Posted on 01/31/2007 6:45:54 PM PST by tobyhill
BOSTON - More than 10 blinking electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most if not all of the devices depict a character giving the finger.
Boston police said Wednesday night that one person had been arrested, and authorities scheduled a news conference to provide details.
Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.
"It's a hoax — and it's not funny," said Gov. Deval Patrick, who said he'll speak to the state's attorney general "about what recourse we may have."
Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network, said the devices were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.
"The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner said in a statement, issued a few hours after reports of the first devices came in.
It said the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia.
"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," the company said. As soon as the company realized the problem, it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in all 10 cities.
The marketing firm that put them up has been ordered to remove them immediately, said Phil Kent, Turner chairman.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ted Turner isn't remotely in trouble in any of this and people shouldn't kid themselves he is.
It will be several underlings probably 8 layers of bureaucracy below him that are in trouble and probably some that had nothing to do with the ad campaign.
FWIW, if anyone actually wants to see the show in question, the classic Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Space Conflict From Beyond Pluto" is on the Cartoon Network at midnight Eastern tonight. It's only a 15 minute show.
I don't think anyone thinks Ted Turner is in trouble but just anything that knocks his company down a couple notches is sheer pleasure.
More like Pinky and the Brain.
I've seen a few episodes. I'm no where near the night owl I used to be, but I do watch Adult Swim on occasion.
I like Aqua teen. It's an acquired taste. Metapocalypse is growing on me too.
I like Aqua teen. It's an acquired taste. Metapocalypse is growing on me too.
The same corporate citizen that knew about Saddam's massacres but ignored them to keep a bureau office in Baghdad.
Memorable Quotes from
"Aqua Teen Hunger Force"
Mayhem of the Mooninites (2001)
Inignot: You and your third dimension.
Frylock: What about it?
Inignot: Oh, nothing, it's cute. We have five.
[pause]
Err: Thousand.
Inignot: Yes, five thousand.
Err: Don't question it.
Frylock: Oh, yeah? Well, I only see two.
Inignot: Well, that sounds like a personal problem.
Inignot: Hello, Carl, I am Inignot and this is Err.
Err: I am Err.
Inignot: We are Mooninites from the inner core of the moon.
Err: You said it right.
Inignot: Our race is hundred of years beyond yours.
Err: Man, you hear what he's saying?
Inignot: Some would say that the Earth is our moon.
Err: We're the moon.
Inignot: But that would belittle the name of our moon, which is: The Moon.
Err: Point is: we're at the center, not you.
Carl: No, the real point is: I don't give a damn.
Meatwad: Where's my whiskey? I'm 'bout to get tore up!
Inignot: We shall acquire some wine on the way to the mall.
Err: And then you can get tore up.
Inignot: And pass out in the hot sun.
Meatwad: Them's my boys!
LOL!
Now THAT's funny!
They should be grilling the city security chief about why it took three weeks to notice the items.
The morons at Turner shouldn't have hung their stupid gadgets from bridges or put them in subway stations, both of which are high on terrorist's target lists. How stupid was that?
I couldn't get into Metalocalypse - loved Sealab and really liking Frisky Dingo more and more. Robot Chicken and Tom Goes to the Mayor are great of course.
Man there are a lot of FReepers that would go ballistic over Moral Orel if they knew about it :-)
Exactly how many bombs have you detected?
Moral Orel pushes even my limits.
Talk about free advertising for terrorists. Now they'll realize what they can get away with.
One of the funniest shows on TV..and it's only 11 minutes long.
I wouldn't trust Carl's judgement. He thinks Loverboy rocks harder than the Scorpions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.