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Aqua Teen Stunt Costs Turner and Agency $2M

Posted by Zonk on from the can-you-say-extortion dept.

evw writes "The NYTimes reports that the Turner Broadcasting System and the ad agency responsible have reached a $2M settlement with the city of Boston and state and federal agencies that treated the light boards placed around the city as an act of terrorism (as covered earlier on /.) Half of the money is to cover direct costs associated with the response. The other $1M goes to 'goodwill funds' that will be used for response training and public outreach."

6 of 557 comments (clear)

  1. Re:WTF? by mpe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A real bomb is never designed to make itself presentable/noticable. Only a dickhead terrorist would invite attention to a bomb.

    Not quite the same thing. But a tactic used by the IRA was to put a big bomb and a little one near to each other. The little bomb being the one which went off first to "attract attention".

  2. Re:Free advertisement.. er.. low cost. by aussie_a · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As they say, "no press is bad press.." Has the press in America even been negative? The one news piece I saw of it highlighted the ridiculousness of the government's response to the advertisements. So $2M for good press in circles that quite likely would have gone unawares of the show is a pretty good deal I imagine in anyone major company's book.
  3. Re:What comes in mind when making this ad? by shreevatsa · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Bruce Schneier posted about this a couple of days ago. You should read it for an excellent (and depressing) collection of stupid quotes from the authorities.

    Governor Deval Patrick told the Associated Press: "It's a hoax -- and it's not funny."
    It was not a hoax (they weren't trying to make them look like bombs), and it is funny. It's interesting how these signs were around in 10 cities for two weeks (including Boston) in very public places, and only in Boston and only now did someone decide to freak out and bring traffic to a halt. Someone joked:

    "It's almost too easy to be a terrorist these days," said Jennifer Mason, 26. "You stick a box on a corner and you can shut down a city."
    I also like this parody picture.
  4. Re:two guys still face charges by walnutmon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I am certain they will be aquited, it is the most frivilous case I have heard of in quite some time... This isn't even someone shouting fire in a movie theater. It is one of those rare occasions that no analogy could be more obviously silly than what actually happend. They planted light brights around the town and are being charged as if they were making bomb threats...

    The interview with them was priceless, all the reporters got them and were dying for some great sound bytes for their story. All they got was the two goofballs talking about hair styles throughout history. Truly classic stuff.

    --
    You take it, I don't want it...
  5. An actual bomb scare in Boston = No Charges! by NFN_NLN · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Put up flashing lights == Charges

    Plant a fake bomb (made to look like a bomb) == No Charges

    "In the hospital incident, investigators believe a former hospital employee planted the phony bomb in an office at 185 Harrison Ave. He has been identified but has not been charged, the sources said."

    http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg ?articleid=180349
    Same city, same cops, same time period... what gives???

  6. Re:Free advertisement.. er.. low cost. by baldass_newbie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes. I am also aware that Boston has the largest concentration of votes and is ground zero in the nanny state mentality that Massachusetts seems to embrace.
    Didn't know I need to point that out.
    What is your point?

    --
    The opposite of progress is congress