Kotaku dissects Jack Thompsons lie on FOX News

Granted this is not Wii related, this is still important to see the lies being spewed by this man.

By Brian Crecente:

Just hours after the shooting on the Virginia Tech campus, Jack Thompson worked his way onto national television to attempt to tie the tragedy to video games – hours before authorities had released any information about the suspect or his motive.

Watching the video (below), I found more than a half-dozen points which were either grossly misleading or out-right lies:

YouTube Preview Image

1. The FBI and Secret Service found that the most common denominator for shootings prior to Columbine was that the perpetrator was immersed in “incredibly violent entertainment, most notable video games.”
Time: 30 seconds
Verdict: Not exactly True
Evidence: In 2000, the FBI published an analysis of 18 schools, 14 of which had actual shootings. In the other four, students planned shootings but were thwarted.

2. The FBI found that Red Lake school shooter Jeffrey Weise had “basically rehearsed for the massacre” by playing Grand Theft Auto Vice City in order to get his heart rate down and be able to kill.
Time: 49 seconds
Verdict: Cannot prove or disprove

3. Prior to going on a shooting spree at Dawson College in Montreal, Kimveer Gill “trained on Super Columbine Massacre.”
Time: 1 minute 10 seconds
Verdict: False

What do we learn from this assessment of Thompson’s babble on national television?

That you can say anything on TV and not have it fact-checked as long as you say it quickly, when TV needs someone to fill time and it’s a good sound bite.

Read all of the points Jack tries to make proven false by evidence from Kotaku



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  • Ben

    Omigosh… I played Doom… Ima go shoot people now. No matter how the news anchor tries to change the subject Jack Thompson refuses to look away from video games. You guys don’t see a pattern here — The correct course of action is clear. We must censor everything from everyone.

    … either that or say Fuck the media.

  • Ben

    Omigosh… I played Doom… Ima go shoot people now. No matter how the news anchor tries to change the subject Jack Thompson refuses to look away from video games. You guys don’t see a pattern here — The correct course of action is clear. We must censor everything from everyone.

    … either that or say Fuck the media.

  • Will

    I’m sure we can blame pong now for the previous recorded fatal shooting holder Charles Whitman when he went on a rampage at the Texas University campus in the mid 60′s. Oh wait that wasn’t even out yet. So what could have cause him to become psychopathic? Why do we always blame media when its ultimately clear these people are always angry loners who usually hate or have very little support from friends or families. I hate when the news puts up a one sided debate like this.

  • Will

    I’m sure we can blame pong now for the previous recorded fatal shooting holder Charles Whitman when he went on a rampage at the Texas University campus in the mid 60′s. Oh wait that wasn’t even out yet. So what could have cause him to become psychopathic? Why do we always blame media when its ultimately clear these people are always angry loners who usually hate or have very little support from friends or families. I hate when the news puts up a one sided debate like this.

  • Will

    I’m sure we can blame pong now for the previous recorded fatal shooting holder Charles Whitman when he went on a rampage at the Texas University campus in the mid 60′s. Oh wait that wasn’t even out yet. So what could have cause him to become psychopathic? Why do we always blame media when its ultimately clear these people are always angry loners who usually hate or have very little support from friends or families. I hate when the news puts up a one sided debate like this.

  • Will

    I’m sure we can blame pong now for the previous recorded fatal shooting holder Charles Whitman when he went on a rampage at the Texas University campus in the mid 60′s. Oh wait that wasn’t even out yet. So what could have cause him to become psychopathic? Why do we always blame media when its ultimately clear these people are always angry loners who usually hate or have very little support from friends or families. I hate when the news puts up a one sided debate like this.

  • http://www.xanga.com/relaxing_roth Roth

    I OBJECT~!
    Clearly, knowing how much stress the average college student goes through, this guy must’ve been ticked off by bullies to the point he finally breaks out.

    I just read that Dr. Phil also blames it on video games. I don’t know why it’s just video games. If they blame video games, then blame movies, or books, or any type of entertainment.

    I say blame the 2nd Ammendment.

    // Roth

  • http://www.xanga.com/relaxing_roth Roth

    I OBJECT~!
    Clearly, knowing how much stress the average college student goes through, this guy must’ve been ticked off by bullies to the point he finally breaks out.

    I just read that Dr. Phil also blames it on video games. I don’t know why it’s just video games. If they blame video games, then blame movies, or books, or any type of entertainment.

    I say blame the 2nd Ammendment.

    // Roth

  • http://wiifuse.com/ WiidOwned

    its a tragedy what happened, and roth, i was thinking the Exact same thing

  • http://wiifuse.com WiidOwned

    its a tragedy what happened, and roth, i was thinking the Exact same thing

  • rockefellow

    Ben, you are a fucking idiot.

  • rockefellow

    Ben, you are a fucking idiot.

  • shanoboy

    I think the reason movies, books and other forms of entertainment seem to get passed over on the blame game are because adults enjoy them while video games are still seen largely as a medium children play. Don’t fret, Jack Thompson might be disbarred soon in Florida. I hope so.

  • shanoboy

    I think the reason movies, books and other forms of entertainment seem to get passed over on the blame game are because adults enjoy them while video games are still seen largely as a medium children play. Don’t fret, Jack Thompson might be disbarred soon in Florida. I hope so.

  • shanoboy

    And Roth, I don’t know if I would go as far as blaming the second amendment. Germany and Scotland have both had terrible school shootings in recent years and guns are almost totally illegal in both those countries. The last shooting that happened in Germany left 18 dead.

  • shanoboy

    And Roth, I don’t know if I would go as far as blaming the second amendment. Germany and Scotland have both had terrible school shootings in recent years and guns are almost totally illegal in both those countries. The last shooting that happened in Germany left 18 dead.

  • ewwww

    the reason why video games are diliked more then movies, books, etc is that you controll the character. you make tonmmy vercitie kill those people in gta

  • ewwww

    the reason why video games are diliked more then movies, books, etc is that you controll the character. you make tonmmy vercitie kill those people in gta

  • SirVenom

    “blame the 2nd amendment…”
    Ah, but remember…. if guns were outlawed, only outlaws would have guns…
    Of course, public buildings are a different matter…

  • SirVenom

    “blame the 2nd amendment…”
    Ah, but remember…. if guns were outlawed, only outlaws would have guns…
    Of course, public buildings are a different matter…