The Boston Terror Scare
Paranoia Runs Amok
So what gives? Lite-brites giving the middle finger now cause entire cities to go into full-on terror response mode? If you haven't seen them, that's exactly what they look like-a square peg type lighted figure on a small pegboard, sort of smirking and giving the "bird." Not something one would typically expect to be an Al-Qaeda M.O.
The devices are part of an advertising campaign for the Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" animated series. A full length feature film is set to be released in March, and they were looking for publicity. Cheap, innovative, and effective are the good points of guerrilla marketing campaigns. City wide terror scares are not. Turner Broadcasting of Atlanta, Ga. is the parent company of Cartoon Network, and was quick to apologize for the incident. Not enough, The city says. They arrested two men and charged them with placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct. The two men didn't help themselves too much. When talking to reporters after being let out on bail, they wouldn't talk about anything but hairstyles of the past and how they related to today. Boston officials aren't even a little bit amused, and plan to seek compensation for city charges. The early tally is somewhere around 750,000.00...wow. They are going after anyone and everyone involved.
We have one on the wall in a coffee shop here in Portland that has been there for about three weeks. As far as anyone knows, nobody has thought it was any kind of terror device. Even though the devices are now selling for alot of money on the internet, the coffee shop plans to keep theirs.
So how does a marketing campaign turn into an event that shuts down highways, bridges, subways, even part of the river? A snowball of fear, that's what. After the first device was found, suddenly everybody was seeing them everywhere. And no one took a moment to think that maybe these aren't dangerous explosives, but really simple toys. They even blew one up on television. After that, you would think someone would look at the parts and say something like "well, no explosives here." In short, it is smart to pay attention. It's stupid to let something like this drive people to irrational fears. The city officials of Boston, instead of wiping the egg off their faces and admitting that this went way, way to far are set on making everybody involved pay. If we allow paranoia to run amok over every little thing, then what the terrorist want to do is working. They are making us senselessly afraid.
Published by Jeff Musall - Featured Contributor in Sports
Jeff Musall has a passion for writing, a knack for frank and informed expression, and a desire to engage the minds of readers. His work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and various online venues... View profile
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- Lite-Brites terrorize Boston!
- Too much "awareness" can be a bad thing.
- The city needs to take some of the blame.
12 Comments
Post a Commentwell, the two "suspects" were released...watch, they will soon be touring with those two "buddies" from American Idol...keep on rockin' in the free world, baby!
The funniest part of this whole thing to me was that internet bloggers identified the "suspicious devices" before the Boston PD did.
while I am divided on the response of the city to the ads you have to laugh at the defendants press conference. Anytime someone can mock the media and make fun of them I'm all for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XTuiyJNJOI&mode=related&search=
Better start confiscating Etch A Sketch...never know what might happen when you turn the knobs. Any Barbie doll with a purse or bookbag should come off the shelves immediately... and worst of all, rid the stores of Slinkys 'cause, well, who knows what could happen if a Slinky got into the wrong hands.
And, not that I agree with any of what you went on to spill, but you are right, Mr Sexton, it was hilarious. Everybit of it. This here in AC is the best coverage of it I have seen yet...and this is not really very good either.
What in the world?? News shows-"NEWS SHOWS"-bored us all stiff with those two bone bags one with no brain except how he could vicariously usurp what his hair buddy could extend to him and all you guys can think of to do is blame the administration for what the cartoon people, the Boston Polizei, and the two clown clones chose of their own freewill to do...Get something to do, and write less boring stuff. Also, it is not George's fault. You actually fall into league with these two skin satchels with this article, Mr Musall.
Sorry, meant to say "aren't scared" obviously.
This is hilarious. These two advertising dupes were paid about 300 bucks and had to pay over a thousand each for bail. Boston goes into a tizzy and everyone is blaming Cartoon Network. How about blaming the climate of fear that our lovely leaders have engendered in this country so they could get approval for their war? Those stupid terror alert and Bush's lies about stopping terrorist attacks--did you catch Olbermann's revelations about Bush built up these attacks from nothing for inclusion in his State of the Union address, and even used the same plan for two different examples--have led to this nonsense. It's too bad more Americans are scared into a state of apoplexy over things that really threaten their lives, like rising health care costs, global warming, relaxation of workplace regulations, and laws making it harder to file and gain from liability lawsuits filed against corporations.
As some one who called their brother inlaw in sheer panic on 9-11 to be sure he wasn't flying out of Boston that day and whose brother was supposed to be on the second plane, again out of Boston I can understand the initial terror at realizing something seeminly innocent is suddenly appearing here ther and everywhere. However, I would think some of the officials sent to check these out would have recognized a damn light brite. The terrorists are winning.
Isn't this funny in a tragic way? Dude I lived in New York-I know how it feels to wait for the other shoe to drop. Ridiculous if you are removed from it, (geographically or mentally) but, pre 911 who in their right minds would have feared commercial jets flying overhead?? "what a world...what a world..." (wwof the west voice please)