Aqua Teen Hunger Force shuts down Boston

[DaddyBoyAU 119]

I hope they don't send the Adult Swim folks to jail

Marketing gone bad

TV Network Takes Responsibility For 'Hoax Devices'

Crews Respond To Bridges, Hospital

Jamy Pombo, Senior News Editor

POSTED: 2:08 pm EST January 31, 2007

UPDATED: 6:49 pm EST January 31, 2007

BOSTON -- Turner Broadcasting plans to take responsibility for the "hoax devices" that were found at several locations in and around Boston Wednesday that forced police bomb units to scramble throughout the area.

The incidents were part of a marketing campaign that involved a character from the cartoon show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force,'" Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of Cartoon Network, said in a statement.

The company said that they have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact location of the billboards, according to the statement, and regrets that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.

The cartoon airs as part of the Adult Swim late-night block of programs on the Cartoon Network. It features characters called "mooninites," who were pictured on the found devices. A feature length film based on the cartoon is scheduled to be released late next month.

Gov. Deval Patrick praised the response of law enforcement and said that he was "dismayed to learn that many of the devices are a part of a marketing campaign by Turner Broadcasting."

"This stunt has caused considerable disruption and anxiety in our community. I understand that Turner Broadcasting has purported to apologize for this. I intend nonetheless to consult with the attorney general and other advisors about what recourse we may have," Patrick said.

"Emergency deployment teams were sent into the center of the city immediately upon these reports. There were significant shutdowns of not only highways, but rail traffic with the MBTA," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said. "Several of the devices do have common characteristics, but it is too early to say how many are connected."

The first device was found under Interstate 93, and the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square just before 10 a.m. Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives.

Several hours later, Boston police said the department received four calls, all at about 1 p.m., reporting the devices. Officials responded to at least nine locations, including the Boston University Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge, the McGrath O'Brien Highway in Somerville, a comic store on Harvard Avenue in Brighton, a location near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus streets, a location near Washington and Water streets and under the McCarthy Overpass in Somerville, according to Davis.

A device described by officials as a pipe bomb was found in the basement of the Tufts New England Medical Center at 185 Harrison Ave.

Davis said that residents should not be afraid to enter or leave the city and that additional police resources have been deployed to help ensure people that they are safe.

"It's a hoax, and it's not funny," Patrick said. "I think we fell at this point, that there is not a reason for anyone to panic, but there are reasons to be diligent."

Mayor Tom Menino said that all of the packages found posed no danger and that several police departments are working together to investigate suspicious calls about the devices.

"Public safety officials are all working together. There is no time for anyone to panic. We believe we have the situation in hand. Go about your business," Menino said. "The individuals who placed these packages should be warned that there is a heavy penalty -- two to five years imprisonment for each one of them. We are not playing around."

Storrow Drive eastbound was shut down for a brief time, and the MBTA suspended service on the Red Line and planned to bus afternoon commuters between Kendall and Park Street stations.

"Anytime you get a report of a suspicious device, it is always a concern," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Scott Carr said. "We went ahead and shut down the waterways so we could clear the area and keep everybody safe."

"Our device was not an active device. We are still treating the area as a crime scene. There were no injuries. Everyone was evacuated properly, and everyone now back to their locations," Tufts New England Medical Center's Brooke Hynes said.

MBTA Lt. Sal Venturelli said police were told about the first package by a transit passenger who spotted it on a column that supports I-93. The parcel was located on an elevated structure above the bus way and below I-93 in the Charlestown section of Boston at about 8 a.m.

"This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in Homeland Security," Venturelli said.

[saniflush 0]

I am not making light of suspected bomb materials and reporting such but c'mon. Use some sense people. They looked like LiteBrites.

[Captain Liger 0]

Don't be knockin' LiteBrites.

[AWK 0]

People freak out about everything now a days. Should these people really get 2 -3 years in prison for setting up lite-brites? I'm pretty damn sure there are more important criminal investigations going on in Boston then to hunt down these too criminal masterminds...

[Captain Liger 0]

I'm pretty damn sure there are more important criminal investigations going on in Boston then to hunt down these too criminal masterminds...

