ATHF shuts down Boston!

[SheepNutz]

OMG, too funny!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16902707/

I would post the text, but the pictures are a must!!!

[The Sheck]

I hope they talk about this on Adult Swim this Sunday. :D

[SheepNutz]

Dear Boston,
You drop those sweatpants!

Love,
The Mooninites

[rbarchetta]

my favorite quote from the article at cnn (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/31/boston.bombscare/index.html) about this is:

It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt.no. it. would. not.


-r

[daemon]

I don't know what everyone was so worried about. I mean it wasn't like he was wearing the foreigner belt.

[locofly]

it's not just boston.

there's a moonanite sitting above the footlocker here a block away....
i walked to get a cheesesteak earlier, and now i get why all the cops were standing around... apparantly, they want to fine businesses $1500 for every day that they are up. apparantly there are maybe 50 more around the city. if i had a car, i'd consider going on a hunt for one. gotta wonder how much one of these would go for on ebay....

[1979]

Holy crap, this thing is getting blown WAY out of proportion. Goodness gracious. Doesn't anyone in Boston watch Adult Swim?

[classicgrrl]

give me a god damn mother fucking break.

have we REALLY gotten to the point where we cannot tell advertising from terror threats? are we really that stupid?

good grief Charlie Brown. :rolleyes:

[Homsar]

He's flipping us off! What kind of bomb would filp us the bird??

A really cool one, that's what kind.

It's not a damn hoax, it's frickin Aqua Teen!!!!

[catch23]

This is so great. :D

You would think a bomb would be hidden, not placed somewhere easy to see and iluminated with lights. I guess Bostonians think differently.

Two characters in the cartoon named Ignignokt and Err are "mooninites" — trouble-making characters that look like 1980s-era computer graphics. They are represented on the devices making a hand gesture they often use.

I really like the "hand gesture they often use" part. Especially after using "giving the finger" earlier in the article.

[Escalante]

It's the coolest terrorist threat I've ever seen.

[catch23]

I just saw the report on MSNBC. There was video footage of the bomb squad blowing one of the signs up. Ha!

[noonan]

They better not convict that poor schlub of a felony. Take a fucking breath for crying out loud.

[Wolverine]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/Wolverine97X/Miscellaneous/630292_Mooninites_See_This-Tee.jpg

[Chomp Samba]

Jeeeebus. Some guy has been arrested (http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2236957&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1) for this? Insane. They've been up in other cities for weeks and no problems. Someone wears their panties too tight in Boston.

[dragonflier]

Boston needs to lighten up because ~10 other major cities didn't freak out like this.

[Ersatz Genius]

Googled that mumbling Boston mayor Menino. Turns out his "It's all about corporate greed" comment is an ironic attempt to score points based on a theme that's currently big in the news. Either that or his agressive gentrification activities were wholly altruistic.

Oh, and if they're going to arrest people for causing panic why is it that only advertisers are in jail? Is advertising a felony? What about the people who called in a bomb threat without there being a bomb? Isn't that against the law? I'm sure google can tell me. Maybe these sorts of things are only covered by hit or miss local ordinances.

[Somerset Frisby]

Winners: Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Losers: The Boston villagers, who comes across looking like they've never seen a Coca Cola bottle before. I'm embarrassed for them.

Just goes to show you how big that cloud of fear is hanging over our heads.

#1 in the hood "G."

[wileE]

give me a god damn mother fucking break.

have we REALLY gotten to the point where we cannot tell advertising from terror threats? are we really that stupid?

good grief Charlie Brown. :rolleyes:
My thoughts exactly.

[Unrequited]

Holy crap, this thing is getting blown WAY out of proportion. Goodness gracious. Doesn't anyone in Boston watch Adult Swim?

I'd say an overwhelming majority of the country doesn't watch Adult Swim. :confused:

[silentpaul]

I miss playing with my Lite Brite...

[gwar469]

honestly, this is the best marketing that could happen for ATHF, even though I'm sure they didn't want it to be this way. people who had no idea the cartoon even exists got blasted with the knowledge of it on every major news source. not only that, but they got to see Ignignokt and Err doing what they do best. i'd bet there's a considerable increase in ticket sales based on this.

and if there was no intent to terrorize, how can they be arrested on any level of terrorism? can they really hold them on anything more than vandalism? this country is so fucking afraid to live anymore. :mad:

edit: corrected mooninite spelling, thanks to CNN!

