The 2007 Boston Mooninite panic occurred on Wednesday, January 31, 2007, after the Boston Police Department and the Fire Department of Boston mistakenly identified battery-powered LED lights depicting Mooninites, the character of the animated television series Adult Swimming Aqua Teen Hunger Force , as an improvised explosive device. Placed throughout Boston, Massachusetts, and towns around Cambridge and Somerville, this device is part of a guerrilla marketing marketing campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Film Film Colon for Cinema, a movie based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force .
This incident caused controversy and criticism from a number of media sources, including The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, Fox News, The San Francisco Chronicle , < The New York Times, CNN and Boston Herald , some of which scorned the city's response to the device as disproportionate and pointed to a generational gap between city officials and young Bostoners, who were targeted advertisement. Some sources noted that hundreds of officers at the Boston Police Department or the city's emergency planning office at the scene could not identify the figure depicted for several hours until the younger staff at the Mayor Thomas Menino's office saw media coverage and recognized the characters as cartoon characters from the TV show.
After the device was removed, the Boston Police Department stated in their defense that the advertising device shares "some characteristics with improvised explosive devices," which they say includes "identifiable resources, circuit board with open wires, and electrical tape." Investigators are not scolded by the discovery that devices are not explosive, stating that they still intend to determine "if this event is a hoax or anything else at all." Although city prosecutors have finally concluded there is no ill will involved in ad placement, the city continues to refer to the event as a "hoax bomb" (meaning imply) rather than "fear of bombs".
Reflecting on the events of several years later, various academic sources and media have characterized the reaction to marketing campaigns as a form of social panic. Author Gregory Bergman wrote in his 2008 BizzWords that the device is essentially a homemade form of the Lite-Brite children's toy. Computer security expert Bruce Schneier wrote in his 2009 book Schneier on Security that Boston officials were "ridiculed" for their overreaction to the incident. In his 2009 Secret Service, communications historian and professor Jeremy Packer discusses a phenomenon in a culture called "panic discourse" and describes the incident as "a spectacular example of this panic." In the 2012 article Boston Phoenix called the incident "Great Mooninite Panic of 2007". Publication 2013 by WGBH News writes that the majority of Boston youth think that capturing the two men who put the device, Peter "Zebbler" Berdovsky and Sean Stevens, is not justified.
Video 2007 Boston Mooninite panic
Planning
In November 2006, Boston area artist Zebbler (aka Peter Berdovsky) met John (aka VJ Aiwaz) in New York City. John works for a marketing organization called Interference, Inc., and asks Berdovsky if he's interested in working on a promotional project. Berdovsky agrees and asks Sean Stevens for help on the project. Interference sent electronic signs Berdovsky 40. Adrienne Yee of Interference e-mailed him a list of suggested locations and a list of things that should not be done. According to the police, the recommended locations for the device include "railway stations, flyovers, trendy/hip areas and high traffic/high-view areas." The signs must be hidden overnight. They must be paid $ 300 each for their help.
Berdovsky, Stevens, and Dana Seaver installed 20 magnet lights in mid-January. They dubbed the "Boston Mission 1." While Stevens and Berdovsky installed the lights, Seaver recorded activity on the video and sent copies to Interference. On the night of January 29, 2007, in the so-called "Boston Mission 2," more than 18 magnet lights were installed. This included one under Interstate 93 at Sullivan Square in Charlestown.
Device
This device is very similar to the Nightwriter promoted by the Graffiti Research Lab in early 2006. The device is an electronic promotional placard for the Aqua Night Pyramid Movie Pornography Movie for Upcoming Teens Aqua . Each device, measuring approximately 1 by 1.5 feet, consists of printed circuit boards (PCBs) with black soldermasks, light-emitting diodes, and other soldering electronic components, including various resistors, multiple capacitors, and at least one integrated circuit pack. At the bottom there is a package of four Publix brand D-cell batteries, with a magnet attached to the back so that the device can be easily mounted on a ferromagnetic surface. The battery was originally covered in black tape to blend with the black PCB.
The LED lights are arranged to represent the Moonlight character that displays the middle finger. Two variants are produced with LEDs arranged in pixel similarity from Ignignokt and Err, Moonlight characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force . Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said the device "has a very sinister appearance, there is a battery behind it, and cable." Others compare the look with the Lite-Brite electric toys in appearance.
