Infamous Florida attorney Jack Thompson has set his sights on his newest videogame related crusade.
Apparently, after seeing ads for 2K’s critically celebrated shooter, Bioshock, during a broadcast of WWE Smackdown, he became distraught with worry for America’s youth. For you see, as Thompson so clearly and succinctly states in his formal complaint to the FCC, since the WWE has a large amount of viewers that are under 17, it is completely inappropriate for any sort of adult merchandise to be advertised there.
Stated Thompson in his FTC complaint:
"Take-Two… is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids under 17 years of age," he wrote. "On this Friday’s night’s 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE’s wrestling program "Smackdown," there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game’s Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock."
In short, this is an all new low for the guy.
*Takes deep breath to prepare for my lengthy rant…*
OK Jack…
How many beer commercials air during a professional wrestling broadcast? How many ads for R-rated movies? Why hasn’t Thompson ever cared about America’s youth while those commercials were airing?
Teens die in drunk driving accidents at an alarming frequency these days. So shouldn’t that be the main priority? Far more teenage deaths are attributed to alcohol than videogames.
I guess by his logic it’s OK for some companies to mass market their advertising campaigns, but not the ones he knows how to slander.
I mean seriously, God forbid a company should advertise with one of the most successful and widely viewed television programs this side of JFK’s funeral.
Also, the irony should be lost on no one that Thompson filed a complaint for advertising a violent product during a violent wrestling show.
Over the years Thompson’s influence on the public’s opinion of games has been waning ever so consistently. Sure he was able to convince them before, not entirely unlike how Adolf Hitler was able to convince Germany that their suffering was due to Judaism. However, just as the Germans eventually came to realize his evil, so the American people, media, and the institutions who have to listen to his constant wolf-crying will realize this as well.
Your time is over, Jack. Diminish.
