been ideal.
"You had this look that of an angel, it was such a bad disguise" --Dishwalla
You linked to Gandhi's wikipedia entry but still couldn't be bothered to spell his name correctly?
That would be great, could add senators and congressmen to the game then and put lobbyists on the sidewalks. They would scream terroristic threats, but we could scream back freedom of speech. GTA, driving political speech to new horizons! New hidden content! Acquiring cigar and kneepads opens up access to back office. Pirate section lets you kill MAFIAA lawyers. The list goes on of possibilities here. Careful of the Bushes on the side of the road, they are mined and have oil slicks by them.
Really, some gamer please shoot him, preferably in the gut. Try to make it as non-fatal as possible. Use a small caliber, to the gut. Or even better, stab him. As long as he lives, he will spend all his time trying to get you off, as you will be happy to prove that "videogames made you do it". You might even get off without being charged if he is convincing enough. And if that happens, we will have legal precedent allowing gamers to stab this man in the gut are not to be held accountable...
As far as I can see it, its win/win for all parties...
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
For some people, laziness is natural. For others, it's an art form.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Proof that video games do not make people violent:
Jack Thompson is still alive.
Because of Grand Theft Auto 4, a 3rd rate lawyer whines about a 2nd Amendment lawyer in a video game and tramples the 1st Amendment in order to earn zero respect.
Then we could be both satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time.
Which is good because we'd get the satisfaction that he's in the box, but we don't know that he's dead so we can still ridicule him for being a moron.
Seriously, people, he's a nobody. Ignore him and he WILL go away.
expandfairuse.org
Especially with him showing up to close down hip-hop clubs in "not"-Seattle.
...
But I for one am looking forward to jacking the heart from on top of Mercy West (KOMO) and having a shoot out with the interns from Grey's Anatomy, before hitting the ramps to land on the bong-filled ferry boat to Vashon
Plus, stealing one of the Ducks to muck around on Lake Union will be super-sweet!
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
1. I'm a programmer, not an author/writer. I'm lazy by definition.
2. When you can come up with the 'proper' way to transliterate names from one language to English, let me know.
But, hmm, thx for the tip. Wonder if I'm dyslexic since I moved the 'h'...
Parody is perfectly legal.
Can't take the heat?
Set up a shoeshine.
Better yet,go back to school.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
One of the counter arguments to the whole "video-games cause people to be violent" claim is the "video-games give people a way to act out their violent fantasies without actually doing it in real life and thus satisfying their violent urge." This is a philosophy I subscribe to. Anyone ever wanted to drive your car at full speed down the street and then pull the e-brake to slide around corners but knew you would either kill yourself or other people in the process? Sure who hasn't. Well thanks to GTA, I can do that as much as I want without endangering anyone or anything. My urge to do so in real life subsides. Ever get so frustrated with the people that you just feel like launching RPG's at random cars and having a shoot-out with the police? Or even just simply beat up a hooker for no apparent reason? Thanks to GTA, I can live out this fantasy without actually dieing in a hail of gunfire or getting beat upside the head by an angry pimp. Sometimes when you start feeling violent, the best thing to do is be violent, but on a much smaller and safer scale. Punch a pillow, play contact sports, beat your wife (okay maybe not the last one). GTA is just another outlet.
Now here is why I really hope Jack Thompson's argument is correct and that I am wrong. If I am right, and Jack Thompson successfully blocks the release of GTA IV, or has his likeness removed, then people who feel like killing Jack Thompson will not have an outlet. The only thing to do will be to kill Jack Thompson...for real. So simply because I don't wish anyone to be killed in real life, I don't want Jack to be killed. I guess I'm just a nice guy. Even though he does suck ass. Now if the game does release as is, then anyone who feels the urge to kill Jack Thompson can do so in the game...over and over again, until the urge to kill has faded.
So Jack, for your own sake, I really hope you're right.
"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how drunk you get." -- H. J. Simpson
Everybody, download "I'm OK" by ThompsonSoft - funniest game ever!
See Wikipedia for the full story.
This happened with the comic book industry in the 50s and 60s. Hell even the early 70s. Look at where that industry is now. The Comics industry had its Jack Thompson of the day. This will blow over too. Guys on hypocritical crusades like this never win out in the long term. They may make one or two minor battles but by and large they lose the war due to the conflicting parts of their positions.
1) Create "Legal Fiction" that video games cause people to be violent.
2) Fail repeatedly to convince the courts of same.
3) Start "loosing it".
4) Start playing video games.
5) Kill my old high school rival in a GTA re-enactment.
6) Call myself as an expert witness for the defense during my murder trial.
7) Profit??
"A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
GeneralEmergency
Hunter Thompson decides he is in Doonesbury.
I mean, he was great when serving in Congress... OH! Jack Thompson.. my bad...
Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
That's an interesting combination of comment and sig.
My new blog
Because if not, the representation clearly isn't Thompson.
I scream. You scream. I assume that means we're both acquainted with the problem. We proceed.
On a related note, the Good counterpoint to J.T.'s Evil, Gamerdad, just recovered from a heart attack and quadruple heart bypass surgery. GamerDad is a videogame advocate in a family context, who gets into talk shows too. For you nasty people suggesting the heart attack is due to his lifestyle, he debunks that here.
You can help the forces of Good and send a penny his way to help with his medical fees there.
Misleading titles? Inflammatory blurbs? Keep in mind that Slashdot is a tabloid.
For all the frivolous crap Jack has done, can't THE PEOPLE sue him for frivolously wasting our tax dollars?
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
If it wasn't for *THIS* he would have certainly found some other excuse to block the sale of the game.
Jack Thompson should go and get stuffed. If people wish to parody him, it's his problem. He shouldn't make it the whole world's problem.
Only until he saw the error of his ways.
To anyone who plays the game, it's very obvious the lawyer is Jack Thompson. That said, Rockstar made sure the character was just ambiguous enough that if Thompson ever suggested the lawyer was him, he would look like a paranoid moron. Of course, he took the bait and provided tons of free advertising for the new GTA. Brilliant!
The Institute of Incomplete Research has determined that 9 of out 10
He's going to attempt to block the release of the game unless something is done about this? Oh no! They'd better remove it immediately then. Surely that will be the end of this.
It's not like Mr. Thompson has a preexisting bias against these folks and fully intends to try to block release of this game, using any excuse regardless of how flimsy it might be. No, I'm certain that if they were to take this out or change it then Mr. Thompson would just leave them alone and let them release their game without any comment.
If it is really his parody, I will be the first one to buy the game..
then instead of shooting him with a gun, i will use a baseball bat to beat him to death!
You know, violence in video games has become this thing thanks to this nearly disbarred lawyer, but I've got a problem with that.
See, for me, for most of the people I know, we grew up playing video games. I remember playing Wolfenstein 3d on my Father's 386 for the first time (We all gathered around, in fact, because it was amazing looking for the time). I was probably in Grade 2. This means that for most of my life, video games have been there.
I don't think I'm alone. I think a majority of the people on this site can honestly say the same.
When someone comes along saying that video games make people dysfunctional, it's like telling our parents that going out camping, or riding bicycles, or playing with dolls makes people dysfunctional. You're attacking a pillar of our childhood. We know full well it doesn't cause these things, because we and everyone we know did it.
It's been a long time.
Wait... so does this mean he wasn't intending to block the game before this happened?
dammit R*