Aqua Teen Hunger Farce

I can't tell you how truly pissed I am that Turner agreed to foot the bill for Boston's over-reaction to an ad campaign. And it's not just because I'm a shareholder. A bunch of law-and-order metafascists go apeshit over some throwies that have been hanging around for two weeks, and a corporation has to foot the bill?

There was absolutely no reason for the reaction in Boston. None. Well, one, but it's not a good one and I'll get to it soon. Some very, very basic police work could have discovered what they were. They were up there for more than a week--possibly two. Are you telling me that Boston's finest don't patrol the harbor or check the tunnels on a regular basis? Are you telling me that not one single cop saw those things before some shmuck called 911, most likely bitching about getting the finger from a Lite-Brite? Are you telling me that no one--not one cop on the beat, when getting the phone call decided to stroll up to one of these things and, oh I dunno--TAKE A LOOK AT IT? Not a single person had the balls to say 'hey, it's just a circuit board hooked up to a battery--let's not go nuts here.'

I'm guessing that some cops did just that. I would bet my left nut that more than one beat cop did exactly that--especially the ones with teenagers who stay up too late and don't seem motivated to do anything not like i was a kid lemme tell you that.

But--and again this is only my guess, no facts to back it up--I'm guessing that someone farther up the ladder decided to hit the panic button and roll out the heavy weaponry (including, I might add, Fox News) to battle the ravaging effects of a viral marketing campaign. And their reasoning was simple:

It was marketing.

Not the viral marketing of a cult TV show. The marketing of fear.

Making this big noise over this small thing brings once again to the forefront the War on Terror. It was a win-win situation for the metafascists. Either the devices were bombs, and the squads do their thing and Save the Day, or someone gets their pee-pees whacked for fucking with the police. Either way, Fox gets its headline, and fear gets another day in the sun.

And the police state tightens its grip on the country. Because this is serious damnit. Not funny at all.

Unfortunately, the viral marketers win.

No. Recast the sentence.

Fortunately, the viral marketers win.

I don't know many people who are outraged over the placing of the displays. I guessing there are some, but none around here. However, I do know many people who have negative opinions over the way this was handled.

As long as every 'emergency' is treated like a media event, stuff like this is going to happen. Sirens will wail, lights will flash, satellite trucks will be dispatched, and the metafascists will point with outrage at yet another reason to suppress our liberties. Either it's the terrorists who love us for our freedom, or a bunch of kids daring to actually act upon those supposed freedoms.

And Turner goes along, because it's cheaper to lay out two mill than it is to take this to court. God, I wish someone in the corporation had the balls to stand up and say no. No payment, no apology. If these kids are guilty of anything, it might be a misdemeanor bill-posting violation. We'll pay that ticket. Everything else is on the city. Try and prove otherwise.

Unfortunately, it's all bottom line now. I wish Ted was back in charge.

I keep thinking about a movie I saw back in the 1980's called Something Wild. The climax of the movie takes place in a bathroom, where Ray Liotta's character is attempting to beat Melanie Griffith's character to death.

"Look what you've made me do!" he screams at her.

That's what Boston screamed at a bunch of kids promoting Meatwad.

yeharr