Menacing Cartoons Wreak Havoc on City

Yesterday, Boston was gripped with fear because of a dubious plot by Aqua Teen Hunger Force cartoon characters to blow up the city. It turned out to be an advertising campaign for the late night tv show. Subways, highways, bridges and part of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities realized the bombs weren't bombs but LED circuit boards giving them the middle finger. This apparently sent officials into a tizzy.

The devious cartoons have captivated people's attention for a moment. So while riding the T today, I eavesdropped on this exchange between two women that got on the train together and a man they sat down next to. The conversation quickly turns to "those" terrorist and public fear. An intersting interaction, perhaps emblematic of why most Bostonians do not engage strangers. At this point, the subway car was stopped at the station for a several minutes:

Woman 1 (W1): Watch, they found something on the tracks. I’m serious. They might have a bomb up ahead. I can’t take another day of this shit.

Woman 2 (W2): Some crazy bastards droppin’ bombs all over the city.

Man (M): Well, did you see what that was yesterday?

W1: Yeah, it was pretty fucking stupid.

M: Light Bright sets.

W1: Like Christmas all over again.

W2: With a big middle finger in your face.

M: Light Brights. I used to play with those things when I was a kid.

W1: That was some fucked up shit.

M: What was fucked up was the police thinking they were bombs.

W2: For real.

W1: Naw, I’m sorry. You gotta take that seriously. Can you imagine if all those bridges had been blown up? What kind of mess would we be in today? That’s why I keep saying you can’t play like that no more.

W2: I just hope they don’t cancel the show. Aqua Teen Hunger Force. That’s my show.

M: They’re not going to take it off the air.

W1: Hell no. They got just what they wanted. Now all these people are gonna tune in to find out what the hell it’s all about.

M: If it had just been an underground ad campaign, maybe some people would have taken notice. But now that it was elevated to a terror hoax, everybody’s wondering what’s up.

W1: The city fell right into the trap. I mean, I see what you’re saying but we live in a different world since 9-11. You can’t go around putting shit on bridges and expect for people not to freak out. They need to put some people in jail.

M: You really think the kids who with some light brights should go to jail?

W2: Maybe pay a fine or something. Did you see the one where Ignignokt—

W1: I’m sorry, I’m not a prejudiced person, but I see somebody looks funny, I don’t trust ‘em. [She glances up and down the car]. I see some dude wearing one of those wraps on his head, I’m getting off the train. [Slaps hands with her friend.]

W2: For real. They have no values.

W1: Oh, they’ve got values, but just messed up ones…a warped sense of reality…and backward ass religion.

M: Truth is, most terrorist attacks inside the country been carried out by crazy white people. You get off the train when you see white folks?

W1: Well, they blended in. The terrorists can look like anybody. People think like they’re all safe. The United States is this and that. We’re all just arrogant. We ain’t safe. They got sleeper cells. They can attack at any moment. That’s why I don’t trust those people.