Jack Thompson is a douche bag

He's spent a career building bank on back woods kind of bible thumping and book burning logic. In 1989 he was responsible for the first decency fines ever levied by the Federal Communications Commission-- he led the 2 Live Crew federal obscenity trial, which resulted in the first verdict in United States history to find a sound recording to be obscene. Granted it was in Dade County, Florida, but still. And along with his buddy Charlton Heston (of NRA fame), Thompson persuaded Time Warner to pull "Cop Killer" from Ice T's 1992 Bodycount album.

So I'm writing this op/ed piece for http://www.gamershell.com/ about videogames and violence, because Thompson renewed his crusade last week by suing Sony, Take Two (publisher of Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto Vice City), Gamestop and Walmart for $300 million. He's saying they all played a roll in training Devin Thompson to go on a carjacking kill spree in June of 2003. Devin Thomposon is accused of killing 3 cops.

Jack Thompson, the douchebag right-wing attorney, has a Web site where he urges people to contact him about violent video games. So I emailed him to try and get his side for the story I was writing. Here's the exchange:

----- Original Message -----
From: shaunmccormack
To: jackpeace@comcast.net
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 6:11 PM
Subject: interview questions

Jack, I'm working on an article about video game violence. I've read alot about your crusades against video games and the Devin Thompson trial and wanted to get you to clarify your position for me. With Thompson, do you believe that he would not have committed these murders had he not played these games? Is there a law in Alabamma that forbids retailers from selling M-rated games to minors? Do you have as much of a problem with less realistic violence, like with games from the 1980s? What about Dungeons and Dragons, which was demonized in the 80s and blamed for several youth murders and suicides? What about violent sports game simulations; hockey, football, boxing, wrestling? How much consideration do you give to the idea that the responsibility for shielding kids from violence should lie with the parents instead of game developers or retailers? I need to get this story in over the next few days, so please email me back soon. Feel free to call me at 201-239-0449 if you need more details. Thanks,Shaun McCormack


----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Thompson
To: shaunmccormack
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: interview questions

kiss the game industry good-bye


----- Original Message -----
From: shaunmccormack
To: Jack Thompson
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: interview questions

do you care to answer any of my questions?


----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Thompson
To: shaunmccormack
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: interview questions

nope

----- Original Message -----
From: shaunmccormack
To: Jack Thompson
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: interview questions

why do you have a web site urging people to contact you if you don't want to talk about this stuff?

----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Thompson
To: shaunmccormack
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 4:14 AM
Subject: Re: interview questions

read again whom I want to have contact me. have the games so disabled your frontal lobes that you can't understand the site?


----- Original Message -----
From: shaunmccormack
To: Jack Thompson
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: interview questions

"This site's purpose is to give you the means to contact Miami attorney Jack Thompson if you know of someone harmed as a result of violent entertainment, including violent video games." I'm writing about Devin Thompson and the three officers he allegedly killed. In your opinion, don't these people fall under the umbrella of "someone harmed as a result of violent entertainment"? Why are you resorting to personal attacks?

----- Original Message -----
From: Jack Thompson
To: shaunmccormack
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 4:36 PM

it says if you are harmed. bug off

Worlds Apart

My review of the new ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead album is here.
I really don't know what to make of these guys any more. Their last full length album Source Tags and Codes was phenomenal.

I've seen them play twice at Irving Plaza in New York. They completely blew me away the first time-- one of the best shows I've seen in the past 5 years. The second time they were like a bunch of Fat Elvises, trashed before they got on stage and so awful that I left after 3 songs.

I'm interviewing the Trail of Dead next week, so there'll be more info on these guys in the near future.

mclusky is dead

The best loud indie rock band in the world died last week. I wrote a kind of eulogy that (I hope) will be published at indie music Web zine Junkmedia (http://junkmedia.org). Front guy Andy Falkous gave me about 30 minutes for an interview. Indie rock godfather Steve Albini was a big Mclusky fan; he recorded their last two albums and gave me time for an interview also. This blog takes its name from a lyric in mclusky's "1956 and all that."