Maps 2007 Boston Mooninite panic
Scare next
On January 31, 2007, at 8:05 am, a passenger saw one device with a support pole supporting a high section of Interstate 93 (I-93), above Sullivan Station and told a policeman with the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA) ) of his presence. At 9 am, Boston police bomb squad team received a phone call from MBTA asking for help in identifying the device. Authorities responded with what the Boston Globe described as "emergency vehicle troops" at the scene, including police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and the Boston Police Department's tamer squad. Also present were the direct TV crew, the large crowd of spectators, and the helicopters circling above. Peter Berdovsky, who has placed the device, went to the scene and recorded the video situation. Berdovsky recognized the device used by the police, but made no attempt to notify the police at the scene. Berdovsky returned to his apartment and contacted Interference, the company that had hired him to put the lights on. He was told by Interference that they would handle informing the police and that he should personally not say anything about his situation.
During an initial investigation on the site, police found that the device shared "some characteristics with improvised explosive devices." These characteristics include identifiable resources, circuit boards with open wires, and electrical tape. After initial assessment, Boston police closed the northern side of I-93 and part of the public transportation system. Right after 10 am, the bomb squad used a small explosive of water to destroy the device as a precaution. MBTA Transit Police Lieutenant Salvatore Venturelli told the media on the scene, "This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in domestic security." He refused to describe the object in detail because the ongoing investigation, simply replied that "It's inconsistent with the equipment that's usually there." Researchers try to determine "whether it's a hoax or something else entirely," according to Venturelli. I-93 north reopened to traffic around 10:05 am. At 10:21 am it was determined to be "a kind of deceitful tool," according to the police timeline of the event.
At 12:54, the Boston police received a call identifying another device located at the intersection of Stuart and Charles Street. At 1:11 pm Massachusetts State Police requested assistance from a bomb squad with a device found under the bridge of Longfellow and Boston University. Both bridges are closed as a precaution, and Coast Guard closes the river for vessel traffic.
At 1:26, friends from Peter Berdovsky received an e-mail from him, who alleged that five hours in fear, an Interference Inc. executive. asked Berdovsky "keep everything in dl." Travis Vautour, a friend of Berdovsky, stated: "We received an e-mail in the afternoon from Peter asking the public that he was a part of to keep the information we had under low and who instructed him by whoever his boss was." Two hours then, Interference tells their client, Cartoon Network. Between 2 and 3 pm, a police analyst identified the image on the device as a cartoon character of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and the police concluded the incident was a publicity stunt. Turner Broadcasting System issued a statement about the show at around 4:30 am. The part of Turner's statement reads:
We regret that they are mistaken for a danger. The package in question is a harmless magnet light. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities to support the animated television show Adult Swim, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. The parent company of Turner Broadcasting makes contact with local and federal law enforcement in the exact location of the billboard. We regret that they are mistaken for a danger.
Some devices have been in existence for two weeks in the cities listed before the Boston incident occurred, although no permission was ever guaranteed for device installs. The marketing firm responsible for the campaign, Interference, Inc., does not comment on the situation and their website is inactive (restored from February 3, 2007). Berdovsky and Stevens, people employed by Interference for signs, were arrested by Boston police on the night of January 31, and accused of violating Article 266: Section 102A½ of Massachusetts General Law, stating that it is illegal to display. a "deceitful tool" with a motive to cause citizens to feel threatened, unsafe, and concerned. Both were detained at the South Boston State Police headquarters last night and released for $ 2,500 from the Charlestown Division in Boston City Court the next morning.
Reactions
The Boston Globe states that "marketing steps outline a broad generational gap," quoting a 29-year-old blogger as author of "Repeat after me, the authorities L-E-D Not I-E-D Get?" The Globe ' s Brainiac blog quickly credits bloggers like Todd Vanderlin and Brian Stuart for being the first to report the origin of the ad. The Brainiac blog received praise from other media outlets for their event scopes on time, even as newspapers continued to report only "suspicious objects".
The editorial ridicules the reaction of Boston officials, commenting, "Emergency forces and anti-terrorism forces shut down more than a dozen highways, transit stations and other locations across the city Wednesday after receiving reports about some suspicious devices , a slim, saucer-sized item has dozens of colored lights, exposed wires and circuits, and is powered by a row of D-wrapped batteries in black ribbons. In other words, they look like an upscale version of Hasbro's Lite-Brite, a toy for artistic elementary school. "Bruce Schneier, a computer security expert and author on contemporary security issues, summed up the incident as" a non-terrorist unrest in Boston ".
