2007 Boston Mooninite panic
Date | January 31, 2007 |
---|---|
Time | 8:05 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. |
Location | Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Type | Guerrilla marketing campaign, falsely identified as a bomb threat |
Organised by | Interference, Inc. |
Participants | Peter "Zebbler" Berdovsky |
On the morning of January 31, 2007, the
The massive panic led to controversy and criticism from U.S. media sources, including
After the devices were removed, the Boston Police Department stated in its defense that the ad devices shared some similarities with improvised explosive devices, with them also discovering an identifiable power source, a
Reflecting years later, various academics and media sources have characterized the phenomenon as a form of
Planning
In November 2006, Boston area artist Peter "Zebbler" Berdovsky met a man named John, who worked for a marketing organization named Interference, Inc., in New York City. John then asked Berdovsky if he would be interested in working on a promotional project, with Berdovsky agreeing and enlisting Sean Stevens. Interference shipped Berdovsky 40 electronic signs, and Adrienne Yee of Interference emailed him a list of suggested locations and a list of things not to do. According to police, the suggested locations for the devices included train stations, overpasses, hip/trendy areas, and high traffic/high visibility areas. The signs were to be put up discreetly overnight, with Berdovsky and Stevens being paid $300 each for their assistance.[7]
Berdovsky, Stevens, and Dana Seaver put up 20 magnetic lights in mid January, dubbing the activity "Boston Mission 1". While Stevens and Berdovsky put up the lights, Seaver recorded the activity on video and sent a copy to Interference. On the night of January 29, 2007, in what was called "Boston Mission 2", 18 more magnetic lights were placed. This included one under
Devices
The devices used were promotional electronic placards for the forthcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. Each device, measuring about 1 by 1.5 feet (30 by 45 cm),[9] consisted of a strap of D-batteries and electrical tape following installation.[10]
The
Subsequent panic
On January 31, 2007, at 8:05 a.m., a civilian spotted one of the devices on a
During the preliminary investigation at the site, police found that the devices resembled
At 12:54 p.m., Boston police received a call identifying another device located at the intersection of Stuart and Charles Street.[15] At 1:11 p.m., the Massachusetts State Police requested assistance from the bomb squad with devices found under the Longfellow and Boston University bridges.[15] Both bridges were closed as a precaution, and the Coast Guard closed the river to boat traffic.[17][18]
At 1:26 p.m., friends of Peter Berdovsky received an email from him, which alleged that five hours into the scare, an Interference Inc. executive requested Berdovsky to "keep everything on the dl".[8] Later, Travis Vautour, a friend of Berdovsky, confirmed that he would be staying quiet while the situation was being reported.[19] Two hours later, Interference notified their client, Cartoon Network.[8] Between 2 and 3 p.m., a police analyst identified the image on the devices as an Aqua Teen Hunger Force cartoon character, and police concluded the incident was a publicity stunt.[9] Turner Broadcasting System issued a statement concerning the event around 4:30 p.m.[9] Portions of the Turner statement stated that they regretted the devices being mistaken for danger, and assured that they were not. They further clarified that they were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities to promote Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They also said that they had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting was in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards.[20]
Some devices had been up for two weeks in the cities listed before the Boston incident occurred, although no installation permits were ever secured.[20] Berdovsky and Stevens were arrested by Boston police during the evening of January 31, and charged with violating Chapter 266: Section 102A1⁄2 of the General Laws of Massachusetts, which states that it is illegal to display a "hoax device" with the motive to cause citizens to feel threatened, unsafe, and concerned.[11][21]
Reactions
News about the situation quickly spread around residents and the news. The Boston Globe stated that the "marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap", quoting one 29-year-old blogger, writing, "Repeat after me, authorities. L-E-D. Not I-E-D. Get it?"[22] The Brainiac blog earned praise from other media outlets for its timely coverage of events, even as the paper continued to report on simply "suspicious objects".[23]
