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« Malden vs. Mooninites | Main | Derrida dust-up » Thursday, February 1, 2007Mooninite missives, part 1The mailbag is overflowing. I can't even begin to read all of the emails, let alone respond to them (though I am trying). But I've glanced at a couple dozen emails, and a pattern emerges. On the one hand, plenty of Brainiac readers agree with me that Boston police and officials overreacted yesterday and today. For example: How is it that our 'bomb squad' experts can't tell the difference between a bomb and a battery operated magnetic light? -- Wayne I was beginning to think that I was the only person thinking that the state's blustering and threats of prosecution are completely out of proportion to what actually happened.... Thanks for reassuring me that someone in the media is looking at this from my point of view--I was sort of starting to feel like a sociopath for not being horrified and outraged like the rest of the Globe is telling me to be. -- Lyette I have a feeling that over the next few days, the city of Boston is going to end up looking like the "bad guys" in this one. While Turner was wrong to put up the signs without permission, and while city officials have nothing to be ashamed of for reacting as they did and trying to protect the people of Boston, the subsequent lashing out at everyone involved is not likely to go over well. -- Dave On the other hand, several readers agree with my other point, that in this day and age, a marketing stunt like this could easily go awry and cause a panic (remember -- I'm on the fence about this). For example: What is to stop a terrorist from copying a harmless cartoon character and filling it with explosives then setting it off once people have decided it is an ad stunt and have let their guard down? I am sure there are a few ways that even smart people like you might be fooled. -- T So everyone agrees with me, which is great -- just the way I like it. Thanks so much for writing, everyone. Now will someone please answer my question about why Boston was the only city in America where this happened? I want to know.
Posted by Joshua Glenn at 04:48 PM
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