Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Cartoon Network Show New Terrorists?
Story by Logan Triglia
A guerilla promotional tactic gone awry wrong caused hours of traffic on Wednesday, January 31 and halted services on two of Massachusetts’ Bay Transit Authority lines.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, an animated show on the Cartoon Network placed several magnetic lighting devices outdoors in Boston, Mass. The harmless marketing campaign that has been featured in 10 cities across the U.S., San Francisco included, caused bomb specialists to detonate devices alongside Interstate 93, a central highway in Boston.
Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of the Cartoon Network has since released an apology for the confusion stating, “they regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.”
Although it is common knowledge that U.S. citizens live in a state of fear, with terror levels alternating between high and elevated, but do we really live in a time where a marketing tool resembling a Lite-Bright causes gridlock in a major American city? The terror level today, by the way is high.
Boston’s mayor, Thomas Menino was, of course, outraged. After all, this advertising stunt paired with fearful citizens cost the city approximately $750,000 and the mayor believes that Turner Broadcasting should foot the bill.
I find it laughable that Menino would be so indignant about something so ridiculous and even more so that he would point his finger at the broadcasting company instead of the current administration.
So who’s fault is it, really, that a city where 35.6% of people over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher are scared into thinking that cartoon icon is a bomb?
It seems that we have come to the point where the average, educated adult has been brainwashed by President Bush and his cohorts despite the fact that nothing like 9/11 has happened to this country since … 9/11.
Should a broadcasting company really be held responsible when the state of a society is one that is terrified that any object or, more importantly, any person who is unknown or unfamiliar to them automatically poses a threat?
Menino says, “It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme.”
While I agree that people should be more culturally aware in a post 9/11 world, shouldn’t it take a more positive tone? I think that the bill would be better suited at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A guerilla promotional tactic gone awry wrong caused hours of traffic on Wednesday, January 31 and halted services on two of Massachusetts’ Bay Transit Authority lines.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, an animated show on the Cartoon Network placed several magnetic lighting devices outdoors in Boston, Mass. The harmless marketing campaign that has been featured in 10 cities across the U.S., San Francisco included, caused bomb specialists to detonate devices alongside Interstate 93, a central highway in Boston.
Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of the Cartoon Network has since released an apology for the confusion stating, “they regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.”
Although it is common knowledge that U.S. citizens live in a state of fear, with terror levels alternating between high and elevated, but do we really live in a time where a marketing tool resembling a Lite-Bright causes gridlock in a major American city? The terror level today, by the way is high.
Boston’s mayor, Thomas Menino was, of course, outraged. After all, this advertising stunt paired with fearful citizens cost the city approximately $750,000 and the mayor believes that Turner Broadcasting should foot the bill.
I find it laughable that Menino would be so indignant about something so ridiculous and even more so that he would point his finger at the broadcasting company instead of the current administration.
So who’s fault is it, really, that a city where 35.6% of people over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher are scared into thinking that cartoon icon is a bomb?
It seems that we have come to the point where the average, educated adult has been brainwashed by President Bush and his cohorts despite the fact that nothing like 9/11 has happened to this country since … 9/11.
Should a broadcasting company really be held responsible when the state of a society is one that is terrified that any object or, more importantly, any person who is unknown or unfamiliar to them automatically poses a threat?
Menino says, “It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme.”
While I agree that people should be more culturally aware in a post 9/11 world, shouldn’t it take a more positive tone? I think that the bill would be better suited at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
