Aqua Teen Hunger Force ads prompt terror alert

[mr_pikachu]

Boston publicity ploy leads to 2 arrests (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_re_us/suspicious_devices)

To sum it up, ATHF advertisements featuring a "mooninite" giving the finger were posted in various subways and other areas around the country. Although they were merely composed of magnetic lights, they caused a serious terrorism scare which resulted in Homeland Security being taking action, two arrests so far, and a general distress in the public.

So what does this mean? Have we grown so fearful of terrorism that obviously benign objects frighten us? Or should the advertisers have known better than to place such ads? Is this evidence of national weakness or of a company's stupidity? And what should happen to the marketers as a result?

As always, discuss!

(Note: This could instead be placed in the Entertainment section, but since the false bomb scare may be the bigger story, I'm posting it here for now.)

[Phoenixsong]

Yeah, I actually just heard about this on the news; of course it would be big news here in Georgia, since the whole business was Turner's fault. The interesting thing about this was that the ads were in other cities for weeks before people began to notice... that is strange to me.

Personally I feel that everyone's a little at fault here. Yes, America is paranoid; I'm not sure exactly how these ads worked, but I don't understand how people could have seen an image of a cartoon character and associated it with a bomb. On the other hand, because America is paranoid and everyone in their right mind is aware of that, Turner should have been more careful in designing the thingies. From what I heard about their appearance they probably would have looked suspect to me (providing that I somehow magically missed the cartoon teenager giving me the bird).

Really, I'm not sure what gave them the idea to use this sort of ad in public anyway. Not to be a total prude or anything, but flicking people off in public? Yes, it garners publicity, but I still wasn't aware that that was acceptable. I wonder if the FCC can do anything about that sort of advertisement?

[Mega Horny]

PFFFFFFFFT. That's hilarious. I love ATHF, and the fact that a harmless show (Ok, it isn't THAT harmless) like that could cause this much trouble is a sign that people carrying pears are going to get gunned down by guys shouting "Grenade!" sometime soon.

[TKnHappyNess]

OMG, it's a bomb just because it has wires and looks weird. Idiots. A lot of things have wires in them and look weird, yet they're not bombs. Blame the Bush administration for making Americans more paranoid.

[Heald]

On the other hand, because America is paranoid and everyone in their right mind is aware of that, Turner should have been more careful in designing the thingies.I guess Turner decided to give America the benefit of the doubt when deciding if Americans are too retarded to not freak out. Of course, they were wrong.

[Arnen]

You'd think at least one of the people who'd seen that would go, "Hey, that's a cartoon character. Everyone can stop freaking out now!"

[RedStarWarrior]

They should have put real bombs in Boston, stupid bean eating idiots.

[kainashi]

everything is a bomb nowadays. :rolleyes:

[Houndoom_Lover]

YEAH! Every one was freaking out. Any half wit can see that they arn't bombs. Arn't there bomb speicalist there?

When I first saw it I said, "I'm gald its flipping them off'

[DarkTemplarZero]

Mmm, bombs. Fun in Super Smash Bros. Melee, no fun in real life. And don't say bad things about Cambridge man, it's the greatest city in the world. If Al Qaeda bombed Cambridge I just might retract my opposition to secret detention centers ;) Just kidding.

But yeah, I find this mildly entertaining. Gotta love it when people see terrorists and bombs everywhere and are scared shitless by that while smoking six packs a day and eating McDonalds for breakfast. Well, that's what Darwin Awards are for I suppose.

[Magmar]

I'm eating these rather delicious pepper biscuits, I must sa--oh, looks like there was a bomb threat via Mooninites in Boston?? Nobody in Providence seems to care.. yet it's all over national news...

[-/Deathborn/-]

Wow.
Just wow.
Everything IS a bomb these days. Airport police get suspicious even at autistic children.

[Speranza]

I don't really think it was anyone's fault and I don't think that Turner meant to scare anyone. I personally will watch the mooninites once in a while and will laugh.

This nation had become so scared of our own shadow and the men who put up those adds should be let go. They were only doing their job after all. Also I think that this is what the terrorists wanted to happen, the nation and the government are so scared and paranoid that the whole universe is out to get us. If we don't chill out, we going to kill ourselves (we meaning the country).

[mr_pikachu]

Head of Cartoon Network resigns (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_bi_ge/suspicious_devices)

The plot thickens.

[RedStarWarrior]

The fucking Bostonians just let the terrorists win by succumbing to blind fear of anything different.

[PNT510]

It's crazy that he left the company after 13 years as something as stupid as this. In a month no one is gonna care/remember that it happened.

[Master Rudy]

Personally I'm waiting to see what all the religous groups might say if they try something with Subway next by baking the bread with red food coloring and place devil horns on it.

Bacon aside that would be the best damn sandwich I ever had if they did that! :lol:
(10 points to the first person that knows the episode I'm referencing ^_~)