[Ersatz Genius]

Perused google news and discovered a few folks have rescued these devices and are getting top dollar on E-Bay. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130075321405) Lucky bastards.

[Poolio]

I hope they talk about this on Adult Swim this Sunday. :D
There was a couple really long bumps last night during the first episode of Futurama last night but I missed what they said, I caught the reflection in the mirror but was too far away to read 'em. Will have to tune in tonight and Sunday to see what they say...

Honestly, I think the Boston mayor is more pissed that they were up for a couple of weeks and no one noticed. If you're that pissed about it, fine the ad agency for vandalism or misusing public resources, whatever but don't arrest anyone. Geez.

It's people like that who have sucked all fun out of life here. No sense of humor. None.

EDIT: I checked adultswim.com (http://www.adultswim.com/) and there is an apology of sorts as the opening page.

[markalot]

They could fine Turner 3 million and it still wouldn't put a dent in the amount of money made over this stunt.

Besides, terrorists don't have a sense of humor and would never use a cartoon figure to terrorize anyone. CN ought to claim this was actually a light bright image of Mohammad flicking off the infidels. That would stir the pot.

[gwar469]

They could fine Turner 3 million and it still wouldn't put a dent in the amount of money made over this stunt.

Besides, terrorists don't have a sense of humor and would never use a cartoon figure to terrorize anyone. CN ought to claim this was actually a light bright image of Mohammad flicking off the infidels. That would stir the pot.

dear god, MaL...you almost made me spit up my coffee. :D

[locofly]

my girlfriend actually reminded me that we first saw the mooninite here a week or two ago. i had forgotten, because we were stumbling home from the bar that night. i just wish we had climbed up to claim it....

[markalot]

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/vt1.cartoon.scare.ap.jpg

[Unrequited]

Christ, it figures. Nothing funnier than a white dude with dreads.

[jvk]

Perused google news and discovered a few folks have rescued these devices and are getting top dollar on E-Bay. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130075321405) Lucky bastards.Ebay has already pulled the auctions...

[Chomp Samba]

Ebay has already pulled the auctions...
I knew that wouldn't last long. Plus, the fucker was getting 5k for it....bastard.

[Wolverine]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/Wolverine97X/Miscellaneous/mooninites-ipod.jpg

[gwar469]

some of my favorite quotes from the MSNBC (whoops, said CNN earlier) article:

“It’s clear the intent was to get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location,” Assistant Attorney General John Grossman said at their arraignment.

yeah buddy. so much fear and unrest, that in all the other cities these were placed in, nobody even gave them much notice. when i want to advertise a cartoon movie, i try to cause fear and unrest. and who would waste the time to attach an LED display like that to a bomb anyway? douchebag.


“The appearance of this device and its location are crucial,” Grossman said. “This device looks like a bomb.”

Some in the gallery snickered.

the fact that people are laughing at you (not with you) doesn't bode well for any case you try to bring up. but the lawyer's response to this

“If somebody had left a VCR on the ground it would have been a device with wires, electronic components and a power source,” he said.

is perfect.

i think what's happening now is that Boston got caught in a bit of knee-jerk, over-reactive douchebaggery and are trying to save face now. go online, ask somebody in their 20's...they would have told you exactly what it was. but because Boston grossly misjudged this situation and now seem like the toolbag city of the USA, they're ruffling their feathers and trying to muscle around people.

for the sake of common sense, I surely hope this doesn't go anywhere legally.

[Wolverine]

some of my favorite quotes from the CNN article:



yeah buddy. so much fear and unrest, that in all the other cities these were placed in, nobody even gave them much notice. when i want to advertise a cartoon movie, i try to cause fear and unrest. and who would waste the time to attach an LED display like that to a bomb anyway? douchebag.




the fact that people are laughing at you (not with you) doesn't bode well for any case you try to bring up. but the lawyer's response to this



is perfect.

i think what's happening now is that Boston got caught in a bit of knee-jerk, over-reactive douchebaggery and are trying to save face now. go online, ask somebody in their 20's...they would have told you exactly what it was. but because Boston grossly misjudged this situation and now seem like the toolbag city of the USA, they're ruffling their feathers and trying to muscle around people.

for the sake of common sense, I surely hope this doesn't go anywhere legally.