The Boston Herald states that part of the reaction in response can be blamed on two packets that are not blinking. According to Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, a fake pipe bomb was also found that day, one inside Tufts-New England Medical Center at 1pm. A security guard described an "anxious white man" who ran away, "God warns you that today will be a sad day." The Herald continues to characterize device placements as "co-ordinated hoaxes." Davis also mentioned other incidents of the day that might affect his reaction, including Washington's metro stops, DC because of suspected packages, and smoke coming from packets at the post office in New York City, resulting in four people. treated there. "It's almost like we have some sort of perfect state storm," Davis said.
Brandweek's advertising magazine says that the incident, labeled failure, will cause marketers to "avoid guerrilla tactics until controversy around Aqua Teen Hunger Force stunt-turned-bomb-scare- The incident "will no doubt be followed by a reassessment of the potential price of what used to be known as a low-cost method to generate buzz."
According to Fox News, fans of Aqua Teen Hunger Force mocked Boston officials during a press conference of Berdovsky and Stevens, calling the arrest an exaggerated reaction, holding signs that support their actions. These signs have slogans such as "Peter Free" and "1-31-07 Never Forget," satirizing Mayor Tom Menino mentions 9/11. Other local Boston residents were quoted by local newspapers. "We all thought it was pretty funny," said one student. "Most of us recognize the difference between a bomb and a Lite-Brite," said another. One resident said the police response was "silly and crazy," and that "we're a laughing stock." Something Positive , webcomic written and drawn by Waltham resident R. K. Milholland, also weighs on this issue. Bloggers in the Boston LiveJournal community commented on channel 4 of the first exploding device record and clearly identified it as "Moonlight," reacting in disbelief.
Karl Carter from Atlanta-based Guerrilla Tactics Media says fans of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force show will recognize the characters and think it's funny, but others who see the signs will not get jokes. "It's probably better organized for nightclubs and other types of scenarios where people who receive messages, one, will know about what it is, but also two, will not be afraid," he said. "You know, if you put this in certain environments, like public spaces in post-9/11 sensitivity, then of course you'll end up in trouble." Ask the editor of Phillip Torrone magazine to say that advertisers should use better judgment, but call the Moonless board a "neat electronic project." As reported by Boing Boing, the media and the State of Massachusetts insist on maintaining the use of the words "trickery bomb" when explaining the event, despite the disputes of Turner Broadcasting Systems company that the device is not meant to resemble a bomb and the company does not have intent to arouse suspicion or panic in approving ad campaigns.
The next day, Bax and O'Brien at WAQY Western Massachusetts radio station weighed on, with John O'Brien saying, "and they [the device] were also stationed in Boston more than two weeks ago, I do not think official terrorism in Boston is so keen... Good thing September 11 is not happening here.We will not find it until September 20. "
On February 27, 2007, just a month after the incident, Boston's police bomb squad responded and blew up another object they believed to be a bomb, which turned out to be the city's traffic counter. Within a few months of fear, the stickers read, "Do not panic! It's NOT a BOM Do not be afraid, do not call the police, stop letting terrorists win," began to appear in Boston's parking lot, ATMs and other objects in public.
On March 18, 2007, at St. The annual Patrick in South Boston, made a joke about an incident by Massachusetts politicians. Tom Menino said it was a good way to get a local aid package for the city (referring to $ 1 million in "good faith money for domestic security" that Cartoon Network pays the city of Boston to avoid a lawsuit). Congressman Stephen Lynch joked that Mooninites are part of a sleep cell that also includes SpongeBob SquarePants and Scrappy-Doo. State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill raised a picture of Mooninite with Mitt Romney's face on it, saying "We must obscure the true feelings about Massachusetts."
Aftermath
On February 5, 2007, state and local agencies reached an agreement with Turner Broadcasting and Interference, Inc., to pay the costs incurred in the incident. As part of the settlement, which resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the company, Turner and Interference agree to pay $ 2 million: $ 1 million to go to the Boston Police Department and $ 1 million to the Department of Homeland Security. This is in addition to the company's apology, which local authorities consider too little as announced by the county attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in a speech at NECN, said the people responsible for this "reckless action" responsible for the calamities caused by cities and regions.