Los Angeles Times editorials derided the reaction of Boston's officials, remarking, "Emergency personnel and anti-terrorism squads shut down more than a dozen highways, transit stations, and other locations across the city Wednesday after receiving reports about multiple suspicious devices." They also went on to describe the devices, stating that they "had dozens of colored lights, exposed wires, and circuitry, and were powered by a row of D batteries wrapped in black tape." They also compared the devices to a bigger version of Hasbro's Lite-Brite, referring to the Lite-Brites as "a toy for artistic grade schoolers."[24] Bruce Schneier summed up the incident as a "non-terrorist embarrassment in Boston".[25]
The advertising magazine Brandweek said that the incident, which they labeled a fiasco, would cause marketers to "steer clear of guerrilla tactics until the controversy around the Aqua Teen Hunger Force stunt-turned-bomb-scare in Boston dies down". It further said that 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".[27]
According to
Karl Carter of Atlanta-based Guerrilla Tactics Media said only fans of Aqua Teen Hunger Force would recognize the characters or think it was funny. He said, "This is probably better set up for nightclubs and other sorts of scenarios where the people that are receiving the message, one, would know what it's about, but also two, wouldn't be frightened. You know, if you put these in certain environments, like public spaces in this post-9/11 sensitivity, then of course you're going to wind up in trouble." Make magazine editor Phillip Torrone said that the advertisers should have used better judgment, but called it a "neat electronic project".[32] Boing Boing reported that the media and the State of Massachusetts insisted on using the words "bomb hoax", despite firm contentions by Turner Broadcasting Systems that the devices were not intended to resemble bombs and the company had no intent to arouse suspicion or panic in approving the advertising campaign.[33]
On February 27, 2007, a month after the incident, the Boston police bomb squad detonated another suspected bomb, which turned out to be a city-owned
Aftermath
On February 5, 2007, state and local agencies came to an agreement with both Turner Broadcasting and Interference, Inc., to pay for costs incurred in the incident. As part of the settlement, which resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the companies, Turner and Interference agreed to pay $2 million: $1 million to go to the Boston Police Department and $1 million to the
On February 9, 2007, the week after the panic, Cartoon Network's general manager and executive vice president, Jim Samples, resigned "in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch", and with the "hope that my decision allows us to put this chapter behind us and get back to our mission of delivering unrivaled original animated entertainment for consumers of all ages".[36][37] Stuart Snyder was named his successor.[38]
In total, ten cities were involved in the marketing campaign, which began two to three weeks before the incident. The NYPD contacted Interference, Inc., to request a list of 41 locations where the devices were installed.[39] Officers were able to locate and remove only two devices, both located near 33rd Street and West Side Highway at the High Line overpass.[39] The NYPD did not receive any complaints about the devices, according to police spokesman Paul Brown.[39] At 9:30 p.m., on the evening of January 31, the Chicago Police Department received a list of installation locations from Interference, Inc.[40] Police recovered and disposed of 20 of the 35 devices. Police Superintendent Philip Cline admonished those responsible for the campaign, stating, "one of the devices could have easily been mistaken for a bomb and set off enough panic to alarm the entire city".[40] Cline went on to say that, on February 1, he asked Turner Broadcasting to reimburse the city for funds spent on locating and disposing of the devices.[40]
The King County Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart stated, "In this day and age, whenever anything remotely suspicious shows up, people get concerned—and that's good. However, people don't need to be concerned about this. These are cartoon characters giving the finger."[41]
Interference, Inc., hired two people to distribute twenty devices throughout Philadelphia on January 11.[42] One of these was Ryan, a 24-year-old from Fishtown, who claimed that he was promised $300 for installing the devices, only 18 of which were actually functional.[42] Following the scare in Boston, the Philadelphia Police Department recovered three of the 18 devices. Joe Grace, spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, said, "We think it was a stupid, regrettable, irresponsible stunt by Turner. We do not take kindly to it."[42] A cease-and-desist letter was sent to Turner, threatening fines for violating zoning codes.[43]