Like why the Red Sox suck so much?

[bigsixfive 336]

I read about this little "prank" this morning, and couldn't help to think that the Boston mayor is over reacting slightly. I think he just took insult to the fact the things had been up a week and no one noticed them or did anything about them. Why didn't the other cities completely freak out and cause a big racket? Charge them for vandalism or something, but they're not terrorists.

[saniflush 0]

Charge them for vandalism or something, but they're not terrorists.

Charge them with having a PR move that overshadowed SuperBowl week! Hmmmm. I wonder how many people will tune in to Adult Swim to check this show out. Hmmmmmm.

[AUChizad 0]

Yeah, they definately achieved their marketing goal and then some.

I think the mayor feels like an idiot for making such a big deal out of something so stupid.

As mentioned, none of the other cities freaked out about it. You're telling me that in Boston, the city with the most college students in the world, that no one recognized the characters? The town was in a panic for that long before anyone spoke up and said, "Dude, that's just a litebrite rendition of a mooninite, take a chill pill." All they had to do was a google search and they would have seen where Adult Swim posted that they were doing this "guerilla marketing."

[CCTAU 3,369]

Only a bunch of yankees would freak out over this. I guess we here in the south are just too uneducated to notice these things as being terroristic in manner. Boston. So librul they had to call in the gubment to save them from a cartoon.

[JohnDeere 0]

Only a bunch of yankees would freak out over this. I guess we here in the south are just too uneducated to notice these things as being terroristic in manner. Boston. So librul they had to call in the gubment to save them from a cartoon.

An Electrical Contractor's work box was left in front of the Dollar General in Boaz back around 04. After the second day it set there, somebody called the "Law". They shutdown Main St. for the entire day, so they could clear the area. They called in the Bomb Squad from Huntsville and the Chemical Team from Anniston.

Its hard to believe but the "War on Terror" was already reached Boaz, AL.

[CCTAU 3,369]

Only a bunch of yankees would freak out over this. I guess we here in the south are just too uneducated to notice these things as being terroristic in manner. Boston. So librul they had to call in the gubment to save them from a cartoon.

An Electrical Contractor's work box was left in front of the Dollar General in Boaz back around 04. After the second day it set there, somebody called the "Law". They shutdown Main St. for the entire day, so they could clear the area. They called in the Bomb Squad from Huntsville and the Chemical Team from Anniston.

Its hard to believe but the "War on Terror" was already reached Boaz, AL.

That's a little different than a blinking cartoon sign. Did the box have Christmas lights on it?

[saniflush 0]

I guess doing this is RIGHT OUT!

If you are sitting next to someone who irritates you on a plane, train or subway...

1. Quietly and calmly open up your laptop case.

2. Remove your laptop.

3. Turn it on.

4. Make sure the guy who won't leave you alone can see the screen.

5. Go to this post.

6. Close your eyes and tilt your head up to the sky.

7. Click this link http://www.thecleverest.com/countdown.swf

and Enjoy

[CCTAU 3,369]

I guess doing this is RIGHT OUT!

If you are sitting next to someone who irritates you on a plane, train or subway...

1. Quietly and calmly open up your laptop case.

2. Remove your laptop.

3. Turn it on.

4. Make sure the guy who won't leave you alone can see the screen.

5. Go to this post.

6. Close your eyes and tilt your head up to the sky.

7. Click this link http://www.thecleverest.com/countdown.swf

and Enjoy

Do they have ineternet connections on planes now? I haven't flown in a couple of years.

[Tigermike 3,425]

I guess doing this is RIGHT OUT!

If you are sitting next to someone who irritates you on a plane, train or subway...

1. Quietly and calmly open up your laptop case.

2. Remove your laptop.

3. Turn it on.

4. Make sure the guy who won't leave you alone can see the screen.

5. Go to this post.

6. Close your eyes and tilt your head up to the sky.

7. Click this link http://www.thecleverest.com/countdown.swf

and Enjoy

Now that's funny.

But I can also imagine being detained, arrested, questioned, beat up. Something.