Heh, he said "toolbag".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/Wolverine97X/Miscellaneous/notalways.gif

[gwar469]

gee, how surprising. there isn't an article of this on CNN.com (owned by Ted Turner, himself) ;)

[Somerset Frisby]

gee, how surprising. there isn't an article of this on CNN.com (owned by Ted Turner, himself) ;)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/index.html

[gwar469]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/index.html

whoops. my bad :o i was looking for something more obvious.

[shivvy]

gee, how surprising. there isn't an article of this on CNN.com (owned by Ted Turner, himself) ;)

You are kidding, right? It's not that hard to find:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/index.html

Anyway, this is such a fuckin joke. The quotes from their "authorities" are out of control. The fact that this promotion took place in many other cities with no freak-outs AND the fact that these had been in place around the city for 2-3 weeks with no incidents should say something.

The unfortunate thing is that there are going to be several people losing their jobs over this and these 2 guys have already been arrested. I mean HONESTLY.

Oh well, I was already looking forward to the movie and now I can't wait! :-)

[gwar469]

You are kidding, right? It's not that hard to find:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/index.html


nah, i'm just stupid. pulled a major brain fart and looked right past it.

anyway, some great quotes from the CNN article too. man...like Shivvy said, these Boston people are just morons.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis called the stunt "unconscionable," while Boston Mayor Thomas Menino called it "outrageous" and the product of "corporate greed." Democratic Rep. Ed Markey, a Boston-area congressman, added, "It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt."

unconscionable? what, advertising? or your ridiculous overreaction?
outrageous? damn straight! i want one of those!
corporate greed? hey, professor, isn't any form of advertising a product of "corporate greed", since it's sole intent is to raise profits? :confused:
a more appaling publicity stunt would be two guys dressed like the mooninites running around and slashing peoples' Achilles tendons. see? it wasn't that hard to dream up a more appalin publicity stunt.

i think the Adult Swim apology should have just gone:
We're sorry...that Boston is run by a bunch of fucking idiots.

at least the judge seems to have some sense:

Judge Paul K. Leary told Grossman that, according to law, the suspects must intend to create a panic to be charged with placing hoax devices. (Watch a Web video of men placing the light boards on structures around Boston )

It appears the suspects had no such intent, the judge said, but the question should be discussed in a later hearing.


and can we have more questions abouve 70's hair, please?! :D

edit: OMG!! I just found the quote of the year!!!

"It had a very sinister appearance," Coakley told reporters. "It had a battery behind it, and wires."

LOOK OUT!!! IT'S A BOMB!!!

http://www.hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/2lemons_meter.jpg

[shivvy]

Obviously there is a lot of political pressure to do so, but I think it is lame as hell that Adult Swim posted that apology! They did nothing wrong.

[Somerset Frisby]

Anyway, this is such a fuckin joke. The quotes from their "authorities" are out of control. The fact that this promotion took place in many other cities with no freak-outs AND the fact that these had been in place around the city for 2-3 weeks with no incidents should say something.

The unfortunate thing is that there are going to be several people losing their jobs over this and these 2 guys have already been arrested. I mean HONESTLY.

Oh well, I was already looking forward to the movie and now I can't wait! :-)

Agreed. Punishment for embarrassing the punisher is more severe than any. I have a feeling that fake bombs and inducing panic have already been forgotten about, but duping the mayor and showing how ridicuously insane an entire city is - well, that's unforgivable. Get the gallows ready.

[kitsune]

Ah god this is hysterical. Fear is indeed the mind-killer. How long is it going to be until America loses it's terrornoia?

http://raplica.com/store/images/shirts/mooninite/main.png

What's even funnier is the media is stilling calling it a hoax... It's not a fucking hoax, it was a guerilla/viral marketing campaign!
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8241/emotjerkbagnq7.gif

[DLDude]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2ytr2Oyv4


Too great.

This is exactly what America needs to show how unbelievably ridiculous things have gotten.

[coach]

give me a god damn mother fucking break.

my sentiments exactly.


are we really that stupid?

yes.

[noonan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2ytr2Oyv4


Too great.

This is exactly what America needs to show how unbelievably ridiculous things have gotten.

Beautiful.

Why would the judge care what these guys said to the media? And why keep calling iut a hoax when even the judge said it wasn't? Fox can eat a d***. Several maybe.