No devices were retrieved in Los Angeles and Lieutenant Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department stated that "no one perceived them as a threat".[44] The many Los Angeles signs were up without incident for more than two weeks prior to the Boston scare. Police Sergeant Brian Schmautz stated that officers in Portland had not been dispatched to remove the devices, and did not plan to unless they were found on municipal property. He added, "At this point, we wouldn't even begin an investigation, because there's no reason to believe a crime has occurred."[13] A device was placed inside 11th Ave. Liquor on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland, where it remains. San Francisco Police Sergeant Neville Gittens said that Interference, Inc., was removing them, except for one found by art gallery owner Jamie Alexander, who reportedly "thought it was cool" and had it taken down after it ceased to function.[45]
Berdovsky and Stevens were arrested on the day of the incident and charged with placing a hoax device to incite panic, a felony charge that carries a five-year maximum sentence, and one count of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.[21] Both pleaded not guilty to the two charges and were later released on a $2,500 cash bond.[8] At their arraignment, Assistant Attorney General John Grossman claimed that the two were trying to "get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location".[46] Michael Rich, the lawyer representing both men, disputed Grossman's claim, asserting that even a VCR could be found to fit the description of a bomb-like device.[46] Judge Leary said that it would be necessary for the prosecution to demonstrate an intent on the part of the suspects to cause a panic. The judge continued, "It appears the suspects had no such intent ... but the question should be discussed in a later hearing."[47]
On March 1, 2007, Senator Edward Kennedy, D-MA, introduced S.735, "The Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007". Its amendments include these:
the federal criminal code to: (1) extend the prohibition against conveying false information and hoaxes to any federal crime of terrorism; (2) increase maximum prison terms for hoaxes involving a member of the Armed Forces during war; (3) allow a civil remedy for damages resulting from hoaxes perpetrated by an individual who later fails to provide accurate information to investigating authorities about the actual nature of the incident; and (4) extend the prohibition against mailing threatening communications to include corporations or governmental entities (as well as individuals).[48]
The bill never came to a vote.[49]
On May 11, 2007, prosecutors decided not to pursue criminal charges against Berdovsky and Stevens, in exchange for community service and a public apology. Attorney General Martha Coakley cited the difficulty in proving intent to incite panic on the part of the two men and called the deal "an appropriate and fair resolution". Berdovsky and Stevens completed 80 and 60 hours of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Boston, respectively.[50] The incident prompted opportunists to acquire the promotional devices from other cities and auction them on eBay, with prices ranging from $500 to more than $5,000.[51]
An Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode from
Historical legacy
Gregory Bergman wrote in his 2008 book BizzWords that the devices were "essentially homemade Lite-Brites".[5] Bergman concluded: "That this occurred in Boston, home to Harvard, MIT, and other famous schools of learning, is embarrassing."[5] Bruce Schneier wrote in his 2009 book Schneier on Security that Boston officials were "ridiculed" for their overreaction to the incident.[6] Schneier wrote, "Almost no one looked beyond the finger pointing and jeering to discuss exactly why the Boston authorities overreacted so badly. They overreacted because the signs were weird."[6] Schneier characterized this as a form of "Cover Your Ass" security.[6]
In his 2009 book Secret Agents, historian and communication professor Jeremy Packer discussed a phenomenon in culture called the "panic discourse" and described the incident as a "spectacular instance of this panic".[3] Packer stated that the discovery of the lightboards prompted "a city government and media panic".[3]
Six years after the incident, WGBH published an article reflecting on law enforcement reaction.[1] WGBH was critical of the government's response, observing: "What was the fallout from the scare? Both local and national media outlets derided Boston Law enforcement for failing to recognize a PR stunt gone wrong. Many young Bostonians felt the arrest of Zebbler and Stevens was an overreaction."[1] The article quoted a student who pointed out the vast proportion of individuals were successfully able to determine the difference between a Lite-Brite children's toy and a bomb.[1]
WGBH requested a reflective comment in 2013 from Zebbler, and he stated that he thought the government's overreaction was a greater symptom of the American culture during that time period.
