Rockstar hits back at Thompson

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 September, 2005

And Thompson hits back at them.

Miami-based lawyer Jack Thompson has responded angrily to what he claims is an attempt by Rockstar to brand him a "sexual pervert".

For several years Thompson has slammed the developer's Grand Theft Auto games for their violent and sexual content, and recently he was a vocal critic of the GTA: San Andreas 'Hot Coffee' mod.

Rockstar has just launched a new website for forthcoming PSP game GTA: Liberty City Stories, which features a spoof email from "JT@CitizensUnitedNegatingTechnology".

"The Internet is an unambiguous evil," the email reads.

"The only things worse than the Internet are computer games and liberals."

"Only last week, I was using the Internet to look up some information for my 15 year old niece, who is a keen water skier and state wide sailor," it continues.

"Trust me when I say this - searching under the subject matter "Teenage girls water sports" is not for the faint hearted."

Those who "really care about our society" are then invited to click on a lick to the Citizens United Negating Technology website, which features testimonials by people who say their lives have been ruined by the Internet, along with advice to "Turn off now before you are sucked into a vortex of shame, drugs and pornography."

Shortly after the website appeared online, US site GamePolitics received an angry email response from Thompson, in which he wrote: "Take-Two/Rockstar has created and paid for an actual Internet website for the purpose of furthering the notion that its most abiding and most effective critic, Jack Thompson, is himself a sexual pervert.

"When you click on the fake email [on the Liberty City Stories site], you will find that JT (Jack Thompson) likes to surf the Internet for pictures depicting deviant sex acts by teenage girls.

"Additionally," Thompson continues, "There is at the site an audio ad featuring a man whose name is "Jack" who is found naked by a mother in her son's room.

"Bisexual paedophile Jack Thompson is the combined message."

Thompson goes on to accuse Rockstar of adopting "The oldest dodge used by the porn industry, first used on Jack Thompson by radio pornographers whom Thompson got fined by the FCC in 1989.

"Jack Thompson can assure the world that the only thing to which he is "addicted" is eating entertainment industry scofflaws for breakfast - and golf."

Rockstar was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (56) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • sephy #1 7 years ago

    You think in between all this, Rockstar could come up with some more original gameplay ideas ...

    /ducks behind large boulder

  • PES_Fanboy #2 7 years ago

    Ahahaha, what a fucktard.

  • kryten #3 7 years ago

    go Rockstar!

    only in America eh? The land of the free, where you can buy an M4 assault rifle, yet get told off for playing a fantasy game which has some ever so slight sexual content.

    /shakes fist...

  • Teeth #4 7 years ago

    Hehehe, good one Rockstar, that moron deserves to be paraded in front of everyone for exactly what he is. A perverted sexual deviant.

  • speedjack #5 7 years ago

    Isn't winding up ill informed, hot headed, right wing idiot lawyers fun ?!!!

    ...and easy.

  • DrPhil #6 7 years ago

    "Bisexual paedophile Jack Thompson is the combined message."

    i think there were other insults in there aswell Mr Thompson

  • Blerk #7 7 years ago

    lol!

  • Razzajazz #8 7 years ago

    Jack Thompson is doing his absolute best to perpetuate the image that he is a pompous fool! While he may even have some important points (I'm not saying I agree with him, though!), he continues to make himself look like an idiot by falling hook, line and sinker for every windup tactic R* send his way!

    It's all bloody entertaining though, eh?!!! :)

  • Milk #9 7 years ago

    Why did rockstar bother? just ignore the little shit...

  • Teeth #10 7 years ago

    Come on, he needs baiting!

  • twinbee #11 7 years ago

    He deserves it.

    "THE INTERNET IS A PORN HIGHWAY TO HELL" - funny because it's true.

  • bionutz #12 7 years ago

    most effective critic
    That doesn't make an effective one.
    Sir, your main problem is the lack of arguments, if I may remark.
    /johnporno out.

  • Freek #13 7 years ago

    Jack Tompson in "Can't Take a Joke"-Shocker. :D

  • myiagros #14 7 years ago

    that site is the funniest thing i've read in ages.

    Well worth a read of peoples comments.