On February 9, 2007, a week after this, Cartoon Network's general manager and executive vice president, Jim Samples, resigned "in recognition of the severity of the situation under my supervision," and with "the hope that my decision allows." we are to put this chapter behind us and return to our mission of providing unrivaled original animated entertainment for consumers of all ages. "After Samples's resignation, Stuart Snyder was named his successor.
In total, ten cities were involved in a marketing campaign, which began two to three weeks before the Boston incident. NYPD contacted Interference, Inc., to request a list of 41 locations where the device was installed. Officers can find and remove only two devices, both located near 33rd Street and West Side Highway on the High Line overpass. The NYPD did not receive complaints about the device, according to police spokesman Paul Brown. At 9:30 am on the night of January 31, the Chicago Police Department received a list of installation locations from Interference, Inc. Police recover and dispose of 20 of 35 devices. Police Inspector Philip Cline warned those responsible for the campaign, stating, "one of those devices could easily be misunderstood as a bomb and cause enough panic to alarm the entire city." Klein went on to say that, on February 1, he asked Turner Broadcasting to replace the city's spent funds to locate and dispose of the device. Two men were briefly arrested in connection with the incident.
Less than twenty devices were found in Seattle and both the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff's Office received a 9-1-1 call on them. King County Sheriff's spokesman, John Urquhart stated, "For us, they are obviously unsuspecting... We do not think they are dangerous.On this day and age, whenever anything suspicious comes, people become worried - and that's good. , people do not have to worry about this.This is a cartoon character that gives his finger. "
Interference, Inc., employs two people to distribute twenty devices across Philadelphia on January 11th. One is Ryan, a 24-year-old from Fishtown, who claims that he was promised $ 300 for installing the device, only 18 of which are actually functional. After a scare in Boston, the Philadelphia Police Department found three of 18 devices. Joe Grace, spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, was quoted as saying, "We think that's a stupid, regrettable, irresponsible act by Turner, we're not being nice to him." Prevent and broken letters were sent to Turner, threatening fines for violating zoning codes.
No tools were found in Los Angeles and Lieutenant Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department stated that "no one considers it a threat." Many signs of Los Angeles rose for more than two weeks before Boston's fear without incident. Police Sergeant Brian Schmautz stated that officers in Portland had not been dispatched to move the device, and had no plans unless they were found on municipal property. He added, "At this point, we will not even begin an investigation, because there is no reason to believe that a crime has occurred." Device placed inside 11 Ave. Liquor at Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland, where it remains. Sgt Police of San Francisco, Neville Gittens said that Interference, Inc. removing them, except those found by art gallery owner Jamie Alexander, who reportedly "considered it cool" and had been taken down after it stopped functioning.
Berdovsky and Stevens were arrested on the day of the incident and accused of installing a deceitful tool to arouse panic, allegations of crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years, and one charge of disorderly conduct, minor crimes. Both pleaded not guilty to the two charges and were later released with $ 2,500 cash. On their charges, Assistant Attorney General John Grossman claimed that both were trying to "get attention by causing fear and anxiety that there was a bomb in that location." Michael Rich, the lawyer representing the two men, denied Grossman's claim, insisting that even VCRs could be found in accordance with the description of a bomb-like device. Judge Leary said that it would be necessary for the prosecution to show the intent of the suspect to panic. The judge continued, "It seems the suspects do not have such intentions... but that question should be discussed in court later." After making a guarantee, Berdovsky and Stevens appear for a live press conference. Since Rich advised them not to discuss the case, they spent the entire conference discussing and inviting press questions about the 1970s hairstyle, and ignoring any questions related to fear of the bomb.
On March 1, 2007, Senator Edward Kennedy, D-MA, introduced S.735, "The Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007." That will change
the federal criminal code to: (1) extend the prohibition to convey false information and trickery to any federal terrorism crime; (2) increasing maximum prison sentences for hoaxes involving members of the Armed Forces during the war; (3) permit civil remedies for damage resulting from hoaxes made by a person who then fails to provide accurate information to investigate the authorities about the true nature of the incident; and (4) extend the prohibition against letters that threaten communications to include companies or government entities (as well as individuals).
