Turner Broadcasting to Pay for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Fiasco

Turner Broadcasting has agreed to pay the Boston City Government $2 million for the city-wide "bomb scare" that erupted as the result of unusual advertising for the [adult swim] hit, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. As we first reported here a few days ago, Boston somehow got the idea that devices put in place for advertising the television program were actually the result of some bomb squad or something equally ridiculous, reactionary, and retaaded.

Now, I could make a slightly off-color quip concerning the Irish and bombs (and get away with it, because I'm short with a big nose, red hair, and green eyes), but the real issue here is whether or not Turner Broadcasting ever should have agreed to pay the city anything to begin with. And I have to say, I'm not sure.

In a sense, I disagree with it because the city government's response was knee-jerk reactionary in the same sense that, say, killing someone who is a registered sex offender is; it's not quite as officious or serious, but it's the same basic principle at play: they over-reacted without assessing the situation, and then still charged the people who put the advertising units in place with a crime, even after they realized no real crime had been committed! 

This happens all too frequently in this country and has for years, and is the very damned thing I have been railing against: To whom are they teaching a lesson, and what is the lesson they're teaching? Don't advertise in our city, or don't use new technology in our city, or... what?

They sound more like the Mafia thugs most people associate Baaston with than the Haavaad graduates with whom Baastonians like to associate themselves.

On the other hand, this is the day and age where these are very real concerns. Which brings up the question of just how much the government should be involved in these things. I mean, if you accidentally invented a time machine in your gaaraage, should the government be allowed to swoop in and lock it down? And, even if you say, "Yes, I think that sort of technology is dangerous enough that the government, or some governmental agency, should definitely be involved," there is still the question of whether or not the person who did it should be charged with any crime. After all, even if you were consciously developing such technology, is that a crime?

We have a right to be scared of technological advancements. My own opinion is that far too many agencies (specifically corporations, not general individuals) work toward such things far too recklessly; they work to develop new technologies and advancements without thoughtfully considering their application and repercussions -- the whole H-bomb/Madame Curie bit. And, whatever is applied to individuals most definitely needs to be applied to corporations.

Corporations don't think so, the government doesn't think so, but this individual demands it be so.

So, if Basstaan is going to charge the individuals who placed the advertising units with some form of treason or what the hell ever, and if Turner Broadcasting is going to pay Baastaan for whatever their wrong-headedness led them to believe -- even though they now know better -- then when is Pfizer going to be charged for all the crimes they've committed against humanity? When will televangelists finally be taken off the air?

And who do we charge for Sleepaway Camp? Those people should be strung-up.