[c-lando]

Did anyone else catch coverage of the suspects out of the corner of their eye and wonder what the Faith No More dude did to get in trouble? :)

Anyone?

[noonan]

Did anyone else catch coverage of the suspects out of the corner of their eye and wonder what the Faith No More dude did to get in trouble? :)

Anyone?


http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/4537/54580340bz1.jpghttp://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8121/80598837be6.jpg

[kitsune]

Bonus question: Which of these two animated knuckleheads poses the greater threat to America?:
http://www.apeshitmedia.com/lj/oreillyti2.jpg

[noonan]

That screen shot is just all kinds of awesome.

[kitsune]

A neat little video from ABC Newsvideo from ABC News. (http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2842025)

[gwar469]

Bonus question: Which of these two animated knuckleheads poses the greater threat to America?:
http://www.apeshitmedia.com/lj/oreillyti2.jpg

dude, this is such great publicity. the cartoon on a specialty cable channel, yet now its characters are getting plastered on every major news channel and everywhere on the internet. thank you Boston, for having your douchebag paranoia be the greatest marketing tool of all.

oh, and thanks for 70's hair.

[berserkr1979]

Bonus question: Which of these two animated knuckleheads poses the greater threat to America?:
http://www.apeshitmedia.com/lj/oreillyti2.jpg


You're my hero!

I didn't find out about this until I went to the comic book store today and the guys running the store we're "discussing" it (more like making fun of it).

Agreed, this is stupid. I don't watch the show (parents refuse to get cable, BOO!) but even I know what it was. All I can say is: WTF MAN!?

[c-lando]

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/4537/54580340bz1.jpghttp://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8121/80598837be6.jpg

Thaaaaaaaaaank you, noonan.

[daemon]

Thaaaaaaaaaank you, noonan.

obviously, he cares a lot.

[noonan]

What can I say? I have a soft spot for Marietta, GA.

[Chomp Samba]

Did anyone else catch coverage of the suspects out of the corner of their eye and wonder what the Faith No More dude did to get in trouble? :)

Anyone?
No, but I get the reference...hillarious.

[jamesc]

In the last 5 years,

Tobacco: 2,175,000 Americans died
Guns: 145,000 Americans died
Automobile: 131,700 Americans died
Terrorism: 0 Americans died

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

...leads to obedience.

[Unrequited]

It's funny watching the disparate reactions to this situation (the old guard vs. the computer geeks). I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that the charges will stick against these guys, however, I think the whole thing was ill-advised. They probably should have checked with the cities before they posted the signs.

The country is still gun-shy about terrorism. I guess I'd rather these cities erred on the side of caution, but the criminal charges are an overreaction.

[1979]

In the last 5 years,

Tobacco: 2,175,000 Americans died
Guns: 145,000 Americans died
Automobile: 131,700 Americans died
Terrorism: 0 Americans died

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

...leads to obedience.



Doesn't that just prove that the war on terror is working?






Yes, I'm kidding.

[Somerset Frisby]

It just gets more and more absurd - now the Chicago Police have their panties in a bunch:

Blinking electronic signs that raised fears of terrorism in Boston could have created "chaos" if the ads posted around Chicago had been discovered during Super Bowl festivities this weekend, Police Supt. Philip Cline said Thursday.

"One of the devices could have easily been mistaken for a bomb and set off enough panic to alarm the entire city," Cline said.

Even though, you know, they've been around a while and not a single complaint has been filed by citizen or public safety officer. Oh, and the super bowl is in blooDY MIAMI!!

You would think the folks in Chicago would not say peep about this seeing that Boston completely pooped their pants in front of the entire world. Police Supt. Phillip Cline should be suspended without pay for sheer stupidity.

In the last 5 years,

Tobacco: 2,175,000 Americans died
Guns: 145,000 Americans died
Automobile: 131,700 Americans died
Terrorism: 0 Americans died

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

...leads to obedience.

Well put, well put.

[Breeze]

My friend Teddy has a truly great post (http://www.teddycarroll.com/2007_02_01_archive_index.php#3951701039373585074) about this.

Excerpt:

Lights, batteries, wires? Yes. Bomb? No. Let's remember. Just because you saw a monkey and it rained doesn't mean that every time you see a monkey it will rain. That is what we higher functioning primates call a logical fallacy. Comprende?

