Such a Beloiter post
I'm unreasonably angry about this article. I know I can't possibly be this angry about only this, but it's the spark that set me off. I spent most of last night finishing up a symposium that deals with Culture of Fear stuff, so I'm in a weird place mentally, and that kind of thing pisses me off.
The article talks about a group of teenage women placing lookalike Mario Blocks around their neighborhood on April 1. The town called in the fucking bomb squad to deal with this "problem," and now the girls face possible federal charges (unlikely, I know, but the point is that there is -any- legal action being taken).
How is it that people see a gold foil box with a pixelated question mark on it and think "that may be a terrorist attack"? Maybe I missed hearing about Al Queda's Arts and Crafts workshop, but this whole thing just seems ridiculous. This isn't even pranking, it's public art-- it is making a statement about the use of public space. What the hell does it say for where the American mindset is that the reaction was "it wasn't regulated, so it must be out to harm us"?
I am flabbergasted and dissapointed, but hardly surprised.
The article talks about a group of teenage women placing lookalike Mario Blocks around their neighborhood on April 1. The town called in the fucking bomb squad to deal with this "problem," and now the girls face possible federal charges (unlikely, I know, but the point is that there is -any- legal action being taken).
How is it that people see a gold foil box with a pixelated question mark on it and think "that may be a terrorist attack"? Maybe I missed hearing about Al Queda's Arts and Crafts workshop, but this whole thing just seems ridiculous. This isn't even pranking, it's public art-- it is making a statement about the use of public space. What the hell does it say for where the American mindset is that the reaction was "it wasn't regulated, so it must be out to harm us"?
I am flabbergasted and dissapointed, but hardly surprised.