Quit calling it a hoax

From Dictionary.com :

hoax  /hoʊks/ Pronunciation Key -noun

1.	something intended to deceive or defraud: The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.

 

The poorly received yet brilliant advertising campaign in Boston was not a hoax.  It was not intended to deceive.  It was not intended to inflame fear and whip people into a frenzy.  They were little lighted boards.  That’s all.  Nothing more.

It was an advertising campaign that officials overreacted to.  If any one of the government officials would have asked one of their staffers what one of those “devices” were they would have said “dude, that looks like a moonaninte”.  He would have also told you that you’re overreacting and acting like a fool.

You know why?

Because it does look like a moonanite and you’re overreacting and acting like a fool.

And the ongoing histrionics makes you look silly, silly, silly.

Yes, we as a public expect you to react strongly to any threat, but we don’t expect you to bring out the SWAT team and helicopters and water cannons at each and every traffic stop.  There is “reaction” and there is “overreaction”.

Initially you looked like very aware and responsive officials.  Now you look like obsessed, embarrassed, angry old men out of touch with everything.  While you’re focusing all of your attention on this ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN I sure hope there aren’t any real terrorists planning to do real harm.  Way to take you eye off the ball, Boston.

Meanwhile, the “perpetrators of the hoax” have been arrested and at least one is pressing on with the “you look like a bunch of fools” line of thought.

Outside the courthouse:

Q:  How do you feel?

A:  I feel like my hair looks great.  I really want to redirect this to lost hair dos of the 70’s.

 

Priceless.

I’m going to start mailing strands of Christmas lights to the mayor of Boston with cryptic notes like “deck the halls” and “light up your life”.  That should pitch the whole town into a good, crazy headed frenzy.