[coach]

It just gets more and more absurd - now the Chicago Police have their panties in a bunch:

Blinking electronic signs that raised fears of terrorism in Boston could have created "chaos" if the ads posted around Chicago had been discovered during Super Bowl festivities this weekend, Police Supt. Philip Cline said Thursday.

"One of the devices could have easily been mistaken for a bomb and set off enough panic to alarm the entire city," Cline said.

Even though, you know, they've been around a while and not a single complaint has been filed by citizen or public safety officer. Oh, and the super bowl is in blooDY MIAMI!!

chicago already does have little blinking electronic devices on a whole shitload of utility poles around the city. they're called surveilance cameras, and i think we need to be FAR more concerned about those than some goddamn glorified lite-brites, for fuck's sake!

[Somerset Frisby]

Rod Serling would have a field day with this topic. God rest his soul.

[gwar469]

i'm willing to bet this whole situation becomes an ATHF episode in the future. it just writes itself.

[kitsune]

http://boingboing.net/images/LED_P2010268.JPG

http://boingboing.net/images/yhst-37025177803217_1936_64.gif

[Unrequited]

Christ, people with blogs think they are so important. "I have a blog, I know all!". :rolleyes:

[gwar469]

http://boingboing.net/images/yhst-37025177803217_1936_64.gif

oh sweet jesus, i just spit out my coffee. i so want that on a shirt!! :D

[kitsune]

Christ, people with blogs think they are so important. "I have a blog, I know all!". :rolleyes:
They seem to know significantly more than that the regular media outlets do.

http://boingboing.net/images/Tribute_to_Boston_Authorities_by_Kalapusa.jpg

http://boingboing.net/images/377167437_78150fdd88.jpg

This is about the best article I've seen yet. (http://weeklydig.com/blog/articles/terror_outrage)

I’ll proffer my comments on the marketing stunt perpetrated by the Cartoon Network (three weeks ago), but first, a sampling of the hysteria presently gripping our fair city.

“The hoax on us: But we’re not laughing”—Herald headline

“They can’t perpetrate a hoax like this on the public.”—Mayor Menino

“Scaring an entire region, tying up the T and major roadway, and forcing first responders to spend 12 hours chasing down trinkets instead of terrorists is marketing run amok.” –Rep. Ed Markey

“You’d have to go back to ‘War of the Worlds’ … We would all agree that this crossed a line.”—Jamie Tedford, Arnold Worldwide

“What our city experienced today is intolerable. The actions of this company for an apparent ‘marketing campaign’ not only inconvenienced our entire city but awoke painful memories of September 11th in so many hearts and minds. I look forward to the results of a full investigation.” --Boston City Council President Maureen Feeney

“OK, so when will the people of Boston see Ted Turner and his nitwit marketing gurus marched into federal court in handcuffs and leg irons? Because that’s exactly what should happen.”—Herald editorial

“It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme. I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today’s incidents. Boston will look to coordinate our efforts going forward with Cambridge, Somerville and any other affected agencies.”—Mayor Menino, again

“Perpetrators of terror hoaxes face prison sentences of up to five years if convicted. Police arrested an Arlington man last night in connection with the ad stunt, but potential criminal prosecution is only one consideration. The tricksters at Turner, a unit of Time Warner Inc., should pay the bill for the consequences of a lame marketing gimmick.”—The Globe’s Adrian Walker

“Terrorism hoaxes are common. Two years ago, a drug addict and smuggler gave a fake tip about a terrorist incursion in Boston that led to another massive mobilization of law enforcement. In 2005, an angry deportee used a fake threat that forced officials to close a tunnel under Baltimore’s harbor. Turner officials say their devices were never meant to be seen as threats. Yet they find themselves in bad company.” – Globe editorial

“Let’s hope Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s planned lawsuit against Turner is successful to recoup the city’s damages, and his complaints to the FCC are heeded. Let’s hope that Berdovsky or whoever the little punks are that planted the 38 promotional cartoon ‘toys’ in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge will see the inside of a jail cell. ‘You cannot put a price on the harm that was done to individuals,’ Menino told me. He’s right. For all of us who lived through the horror of 9/11 and its terrible aftermath, that harm is immeasurable.”—The Herald’s Michelle McPhee

OK, folks. That’s quite enough.

I suppose it was inevitable that someday the pop culture gap would result in an entire city being shut down and the “perps” being frog marched into some Homeland Security gulag, but I had always hoped it would be a second- or third-rate hee-haw flyover city, not Boston.