The City of Boston hired Zebbler for its 2014 New Year's celebrations to create a light show, paying him $50,000 for his services.
On January 31, 2022, fifteen years after the incident, the official Adult Swim account on Twitter poked fun at the event and included an image of Ignignokt giving the middle finger with text that reads "1-31-2007 NEVER FORGET".[55]
See also
- Ahmed Mohamed clock incident
- Alarmism
- Collective behavior
- Crowd psychology
- Herd behavior
- Social mania
- Boston Marathon bombing
- National Terrorism Advisory System
- If you see something, say something(post 9/11 public safety slogan)
References
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- ^ Jamy Pombo (January 31, 2007). "TV Network Takes Responsibility For 'Hoax Devices'". ABC. Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ^ a b c Lothian, Dan; Fran Fifis; Deborah Feyerick (February 1, 2007). "Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges". CNN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
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- ^ Silverstein, Jonathan (February 2, 2007). "As Boston Reeled, Was Artist Asked to Keep Quiet?". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Powell, Shirley (January 31, 2007). "Statement from Turner Broadcasting Co". CNN. TBS Corporate Communications. Archived from the original on August 12, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
- ^ a b "Possession, transportation, use or placement of hoax devices". The General Laws of Massachusetts (Chapter 266: Section 102A1/2). Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2007.
- ^ Levenson, Michael; Cramer, Maria (February 1, 2007). "Marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
- Boston Phoenix. Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
- ^ "Full of beans". Los Angeles Times. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
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It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme," Menino said Wednesday. "I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today's incidents." [...] About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday morning with signs saying "1-31-07 Never Forget" and "Free Peter.
- ^ Blown out of proportion Feb 2, 2007 Archived February 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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- ^ Boston stunt creates PR buzz saw instead of buzz February 5, 2007 Archived May 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ State of Massachusetts insists on calling ATHF ads "hoax devices" February 2, 2007 Archived February 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Police Blow Up Suspicious Device In Boston". WBZ-TV. February 28, 2007. Archived from the original on March 20, 2007.
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- ^ a b c Maykuth, Andrew (February 2, 2007). "Cartoon caper shows up here, but nobody's laughing". Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ "Police: Phila. had 56 devices like Boston's panic-causers". Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press. February 1, 2007.
- ^ Blankstein, Andrew (February 1, 2007). "Devices placed in Boston also intended for L.A.". LA Times.
- ^ Bulwa, Demian (February 1, 2007). "Calmer reaction in S.F. – 'I thought it was cool'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Serrano, Alfonso (February 1, 2007). "Publicity Stunt Suspects Released". CBS News. CBS News / Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
- ^ "Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges". CNN. February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007.
- ^ "S.735 - Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007". Congress.gov. US Senate. May 4, 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007 (2007 - S. 735)". GovTrack.us. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008.
- ^ "Pair Charged In Marketing Stunt Reach Plea Deal". WBZ-TV. Associated Press. May 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ Roberts, Paul (February 1, 2007). "Bids for Boston bomb scare promo top $5,000". InfoWorld Tech Watch. IDG. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
- ^ a b Rousseau, Morgan (November 20, 2013). "Zebbler: Mooninite scare artist selected to stage $50,000 First Night centerpiece". Metro.us. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ^ Woodman, Tenley (November 20, 2013). "Artist from 2007 bomb scare headlining First Night". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c Battenfeld, Joe (November 20, 2013). "Menino defends hire of bomb scare artist for First Night". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ^ Grossman, David (January 31, 2022). "Aqua Teen Hunger Force sparked a bizarre Boston bomb scare 15 years ago today". Polygon.
Further reading
- Chapin, Kinne (January 31, 2013). "The Mooninite Invasion of Boston, 6 Years Later". WGBH News. WGBH. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2015.