  • Mr_Whacker #15 7 years ago

    I think Rockstart are starting to take the piss. They've had their free marketing out of Hot Coffee thing and now GTA 4 will sell more than San Andreas. Now they are just being obnoxious and giving him genuine fuel for his crusade. He'd be laughed away if they just pointed at his flimsy notions but now he is the victim of a personal attack and folks will listen to that.

  • Necropolis #16 7 years ago

    A site that pokes fun at Jack and has the below anacronym certainly gets my vote... Top quality stuff...

    CITIZENS
    UNITED
    NEGATING
    TECHNOLOGY
    FOR
    LIFE
    AND
    PEOPLE'S
    SAFETY

  • Milk #17 7 years ago

    I'm with Mr_Whacker, I think the site is funny but I have a nagging feeling that this will come back to bite Rockstar.

  • Necropolis #18 7 years ago

    Now they are just being obnoxious and giving him genuine fuel for his crusade. He'd be laughed away if they just pointed at his flimsy notions but now he is the victim of a personal attack and folks will listen to that.

    The thing is they haven't personally attacked him. What they are doing is a parody which is completely legal and protected by the American Constitution under the first amendment.

  • prettyboytim #19 7 years ago

    Am I the only one who thinks this is childish and unhelpful?

  • Feanor #20 7 years ago

    LOL. I didn't know about the F.L.A.P.S. bit.

  • Feanor #21 7 years ago

    "The thing is they haven't personally attacked him. What they are doing is a parody which is completely legal and protected by the American Constitution under the first amendment."

    Quite right. I saw The People vs. Larry Flynt too. :)

  • Sko #22 7 years ago

    *is going to need a dictionary to find out what 'scofflaw' is, but suspects it's something to do with 'cock'*

  • Teeth #23 7 years ago

    Jack Thompson is, in his own way, being incredibly childish about the whole video games industry. He's also the one in the wrong, so R* get my support out of the two figurative fighting children here.

  • Gurgeh #24 7 years ago

    Where's Chris Morris when you need him...

  • davyuk #25 7 years ago

    Where's Chris Morris when you need him

    Somewhere, burning all evidence linking him to Nathan Barley.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/05 @ 16:23

  • Shrui #26 7 years ago

    Talks about himself in the third person. Let it be known that Shrui finds this as a sure sign to STEP BACK!

  • Eighthours #27 7 years ago

    How could you write this article, and completely miss out all the good jokes?

    I'm disappointed in you, EG!

  • kangarootoo #28 7 years ago

    I have to admit to thinking this was a top move by Rockstar. Business sense aside, and whether it comes back to bite them later or not, there is nothing more amusing than mocking someone whose ego is so huge that they simply can't take a joke.

    Every time Jack Thompson gets all hot and bothered and hits back, he invites further ridicule, and that kind of makes him a target.

    I'm not saying making fun of stupid egotistical narrow minded people is going to get you into heaven. I'm just saying its funny.

  • Teeth #29 7 years ago

    The rockstar hits Jack. The rockstar kicks Jack.
    The rockstar hits Jack! Jack looks weaker.
    Jack reads a cursed book of comebacks -5.
    Jack dictates a letter. The secretary looks tired!
    [more]

  • kangarootoo #30 7 years ago

    "Let it be known that Shrui finds this as a sure sign to STEP BACK!"

    Christ thats funny. Nice one mate.

  • kangarootoo #31 7 years ago

    The warg cleaves Jack's skull.

    Jack is dead. Jack has completed 12% of this adventure.

    EDIT: "Jack reads a cursed book of comebacks -5."

    Hehe. This thread is on form.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/05 @ 17:02

  • jimmyboo #32 7 years ago

    Oh good Lord, this made me laugh. Rockstar have clearly been taking lessons from George Galloway. Shame they don't put as much effort into creativity...

  • w00t #33 7 years ago

    Are we sure this guy isn't someone's sock on an epic scale?

  • rocketScience #34 7 years ago

    er...

    did he say "radio pornographers"?

    What is this "radio porn" and where can I get some? This just sounds fascinating!

  • GitSomE_UK #35 7 years ago

    Hey, have you seen the attachments on the mails? lots of ingame footage there I assume from the PSP... it looks the nuts!