[tgr4lfe 220]

Crap folks. What better way for a real bomb to go unnoticed than to conceal it something that looks so nonthreatening. Do you think the folks in OK freak out if a truck is left in front of a building too long?, you dang bet they do. I can't believe those of you in the military think this way. It's just a matter of time before another attack occurs here. Placing things like that on a "Critical Structure" is stupid! What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended?? This was like a practice for the Boston authorities that only served to piss them off. Turner and/or the ad folks should pay up, and these guys (if for no other reason than for their press conference awhile ago!!!) should pay in some way?? THey were completely mocking the whole thing during their press conference. Talking about hair styles instead of answering questions about the incident, b/c their attorney instructed them to not talk about it. Why even meet in front of the media if you don't want to answer these questions about the incident?? They are not taking it seriously!!!! They still think it is all a prank!! That is BS!!

[saniflush 0]

Do they have ineternet connections on planes now? I haven't flown in a couple of years.

you can always just save the site where it loads without being connected to that internet thingy.

[CCTAU 3,369]

Do they have ineternet connections on planes now? I haven't flown in a couple of years.

you can always just save the site where it loads without being connected to that internet thingy.

WHEW! I knew I did not have enough telephone line to reach that high......

[Captain Liger 0]

What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended??

Hopefully a mullet sporting bammer will pick it up.

I realize that was across the line. And I apologize. But not really.

[AUChizad 0]

Crap folks. What better way for a real bomb to go unnoticed than to conceal it something that looks so nonthreatening. Do you think the folks in OK freak out if a truck is left in front of a building too long?, you dang bet they do. I can't believe those of you in the military think this way. It's just a matter of time before another attack occurs here. Placing things like that on a "Critical Structure" is stupid! What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended?? This was like a practice for the Boston authorities that only served to piss them off. Turner and/or the ad folks should pay up, and these guys (if for no other reason than for their press conference awhile ago!!!) should pay in some way?? THey were completely mocking the whole thing during their press conference. Talking about hair styles instead of answering questions about the incident, b/c their attorney instructed them to not talk about it. Why even meet in front of the media if you don't want to answer these questions about the incident?? They are not taking it seriously!!!! They still think it is all a prank!! That is BS!!

Wow, calm down, dude.

You can't go blaming the Adult Swim people because the Boston authorities are too dimwitted to do even the most basic form of investigation into the matter before they go into freakout mode. Just like you said ANYTHING can potentially be a bomb. What makes this litebrite depiction of mooninites any different? It's not like they were putting up sticks of dynamite with coils hooked to a timer that said "Watch The Aqua Teen Movie or this building gets it."

[bigsixfive 336]

Here's a youtube video of them putting the things up around Boston. Apparently, that is some new form of graffiti. They call them LED throwies. There's video of people "graffiti-ing" all over youtube.

[Grider 1]

Crap folks. What better way for a real bomb to go unnoticed than to conceal it something that looks so nonthreatening. Do you think the folks in OK freak out if a truck is left in front of a building too long?, you dang bet they do. I can't believe those of you in the military think this way. It's just a matter of time before another attack occurs here. Placing things like that on a "Critical Structure" is stupid! What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended?? This was like a practice for the Boston authorities that only served to piss them off. Turner and/or the ad folks should pay up, and these guys (if for no other reason than for their press conference awhile ago!!!) should pay in some way?? THey were completely mocking the whole thing during their press conference. Talking about hair styles instead of answering questions about the incident, b/c their attorney instructed them to not talk about it. Why even meet in front of the media if you don't want to answer these questions about the incident?? They are not taking it seriously!!!! They still think it is all a prank!! That is BS!!

Easy Fella.

There is nothing to "take seriously" here other than the fact that the authorities a.) blew this completely out of proportion by not doing an ounce of research before hitting the "EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!" button. B.) They were out on the street in these locations for two freakin' weeks before anybody thought to call the cops to investigate. How about the good authorities in Boston answer that question?

