4 ms·

I remember this fiasco. We were peak see-something-say-something (or maybe just beyond that) in post-9/11 USA. Absolute paranoia. People who lived in the middle

I remember this fiasco. We were peak see-something-say-something (or maybe just beyond that) in post-9/11 USA. Absolute paranoia. People who lived in the middle of nowhere were afraid of terrorist attacks, as though high population urban centers wouldn’t be the real targets. See also: Freedumb Fries[0] 0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries

garciansmith 2y ago
Yep. The Mario question blocks put up by some teenagers in Ravenna, Ohio, in 2006 was a similar situation. https://www.eurogamer.net/news030406marioprank https://www.eurogamer.net/news030406marioprank
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  A bunch appeared in our local park's hiking trail. Though I think it was an approved event based on some of the signage around at the time. It is a shame that unapproved ads can litter public spaces with little or no consequence, but not art.
  - dghlsakjg 2y ago
    You should read the article you are talking about. It wasn’t an ad campaign. It was a bunch of teenage fans doing something creative for fun. Ya know, art!
    - paulryanrogers 2y ago
      Why do you think I didn't? I know the article is about art. My point was art like that should be welcomed or at least not prosecuted, as it seems advertising is today.
alistairSH 2y ago
Somebody at my office printed and posted a pile of “Wombats are everywhere, if you see something, say something” posters, with an image of a wombat. People lost their shit over it and he got a reprimand. I thought it was hysterical. Wombats don’t live in DC. People are so over-sensitive.
- bagels 2y ago
  What's there to be upset about? Do they think this person controls the wombats?
  - alistairSH 2y ago
    Beats me. I guess some people have no sense for the absurd.
astura 2y ago
This was dumb, but 2007 was many years past peak post-9/11 paranoia. Almost everyone who wasn't Boston PD or the media thought this was a gross overreaction to what was basically a Lite-Brite at the time. Don't forget, they were placed in other major cities across the country without incident.
vundercind 2y ago
> We were peak see-something-say-something (or maybe just beyond that) My recollection is we were pretty solidly past that period by the time this happened, and that’s part of why it was so ridiculous. If this had happened in like ‘02 or maybe ‘03 I think folks wouldn’t have thought it quite so silly that the authorities responded the way they did.

garciansmith 2y ago

Yep. The Mario question blocks put up by some teenagers in Ravenna, Ohio, in 2006 was a similar situation. https://www.eurogamer.net/news030406marioprank https://www.eurogamer.net/news030406marioprank

paulryanrogers 2y ago
A bunch appeared in our local park's hiking trail. Though I think it was an approved event based on some of the signage around at the time. It is a shame that unapproved ads can litter public spaces with little or no consequence, but not art.
- dghlsakjg 2y ago
  You should read the article you are talking about. It wasn’t an ad campaign. It was a bunch of teenage fans doing something creative for fun. Ya know, art!
  - paulryanrogers 2y ago
    Why do you think I didn't? I know the article is about art. My point was art like that should be welcomed or at least not prosecuted, as it seems advertising is today.

alistairSH 2y ago

Somebody at my office printed and posted a pile of “Wombats are everywhere, if you see something, say something” posters, with an image of a wombat. People lost their shit over it and he got a reprimand. I thought it was hysterical. Wombats don’t live in DC. People are so over-sensitive.

bagels 2y ago
What's there to be upset about? Do they think this person controls the wombats?
- alistairSH 2y ago
  Beats me. I guess some people have no sense for the absurd.

astura 2y ago

This was dumb, but 2007 was many years past peak post-9/11 paranoia. Almost everyone who wasn't Boston PD or the media thought this was a gross overreaction to what was basically a Lite-Brite at the time. Don't forget, they were placed in other major cities across the country without incident.

vundercind 2y ago

> We were peak see-something-say-something (or maybe just beyond that) My recollection is we were pretty solidly past that period by the time this happened, and that’s part of why it was so ridiculous. If this had happened in like ‘02 or maybe ‘03 I think folks wouldn’t have thought it quite so silly that the authorities responded the way they did.