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ARTICLE
Editorial: Aqua Teen Outrage
by Raul Burriel Published: February 2, 2007
An offending Mooninite is given a perp walk by Boston police.
On Wednesday, the city of Boston collectively flipped out. News networks went into a feeding frenzy. And the nation went into high alert. All because of a Lite-Brite image of a little square cartoon character flipping everyone the bird.
Several weeks ago, Turner Broadcasting launched a guerilla marketing campaign for their upcoming movie "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres" (yes, you pronounce the "colon"). Ten cities across the nation - New York, Seattle and Chicago, among them - were peppered with the little magnetic signs - sized about 12 inches by 12 inches with lights and wires. But by that definition, most any form of advertising could be considered a bomb. Truth be told, had these signs featured a more recognizable emblem - say McDonald's golden arches or Nintendo's Mario - this would never have become a news story. But since the signs showed a Mooninite, bomb squads were called in. I don't fault the police for reacting the way they did. Best to err on the side of caution. But after determining the first sign was harmless, we're left wondering why continue the crisis for hours.
The outrage comes in the aftermath. News outlets continue to call this incident a hoax. Doesn't a hoax require intent for people to believe that these signs were a bomb in the first place? Boston and Massachusetts authorities have promised to throw the book at the perpetrators. Among those targeted by authorities are Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, two Boston-area artists hired by a New York marketing firm to place the signs in the first place. They've been charged with disorderly conduct. I don't know if that's the right charge. After all, what they did was illegal. They placed advertising without a permit. But is that disorderly? Surely they deserve a fine, and that's probably factored into costs when advertising companies first come up with guerilla marketing schemes. Worse, though, the two are being charged with having placed a hoax device, a law passed in Massachusetts only months before 9/11 and the subsequent hysteria. Again, can it be called a hoax if the devices were never meant to be considered bombs? Even the judge at the arraignment yesterday questioned whether the charge could stick. It's been reported that the response cost authorities $750,000, not to mention all the lost hours of productivity and frustration, and let's not forget the fear and tension. We're told that Turner Broadcasting will be sued for the cost of the operation. I doubt a suit is necessary. I'm sure Turner would gladly pay $750,000 for this kind of publicity.
Why are the authorities being so harsh? Could it be that they're trying to justify the overblown response? By spewing enough venom at Berdovsky, Stevens, and Turner Broadcasting, perhaps they're trying to deflect any criticism that may be headed their way. But by trumping up charges, they're just spending more tax payer's money, throwing good money after bad.
Authorities in other cities have reported finding some signs and have gone out of their way to justify the response in Boston, while at the same time reporting that they had no similar reaction in their own cities. You can't help but hear the snickering. Boston is now trying to save face and overcompensate. But by doing so, they're just making matters worse. Sure, it would have been nice to have seen some contrition on the part of Berdovsky and Stevens. They did, after all, scare the willies out of thousands - if not millions - of people. But these people needn't have been scared out of their minds. An over reaction by authorities and media outlets looking for the next big story are just as responsible.