As far as the press conference. They have every right not to talk about the case to anybody. The media is not the judge nor jury and they could tell them to get bent and keep walking or they could enjoy the massive stupidity of the whole blown out of proportion situation. When some media weenie sticks a microphone in your face, you do not have to answer anything or you can play with them. Because really, who the hell takes anybody in the media seriously. In this situation the only person now that they have to answer to is the judge and the lawyers in the case.

As far as paying for anything, they should have to pay a fine for littering and that is about it. The calls for Turner and these guys to pay for anything other than that is the authorities being angry that they looked like idiots in front of the world.

[AURaptor 1,137]

Crap folks. What better way for a real bomb to go unnoticed than to conceal it something that looks so nonthreatening. Do you think the folks in OK freak out if a truck is left in front of a building too long?, you dang bet they do. I can't believe those of you in the military think this way. It's just a matter of time before another attack occurs here. Placing things like that on a "Critical Structure" is stupid! What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended?? This was like a practice for the Boston authorities that only served to piss them off. Turner and/or the ad folks should pay up, and these guys (if for no other reason than for their press conference awhile ago!!!) should pay in some way?? THey were completely mocking the whole thing during their press conference. Talking about hair styles instead of answering questions about the incident, b/c their attorney instructed them to not talk about it. Why even meet in front of the media if you don't want to answer these questions about the incident?? They are not taking it seriously!!!! They still think it is all a prank!! That is BS!!

It wasn't a prank, but a clever ad campaign. They could have told the authorities in each town, yes. But there's very little on the books these guys can be charged with. There was no 'hoax' involved here. At worst, they were putting up unauthorized signs. Not exactly Homeland Security territory, now is it ? And just because a reporter asks you a question, doesn't mean you have to answer. If the judge told them not to talk about the case, and they don't talk about the case, then point the finger of blame on the annoying press corps for continuing to ask their questions. They're not agents for the judicial system, they're freakin' NEWS FERRETS! I think it's great these guys were talking about hair styles, and stringing along the newsies for a ride.

Also, I hope our finest can determine the threat differences between a briefcase, a parked U-Haul and a 2x2 lite brite image of Meat wad!

[AUdaREALsecTigers 2]

Did you catch the news conference of the guys that did it? What a couple of losers...

[tgr4lfe 220]

Crap folks. What better way for a real bomb to go unnoticed than to conceal it something that looks so nonthreatening. Do you think the folks in OK freak out if a truck is left in front of a building too long?, you dang bet they do. I can't believe those of you in the military think this way. It's just a matter of time before another attack occurs here. Placing things like that on a "Critical Structure" is stupid! What do you think is going to happen at JHS this fall if a brief case is left out somewhere unattended?? This was like a practice for the Boston authorities that only served to piss them off. Turner and/or the ad folks should pay up, and these guys (if for no other reason than for their press conference awhile ago!!!) should pay in some way?? THey were completely mocking the whole thing during their press conference. Talking about hair styles instead of answering questions about the incident, b/c their attorney instructed them to not talk about it. Why even meet in front of the media if you don't want to answer these questions about the incident?? They are not taking it seriously!!!! They still think it is all a prank!! That is BS!!

Wow, calm down, dude.

You can't go blaming the Adult Swim people because the Boston authorities are too dimwitted to do even the most basic form of investigation into the matter before they go into freakout mode. Just like you said ANYTHING can potentially be a bomb. What makes this litebrite depiction of mooninites any different? It's not like they were putting up sticks of dynamite with coils hooked to a timer that said "Watch The Aqua Teen Movie or this building gets it."

I'm just trying to get everyone to see it thru the eyes of the law enforecemnt folks. They don't hindsight. They have to react then and now. They did what they thought was best route, especially since they were on critical structures. The police didn't know if it had dynamite in it. The way things are now adays they have to go into freak out mode. If they don't then people like some of the mooninite apologists will sue the police for not freaking out. See the delimma?

[WaReAgLe83 0]

When pressed about the incident by a reporter, Ignignokt replied, "We don't listen to people who don't like us. We do whatever we want, whenever we want, at all times." He also warned that "the innocent shall suffer--big time." Err was unavailable for comment.