Jack Thompson in CNBC

[Double_Blade]

It's that idiotic Miami Jack Thompson at it again!

Tivo Alert: Thompson To Discuss Louisiana Game Law on CNBC

GP readers hoping to hear Jack Thompson's thoughts on the contested Louisiana game law that he helped author will have their chance tomorrow morning.

You'll need to get up early, however. Failing that, be sure to set your Tivo to record CNBC's Squawk Box program, which comes on the air at 6:00 A.M. According to an e-mail from Thompson his appearance will take place at 6:30.

Squawk Box is hosted by CNBC Stocks Editor Joe Kernen (seen at left) along with former Wall Street Journal reporters Becky Quick and Carl Quintanilla.

From GP's occasional viewings of Squawk Box, it's a very pro-business show, as one might expect on a channel devoted to the financial markets. With Louisiana's new law regarding as confusing and troublesome by Louisiana retailers and regarded as unconstitutional by the video game industry, does that mean Thompson is in for a grilling?

Only time - and Tivo - will tell...

UPDATE: Okay, GP just caught Squawk Box. Co-host Becky Quick (pictured) introduced the segment, which was structured as a point-counterpoint between Thompson and Paul Levinson, a professor of media studies at Fordham University.

Thompson offered his standard game violence comments. GP noticed that he seemed to imply that the movie rating system is regulatory in nature (actually it's voluntary, like the game rating system) when he said:

"40-some states have laws to prohibit the distribution of sexual materials harmful to minors. We have a move rating system in that regard..."

He also said, "The Federal Trade Commission found last month that roughly 42% of the time any kid of any age can walk into any retailer and buy any game like Grand Theft Auto San Andreas despite the game rating."

Actually the FTC's secret shopper numbers were 35% among the major retailers which account for over 90% of all video game sales. And the kids weren't "of any age." The FTC used mystery shoppers who were 13-16.

Host Becky Quick also got the R-rated movie thing wrong (a lot of people do; this is a common misunderstanding). But, surprisingly, Professor Levinson didn't seem to have the facts at hand, either:

Becky Quick: "Although keeping (games) out of the hands of minors, we do that with movies too. You can't get into an R-rated movie if you're under 17."

Paul Levinson: "That's wrong also." (by the context, Levinson meant "wrong" as in "shouldn't be that way" not "incorrect")

Thompson raised the issue of the 2005 American Psychological Association report on video game violence at which point he and Levinson debated whether the study indicated correlation or causation between game violence and violent behavior in children. This part got a bit testy:

Paul Levinson: "You, unfortunately sir, are ignorant of statistics and don't really understand those studies..."

Jack Thompson: "...the American Psychological Association is ignorant?..."

Paul Levinson: "You're apparently too rude to listen to the answer to your question..."

Jack Thompson: "...He's finished. Let me talk"

The segment was about five-minutes long. There was almost no mention of the Louisiana law, which was a major disappointment. We've all heard Thompson's views on video games many times before. GP was hoping the Squawk Box crew might provide some additional insight on the contested Louisiana game law. If you didn't Tivo this one, you didn't miss much.

 

[Murray]

Can't wait to see him making a fool out of himself... again... and again...

 

[Jintor]

I don't know, adults tend not to be very computer saavy, especially in relation to gaming. Here's hoping it's not another 'This idiot is right! Right I say! Unload all shares in anything vaguely game related!'

 

[Double_Blade]

I don't know, adults tend not to be very computer saavy, especially in relation to gaming. Here's hoping it's not another 'This idiot is right! Right I say! Unload all shares in anything vaguely game related!'

I agree...

I hope Jack Thompson gets shamed in the public and in the national TV to let the whole world know how stupid he is.

And whats more stupid is, Jack pretends to be ignorant about everything to cover his shame!! Ahahaha, funny isn't it?

 

[Murray]

So... did anyone get any video footage on it that we can watch?

 

[Beerdude26]

He's getting less and less material to abuse, so he'll die out sooner or later

 

[Ravioli]

where can i see the video?

 

[Murray]

where can i see the video?

I just asked that, shut up!

 

[Cole]

calm down.....

 

[Parlez]

Can't wait to see him making a fool out of himself... again... and again...

He is like the energizer bunny. He keeps making a fool out of him self again... and again.. and again... and again...