Adult Swim mans up for Boston fiasco

I'm still not sure it's the fault of the too-hip-for-Dad cartoon channel — although no such doubts bother Anderson Cooper, who seems to have learned nothing from Sago Mine — but it's nice to see Adult Swim apologizing tonight for the marketing campaign that caused Boston to shut down and go bananas earlier today.

"We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger," read the first slide that appeared three minutes ago, at the start of tonight's Adult Swim block. "We appreciate the gravity of this situation and, like any responsible company would, are pulling all necessary resources toward understanding the facts surrounding it as quickly as possible."

Then, a long explanatory slide appeared. All marketing campaigns will be ended in the 10 cities where they appeared, and the appropriate federal and local law enforcement were contacted.

Last slide: "We appreciate the commitment demonstrated by the Boston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, as well as the Massachusetts Governor's Office, [what? not Mayor Menino?—AB] and deeply regret the hardships experienced as a result of this incident."

Earlier the parent company, Time Warner, through its Turner Broadcasting arm, also apologized for any inconvenience.  Now we're waiting for the Boston talk-show hosts and CNN to apologize for needlessly whipping everyone into a lather over a Lite-Brite box.

(See a video of the marketing firm installing one of these)

Comments

[Kevin]

Can someone explain to me how a lit up image of a cartoon flipping me off equates to terrorist threats?

[Ken]

Kevin - the explanation is that Bostonians are retarded.

[T Dog]

Finally, a city government (Boston) that makes Chicago's look smart by comparison.

[Jason Wright]

I think it's funny. It proves that we live in a world where you can't have a lite-brite outside without it being thought of as a bomb. True a bomb can be anything but COME ON. Not one person has seen ATHF in Boston. Even if I never saw the show. I wouldn't have really care. Since that would let the terrorist win. Changing us to fear our shadows. Fuck fear. I rather be fearless and died then be afraid of my shadow, light-btite, and question mark boxes and live.

[James A. Hulsmann]

Anyone ELSE notice that no OIHER city, including prim terror target NYC, had any issues?

Leave it to Bahston to make an issue out of nothing and for Fox news and CNN for blowing it even further out of proportion.

I mean, they arrested the artisted who designed the boxes - WHAT THE _ _ _ _?!?!?!?

I just want to restate one thing - if something liek this doesnt get NYC or NYers all worried and concernded, then WTF are bostonites worried about? Nevermind, they and their elected windbags are f-ing we-todd-ed!

[philly]

it was funny seeing them explode one with a water gun type of thing. what a whole lotta bullshit.

[Stuart]

The main issue was where some of the signs were placed. As stated well here:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/startsandstops/blog/2007/02/location_locati.html

[Jim]

Its sad that our country now lives in fear and cannot enjoy something that was supposed to be funny. It is also sad that the Boston police department cannot tell the difference between a glorified Light-Bright and a bomb.

[J D]

While I'd be hard pressed to confuse a bunch of LEDs and some batteries with a bomb, I can't hold the police responsible, at least initially, for investigating the signs.

However, the police, and subsequently the elected governments reaction to this has been one of the worst cases of overreaction ever. Now they are desperately looking to scapegoat the two guys they arrested, as well as the television network, instead of owning up to the fact that they grossly overreacted.

Add to that the medias complicit behavior, calling this situation a "bomb hoax" when it clearly isn't, is even worse. So many people are not going to be properly informed on this situation.

About the only folks I CAN'T blame for making this such a huge issue are the two guys who originally hung up the signs. It's obvious to me, and it should be obvious to anyone who has spent even 15 minutes researching this story, that they are guilty of no crime worse than littering or vandalizing. After all, these were placed on public property.

Is the Boston PD going to start considering every car in the area a car bomb threat? That's roughly equivalent to the situation in Boston right now.

[T Dog]

I take that back. Chicago officials complained about it today. Interesting that the Police Department complained about time being wasted taking down the signs when they could've been going after gangs, drugs, and guns... Judging from living here on Chicago's South Side, they don't do that anyway!

[BlueNight]

As Baudrillard said, a convincing simulation of a bank robbery will be treated as a real bank robbery. In this case, guerilla marketing was mistaken for guerilla urban warfare.

Keep in mind, they were placed in the kinds of locations that bombers would find irresistable. The fact that ONLY Boston reacted was quite telling about who's watching for a 24-type scenario.

[KC Cicero]

The Bushies have succeeded in scaring us so much so often that we have become a nation of nervous Nellies -- and macho law enforcement must now justify its panic by branding perfectly innocent people as criminals.

Here's the truth: It's not their fault the cops went nutsy. Cops should be embarrassed -- and should not be allowed to screw up those kids' lives to justify their panic.

And here's the rest: The national anthem is right. We cannot be the land of the free unless we are also willing to be the home of the brave. Quit acting like a bunch of 3 year olds at a scary movie.

[Kira]

Dude...that's stupid. I have always thought that easterners were stupid...and it seems like I was right. I love America as a country, but for the love of God, someone think before reacting, PLEAAAAASSSSEEEEE!!!!! OMG!!! PUT A HELMET ON!!!!