Because what happened here was an embarrassment. Turner Broadcasting launched this marketing stunt in 10 cities and we were the only one that reacted like this. Some people are saying it’s to our credit that we’re so “observant,” but I have a hard time believing that any serious person could say that with a straight face. Plus the devices have been up for three weeks before we even noticed.

Next, let’s all get out our dictionary and look up “hoax”, shall we? Because while “War of the Worlds” was a hoax (no it was not!), this was not. There was no subterfuge involved, and no effort made to convince people that these devices were bombs. If I see a scary looking tree out my bedroom window, think it’s a monster, and then discover upon closer inspection that it isn’t, it doesn’t mean the tree has perpetrated a hoax against me. What it means is that for a moment I took leave of my senses. And just because I’m embarrassed about it doesn’t give me the right to go cut down the tree.

But that’s what our Mayor—who is often at his absolute worst in situations like this—is looking to do. Two kids who put the devices up have been arrested and are facing charges of placing a hoax device in a way that causes panic and disorderly conduct—charges that carry up to five years in prison.

But that’s not enough. The mayor also wants the half-mil the city blew thwarting the attack yesterday reimbursed by Turner Broadcasting and said he plans to push the FCC to revoke Turner’s broadcasting license, even though Turner—which owns TBS, TNT, CNN and Cartoon Network—is a cable provider and therefore not under the jurisdiction of the FCC.

What might be most telling about the mayor’s towering outrage, however, is found in the Globe’s lengthy report today: “Menino was also upset, he said, because top executives at Turner Broadcasting did not contact him directly to discuss what happened. The mayor said he did not receive a call from the company until about 9pm, and it was from a low-ranking press official.”

First these al-Cable bastards terrorize the city—or at least city and state officials, because as far as I could see there was no panic among actual citizens—then they have the audacity not to send Turner CEO Philip Kent over to City Hall in person bearing a fruit basket and a lengthy, teary apology. Well, act like a small-town mayor, and ye shall be treated like a small-town mayor.

The stunt wasn’t wise. It worked from a PR perspective, but people tend to slip easily into hysterics these days, and that should have been taken under consideration. Still, I have a hard time buying all this outrage. I’m guessing the better part of it stems from embarrassment at so grossly overreacting.

NOTE: For what it’s worth, the Globe’s Ideas blog—which one Dig staffer just referred to as “a lone island in the shape of a brain over there”—got it right.

[silentpaul]

Why did us Bostonians get so improper about this?

[Wolverine]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/Wolverine97X/Miscellaneous/athf_shoes.jpg

[Unrequited]

They seem to know significantly more than that the regular media outlets do.

In this case, the media isn't as well acquainted with an obscure cable network program as some of the blogging computer nerds are. Not sure if there's a winner here.

[jamesc]

oh sweet jesus, i just spit out my coffee. i so want that on a shirt!! :D

$10

http://store.cottonfactory.com/cf-440.html

[shivvy]

Ordered!

Thanks for the link. That is fucking awesome.

[Breeze]

Christ, people with blogs think they are so important. "I have a blog, I know all!". :rolleyes:

Yeah, don't they know that people on radio-station message boards are really the ones who know it all... :rolleyes:

[Unrequited]

Yeah, don't they know that people on radio-station message boards are really the ones who know it all... :rolleyes:

"We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine."
-H.L. Mencken

[uselesstomato]

my friend sent this to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUep9gSRLxQ&NR

[Breeze]

"We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine."
-H.L. Mencken

... quoth the resident KIA. :rolleyes:

[Unrequited]

... quoth the resident KIA. :rolleyes:

Well, there are exceptions. :cool:

[Breeze]

Well, there are exceptions. :cool:

And then there are the exceptional.
:cool:

[kitsune]

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/6012/neverforgetfg9.jpg

[uselesstomato]

jack bauer vs the moonenites

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rbjdNC1YzZA

[Somerset Frisby]

jack bauer vs the moonenites

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rbjdNC1YzZA


ABSOLUTELY CLASSIC!