The bill never came to a vote.
On May 11, 2007, prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against Berdovsky and Stevens, in exchange for public service and public apology. Attorney General Martha Coakley cited difficulties in proving intent to arouse panic on the part of both men and called the deal "a just and fair settlement." Berdovsky and Stevens completed 80 and 60 hours of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Boston, respectively. The incident prompted opportunists to obtain promotional devices from other cities and auction them on eBay, with prices ranging from $ 500 to over $ 5,000 USD. Other eBay users make merchandise to commemorate the event, including special T-shirts, stickers, and LED signs.
The episode of season five titled "Boston" was produced in response to the series makers on the fear of the bomb, but Adult Swim drew him to avoid further controversy. This episode has never aired, and has never been officially released publicly legally in any format. However, it was illegally leaked online in January 2015. In addition, Ignignokt appeared on the DVD arm of Season 5, dressed as Osama Bin Laden.
Historical heritage
Author Gregory Bergman writes in his 2008 BizzWords that the device in question is "Lite-Brites essentially homemade". Bergman concludes: "That is happening in Boston, home to Harvard, MIT, and other famous schools, embarrassing." Computer security expert Bruce Schneier wrote in his 2009 book Schneier on Security that Boston officials were "ridiculed" for their overreaction to the incident. Schneier writes, "Hardly anyone looks beyond the pointing and mocking fingers to discuss exactly why the Boston authorities are overreacting, they overreact because the signs are weird." Schneier marked this as a "Close Your Ass" security form.
In his 2009 Secret Service, communications historian and professor Jeremy Packer discusses a phenomenon in a culture called "panic discourse" and describes the incident as "a spectacular example of this panic." Packer said the discovery of the light encourages "city government and media panic".
The Boston Phoenix publishes an article in 2012 by reviewing the event and interviewing Zebbler for his thoughts about his place in history. Boston Phoenix called the incident "Great Mooninite Panic of 2007". The publication concluded that the city of Boston was impacted by the fact that it was "unconscious" of the Moonlight character of popular culture. Zebbler thinks that history will not be possible to recur with similar events, and suspects that the marketing agency would be more appropriate to first contact law enforcement to get permission for such an event.
Six years after the incident, WGBH News publishes articles reflecting law enforcement reactions to marketing campaigns. The WGBH summarizes that the overall assessment of the government's response to the incident is crucial, observing: "What is the impact of these fears? Both local and national media ridicule Boston law enforcement for failing to recognize incorrect PR actions." Many young Bostoners feel the arrest of Zebbler and Stevens is an overreaction. "The article cited a student who showed that most individuals managed to determine the difference between a Lite-Brite children's toy and a bomb.
The WGBH asked for comments in 2013 from Zebbler to reflect on the incident, and he stated that he thought excessive reactions by the government were a greater symptom of American culture during that time period. Zebbler says he will take part in a guerrilla marketing event if there is good motivation behind him.
The city of Boston hired Zebbler for the 2014 New Year celebrations to create a light show - and paid him US $ 50,000 for his services. Zebbler said he felt it was an honor to be chosen and helped bring unity to the city. The production of the Zebbler light show is the centerpiece of the Boston First Night 2014 event held at Copley Square. When interviewed by the Boston Herald about Zebbler's choice for First Night 2014, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said, "We are a forgiving city." Attorney General Martha Coakley also feels that paying Zebbler for light production in 2014 is a good choice. Coakley went on to defend law enforcement action from 2007: "It was a few years ago now.The two young men have been hired by the company to do some guerrilla advertising.At that time, especially in its proximity to 9/11, I think City and Boston Police are very I think we responded appropriately at the time, but I think we also saw the company immediately compensate Boston City and the Boston Police for the effort involved. "
See also
- Alarmism
- Collective behavior
- Psychology of the crowd
- Group behavior
- Social mania
- Boston Marathon 2013 bombing
References
Further reading
- Chapin, Kinne (January 31, 2013). "Invasion of Moonlight of Boston, 6 Years Later". WGBH News . WGBH. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014 . Retrieved September 20, 2015 .
External links
- Peter Berdovsky's website
- Movies from Berdovsky's website about marketing campaigns
- Sean Stevens website
- superfiction.com (Peter Berdovsky's other website)
- Initial & amp; discussion of Blue Mass Group
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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