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February 02, 2007

Hysterical grownups terrorized by cartoon characters

The offending character is called a "Mooninite."

In the wake of that city's jump to the conclusion that “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” cartoon publicity devices were bombs, Many young Bostonians think city overreacted.

Bruce Schneier, whose weblog covers security and security technology, writes, Non-Terrorist Embarrassment in Boston:

The story is almost too funny to write about seriously. To advertise the Cartoon Network show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," the network put up 38 blinking signs (kind of like Lite Brites) around the Boston area. The Boston police decided -- with absolutely no supporting evidence -- that these were bombs and shut down parts of the city.
Now the police look stupid, but they're trying really not hard not to act humiliated:

Governor Deval Patrick told the Associated Press: "It's a hoax -- and it's not funny."

Unfortunately, it is funny. What isn't funny is now the Boston government is trying to prosecute the artist and the network instead of owning up to their own stupidity. The police now claim that they were "hoax" explosive devices. I don't think you can claim they are hoax explosive devices unless they were intended to look like explosive devices, which merely a cursory look at any of them shows that they weren't.
But it's much easier to blame others than to admit that you were wrong...

Schneier also points out,

These blinking signs have been up for weeks in ten cities -- Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia -- and no one else has managed to panic so completely. Refuse to be terrorized, people!

"A post-9/11 world" is no excuse for a city's alleged grownups to act like ninnies. Get a grip and admit you jumped straight to the doomsday scenario without investigating more plausible explanations. It's not the kids' fault that Boston -- alone -- spent $750,000 to defuse cartoon characters that had been decorating ten cities for three weeks.

Doesn't anybody young work for Boston's public safety divisions?

p.s. "Mooninites" merchandise is booming on eBay.

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:29 AM | Permalink

February 02, 2007

Hysterical grownups terrorized by cartoon characters

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