[gwar469]

http://boingboing.net/images/yhst-37025177803217_1936_64.gif

snarf and I just got our mooninite terrorist shirts in the mail yesterday. i'm wearing mine out tonight. she wore hers to work yesterday. :D

[Wolverine]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/Wolverine97X/Miscellaneous/athf-logo.gif

[Trevour]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/09/news/newsmakers/cartoon_network/

Cartoon Network boss quits over bomb scare
Jim Samples is taking the fall for the marketing debacle at Turner Broadcasting.
February 9 2007: 3:17 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The head of Cartoon Network resigned Friday after the network's guerilla marketing scheme for one of its shows went bad last week and led to a bomb scare in Boston - a fiasco that cost its parent company $2 million.

In a letter to employees, Jim Samples, the general manager and executive vice president of the network, wrote: "I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign. As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch."

Turner Broadcasting System and Interference Inc. agreed to pay $2 million to make amends for last Wednesday's bomb scare in Boston, the Massachusetts attorney general said Monday. TBS is the parent of the Cartoon Network, which initiated the marketing scheme. CNN, CNNMoney.com and TBS are all owned by Time Warner Inc. (Charts), the world's largest media company.

Samples had been with Atlanta-based Cartoon Network for 13 years.

In the marketing scheme, battery-powered cartoon advertising signs were placed around Boston and other cities for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a show that's on the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim programming. The signs led to a massive security alert around Boston.

-- from CNN's Katy Byron and CNNMoney.com's Rob Kelley

[Somerset Frisby]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/09/news/newsmakers/cartoon_network/

Cartoon Network boss quits over bomb scare
Jim Samples is taking the fall for the marketing debacle at Turner Broadcasting.
February 9 2007: 3:17 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The head of Cartoon Network resigned Friday after the network's guerilla marketing scheme for one of its shows went bad last week and led to a bomb scare in Boston - a fiasco that cost its parent company $2 million.

In a letter to employees, Jim Samples, the general manager and executive vice president of the network, wrote: "I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign. As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch."

Turner Broadcasting System and Interference Inc. agreed to pay $2 million to make amends for last Wednesday's bomb scare in Boston, the Massachusetts attorney general said Monday. TBS is the parent of the Cartoon Network, which initiated the marketing scheme. CNN, CNNMoney.com and TBS are all owned by Time Warner Inc. (Charts), the world's largest media company.

Samples had been with Atlanta-based Cartoon Network for 13 years.

In the marketing scheme, battery-powered cartoon advertising signs were placed around Boston and other cities for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a show that's on the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim programming. The signs led to a massive security alert around Boston.

-- from CNN's Katy Byron and CNNMoney.com's Rob Kelley

Pretty sad. Nice job, Boston.

[upwithpeople]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/09/news/newsmakers/cartoon_network/

Cartoon Network boss quits over bomb scare
Jim Samples is taking the fall for the marketing debacle at Turner Broadcasting.I thought this was washing away with the news cycle. Weird. And way to make the person who turned an also-ran cartoon cable network into one of the most culturally relevant touchstones of the 18-24 demographic take the fall. And way to be bitches, Boston.

[silentpaul]

Easy. It was only the officials who got all bent out of shape. The citizenry is still cool.

Do you live in the city where two of the 9/11 planes originated?

[gwar469]

Easy. It was only the officials who got all bent out of shape. The citizenry is still cool.

Do you live in the city where two of the 9/11 planes originated?

no, but i spent 5 years in the city where one of them landed, and where there was a sniper on the loose for 3 months, and the citizenry and officials don't get that crazy over stuff.

the Boston officials will never accept any blame for overreacting on this, and it's a shame. now, Boston is going to be the no-fun city to people under 30.

oh, and it's annoying how these articles are coming out how the publicity stunt didn't help the cartoon's ratings. well DUH!! it's a cartoon on a specialized cable channel late on Sunday night. it's not exactly going to draw in excessive viewers from this. and the point of the advertising wasn't to boost ratings on the show, but to promote the upcoming movie. what the fuck is wrong with journalists anymore!

[Poolio]

I had to bump the thread to pass this along: TVsquad explains the uproar (http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/13/college-humor-reveals-the-truth-behind-the-athf-fiasco-in-boston/)

[SheepNutz]

I just wanted to bump this thread to let everybody know that I got to hold one of the original ATHF signs today that caused the scare in Boston.

As somebody who is familiar with improvised electronic devices, it looked kind of funky, so I can see where folks got spooked. But… I still think it's funny that nobody knew where the character came from.

It's a Guerilla Marketing Hall of Famer though. That’s for sure!

Awesome! How did you acquire that?