    Click on the pictures next to the mails for little clips

    Oh yeah take a look at the ammunation web site http://www.ammunation.net/
    Edited by 2 at 16/09/05 @ 18:16

  • mastertigurius #36 7 years ago

    "The oldest dodge used by the porn industry, first used on Jack Thompson by radio pornographers whom Thompson got fined by the FCC in 1989."

    1989???!!! I'm amazed he can keep going at this rate! o_O

  • Gl3n #37 7 years ago

    ahahahahaha

    Keep it going rockstar, give JT his own radio station :)

  • Dragul #38 7 years ago

    WHEN I WENT ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND MYSELF LOOKING AT PICTURES OF NAKED WOMEN AND ACTUALLY ENJOYING IT. THIS IS A *REAL* SHAME.

    Yep this is a serious question raised here...

  • inpHilltr8r #39 7 years ago

    Only in America? How quickly we forget Mary Whitehouse.

  • Bates #40 7 years ago

    I would say he makes some interesting points, but I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to be preached at by a faggot pedo!

    /Storms off

  • Khab #41 7 years ago

    "Teenage girls water sports".... hehehehe.....heheh......HAHAHAHA

    /googles

  • frod. #42 7 years ago

    "and golf."

    pmsl

  • Xerx3s #43 7 years ago

    Way to go rockstar! I luv you again! This Tomson bloke can just FO&D. This guy believes in hell eh? [...] >:)

  • Nadir #44 7 years ago

    Good stuff Rockstar.

    The testimonials on the Citizens United Negating Technology website are excellent: -

    “Growing up in a strict religious house hold, I did not know what a penis or a vagina was. Then I got hooked on the internet. Now, I am ashamed to admit I have both.”

    :-)

    Nadir

  • smelly #45 7 years ago

    i tried "teenage girls water sports" on google.. hit "im feeling lucky" and got this:

    http://www.gurl.com/

    only one naughty word on the whole site

  • ali-uk #46 6 years ago

    LMFAO, I love Rockstar. They officially owned his ass.

  • kakarlsen #47 6 years ago

    Smelly: Remove the space between "water" and "sports", and you will get som other hits =D

    (With safe search set to off, of course)

  • matrim83 #48 6 years ago

    From the website :

    THE ONLY FRIENDS YOU MAKE ONLINE ARE NERDS, LOSERS OR PERVERTS. BECAUSE EXCEPT FOR YOU AND ME, EVERYONE ONLINE IS ONE OF THESE.

    So true :)
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/05 @ 18:49

  • Nillsens #49 6 years ago

    On a scale from 1 to 10 that was totally awesome :p

  • Krun #50 6 years ago

    to quote
    goldie looking chain
    "Guns dont kill people rappers do."

    Well maybe its not those evil rappers, its video games!

    Well the answer is clear.
    Bann all emotion and personal choice and we can all live in the wonderfull world depicted in the film "Equilibrium".~

  • Genji #51 6 years ago

    I think I might be with the minority opinion on this one. Don't get me wrong - I thought the website was very funny.
    But this sort of stuff is not going to help Rockstar - Thompson can use it to effectively portray himself as a victim. The media are only listening to him right now, and attacks like this - despite how funny/relevant they are - are only going to be seen as childish.

  • PES_Fanboy #52 6 years ago

    attacks like this - despite how funny/relevant they are - are only going to be seen as childish.

    Yeah, but he started it ;o)

  • Royal Fool #53 6 years ago

    If Rockstar keep up these little stunts of theirs it's eventually gonna bite them back.

  • L42yB #54 6 years ago

    hahahahahahahahahahahaha....ha
    funny story, good 4 a laugh.

  • MaskedDave #55 6 years ago

    "Rockstar was unavailable for comment at the time of writing."

    ...Because they were pissing themselves too much to pick up the phone.
    Edited by 1 at 19/09/05 @ 13:21

  • firefly #56 6 years ago

    I'm all for pointing out how ludicrous Jack Thompson's politics are but I do agree that the personal attacks are a bit much. Ignoring potential repercussions it seems that Rockstar are being rather hypocritical - how is their making (indirect) accusations about his sexual exploits any different from his ill-informed and unjustified claims that the games industry is consciously trying to destroy our morality?

    As somebody already pointed out we really need Chris Morris in this debate - at least he knows how to get people to expose their own stupidity.
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/05 @ 13:41