MSNBC says “Blame yourselves, not video games.”
In the aftermath of the horrific tragedy that befell 5 students of North Illinois University, anti-video game activist attorney Jack Thompson was quick to point a vindictive finger at gamers and the industry. This time, however, the media didn’t immediately jump on the bandwagon; MSNBC released a scathing piece criticizing both Jack Thompson and all those who would more quickly blame video games for society’s degradation than look inside themselves for an answer as to why society has become so violently depraved.
Those of you up to date on national atrocities like the recent school shooting at Virginia Tech and the shootings at NIU just last week should know the name Jack Thompson very well; never one to be left out of the spotlight, Thompson has been quick to jump on the anti-gaming platform to place blame for the violence acted out against innocent bystanders directly on video games and the gamers who play them.
To give you a taste of the type of nonsense Thompson loves to spew forth for his own well being, in a recent “press release” he said this:
We have a nation of Manchurian Candidate video gamers out there who are ready, willing, and able to massacre, and some of them will.
Woah there, hoss. Do you have any evidence to substantiate that fairly liberal statement?
Fear not readers, Thompson presents his evidence thusly:
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…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.
You might be wondering where he gets off making claims like these; Thompson bases his claims off the fact that the shooter last Friday, a one Steven Kazmierczak, played Counter-Strike, according to his dorm mates. Not to point out the obvious, but — ahem — what young man around Kazmierczak didn’t play Counter-Strike at some point in time? Shoot, even home-schoolers that were being “protected” from the evils of public and private schooling probably got a little Counter-Strike time in, if only for a matter of minutes. Those kids must be sleeper cell game-playing killers too, right?
Winda Benedetti, writer for MSNBC, was quick to rip Thompson a new one, pointing out his less than subtle motives, those being mainly money and spotlight time on what Benedetti refers to quite wittily as the “boob tube.”
Benedetti continues to quote Jason Della Rocca, International Game Developer Association’s executive director, who said the following:
It’s easier to say, “Oh it was those video games that brainwashed him.” That’s much easier than saying our society is messed up, people don’t take care of each other, teachers aren’t in control, there’s rampant bullying, and there are no parents at home because they have to work two jobs.
It really is refreshing, not only as a gamer but as a member of a struggling society, to see a major media outlet like MSBNC not working to support the anti-gaming propaganda spat forth by self-serving (insert insult here) like Thompson and other media outlets like, oh, one that rhymes with “socks.” Really, violence and other evidences of evil in the world can only be blamed on society; if anything, the games we play are only created by members of society to fulfill a demand for games made by people in society.
For those of you curious as to the real reason why a seemingly normal grad student would go on a killing rampage, cool-headed authorities believe it could be due to the fact that Kazmierczak had recently stopped taking his anti-depressants. But no, say it isn’t so! There can’t possibly be a rational and logical reason for why someone would lose it and go on a rampage…grab your pitch forks and torches! We’re headed to Sierra’s doorstep for a good old-fashioned tarring and feathering!
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23 Responses to “MSNBC says “Blame yourselves, not video games.””
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February 19th, 2008
hello! microsoft = msn
of course they would defend video games.
February 20th, 2008
Excellent piece, Triston.
February 20th, 2008
If i ever kill someone with the influence of PlayStation games. I think i know who my victim will be, Jack Thompson for his idiotic comments. Video games don’t make killers, killers are naturally born like that.
February 20th, 2008
Wow! Very nice article. I’m glad MSNBC didn’t take sides with this guy. I can’t believe people continue to blame everything but themselves for their problems. It seems like they like to place the blame on a scapegoat so that they don’t have to deal with the real problems. I agree with Ivan. Video games don’t create killers.
February 20th, 2008
It was just right. I mean, everybody plays videogames. And almost like every game has a violence component in it. So why aren’t we guys from all over the world just shooting at people, but just a few are?
Maybe because the problem is in the mind of people who kills, and not in videogames?
Shhh! Don’t want to wake this useless Jack Thompson.
