And now, the fate of the guerilla artists/advertisers. Did they break a law? What kind of precendent does this set? Did Interference, Inc. tell the artists to sit tight and keep quiet? Why? While my overactive and cynical imagination does tell me that some mean-spirited bastards in a marketing firm certainly *could* come up with a strategy that involves causing a terror fright in a big U.S. city at least once, I definitely don't believe that these artists created and posted their Mooninites with any intention of scaring anyone. Can't we all just get a Mulligan on this one?
I think it's a sad expression of misdirected collective frustration and embarrassment on the part of Boston and Massachusetts state authorities that's led to the arrest of these two fellas. Unfortunately, thanks to the media (remarkably non-proactive on making the Ignignokt and Err connection), this got all too much attention, and I guess those in power on the security side have decided they need a scapegoat/s to take the fall/blame/responsibility. I want to say it's a no-fault situation, but man, how useless and unhelpful was the news coverage?
Did anyone else hear about two fake or incomplete pipe bombs discovered in the New England Medical Center in the wake of the Sullivan Square device? Barely a footnote in the day's news, buried in most articles I've seen, if it appears at all.
I think the average commuter is vigilant enough. Yeah, it took weeks for anyone in Boston to bring these foreign devices to the attention of any authorities, but perhaps locals and regulars had already become familiar with the devices as illuminated ads—you can find traces of notice in the blogosphere and flickr that date back weeks. I want to think that It just took a a Sullivan Square passerby who'd never seen one before by surprise, y'know?
Did *no one* within a degree or two of someone in charge recognize these little pixelly buggers? Designfemme's got a pic of the Adult Swim illuminated billboard (not device) visible over 93 in Somerville (by Assembly Square, I think?). No one saw a resemblance?
And Mayor, Governor, please, instead of leading with outrage at the cost of the occupied resources and officers and such, how about a report and praise for emergency services and protocols that jumped into action as they did, eh?
I should think that financial settlement or compensation for the resources spent should be done on the quiet side, not in angry threatening sound bites about making someone pay. How could there be *such* a huge disconnect between so many Bostonians familiar with ATHF and those in charge of the police, bomb squad, and others on the scene?
Guess we'll have to wait for the USA movie to find out the truth... *sigh*
Where are the spin doctors when you actually need them?
Keep on keepin on~
* Friday evening. Put a bid on your very own "supicious device!"
1 comment:
I think one thing to remember here is that the great majority of people out there (95%?) probably have never even heard of ATHF, or even the Cartoon Network.
I work generally with normal human beings (somehow, I pass), and I don't think any of the "adults" I work with, who are still generally young people, have any clue who Meatwad, Frylock, and the gang are.
Sometimes, in our own circle, where we do all know these obscure pop-culture things, we have to remember that the great majority of people out there are much more intersted in what's coming on the next Grey's Anatomy episode.
Which, by the way, is just a Scrubs ripoff, but that's another tangent...
I think if we polled our close friends, close to 80-90% would probably have known that the things were Mooninites. However, we're not the average, thankfully...
Rambling rant over...
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