(sorry if i made mistakes in writing…)
February 20th, 2008
Re: Ivan_PSP. We are all born killers, we’re predators and we haven’t been living in large societys long enough to evolve out of that. 99.99 percent of the population have adapted to the situation though. But you think Jack Thompson’s bad you should look up the UKs Keith Vaz. At least Thompson isn’t in any real position of power.
February 20th, 2008
I wonder what Jack Thompson thinks of comic books. Because in the 1940’s and 50’s they were receiving the exact same bad press. People claimed that comic books were making teenagers violent. And when we look at that today, we think “what the f***? Comic books are the most innocent thing in the world”. Funny thing is that during the 40’s we were in World War 2 – TRAINING TEENAGERS TO KILL PEOPLE. And now here we are with this Operation Iraqi Opresion crap, once again – TRAINING TEENAGERS TO KILL PEOPLE, yet for some reason blaming things like video games. Get a grip Jack Thompson. What about all the street violence? There are hundreds of people out there who are too poor to afford video games, but at the same time, are way more violent than your average gamer.
February 20th, 2008
Oh man, this is just amazing. Puts into writing my exact thoughts on the media blaming video games for the violence that happens nowadays.
I think most people in America need to grow up and take responsibility for what happens in our society today, instead of blaming it on things completely unrelated.
February 20th, 2008
Finally someone with power defending video games!
By the way, there is a typo in the article; MSBNC
February 21st, 2008
That’s a great article,
Being held personally responsible for your own actions is a concept that seems to be lost on many.
February 21st, 2008
It’s getting really old hearing about violent video games being blamed for real life violence.
People will look anywhere to point a finger and blame. I mean, if video games caused people to kill there would be millions of more killings going on.
All it is is an unstable person who happens to play video games.
Me, and a bunch of my friends all play violent shooter games and I have yet to kill anyone. And same with my friends.
-Heidi
February 22nd, 2008
Finally! At least one news channel will stand up for video gamers.
Thank you very much NBC!
February 22nd, 2008
Strike that, MSNBC.
February 23rd, 2008
Yeah, it’s pretty obvious why they didn’t jump on the usual media bandwagon – MSNBC being a merger of MSN and NBC, MSN being the Microsoft network, Microsoft being the manufacturer of the Xbox and Xbox 360 – you really just have to make to corporate connections and its clear that it wouldn’t be in the networks interests to bash video games. Of course I don’t agree with idiots like Jack Thompson but I wouldn’t put MSNBC up on a pedestal for this.
February 24th, 2008
“society has become so violently depraved”
Replace “so” with “less”. Violence has been around for a while. Videogames haven’t.
February 24th, 2008
Amen! Well put together. Al though, we should still march with pitchforks and torches to Sierra’s offices…just for funsies =P
February 25th, 2008
I really liked playing lemmings as a kid . . . i have yet to jump off a cliff, stop blaming videogames and start blaming people.
February 26th, 2008
From “Reefer Madness” to attempted bans on comic books and rock-and-roll, there is always a living to be made for a few professional scare mongers. Why it seems only yesterday that Tipper Gore was getting Parental Advisory labels on CDs. I slept well once that was enacted, because I really hate that fucking profanity.
February 28th, 2008
LMAO GEordie..love the comment
March 2nd, 2008
yeah sure…blame the gasme…dont look at the students backgrounds or anything…just blame Counter-Strike…the least violent game in the FPS genre…:D
March 2nd, 2008
One of the reasons why videogames are always on the bad end of an argument is because they are an easy scapegoat. Yes, there are those who defend videogames, but there are still more of those who oppress videogames. I have also noticed that some fo the evidence presented by those who are against videogames always show the same games that have always been contraversial. They never have anything new, except for MSNBC’s “Mass Effect” review. People like Jack Thompson are just people who are afraind of what they don’t know about.
March 6th, 2008
I wouldn’t blame this on video games. Jack should point to family values and parental support or lack there of
Ray
March 6th, 2008
I would definitely not blame video games. Like guns people are too blame.