UnNews:Ted Turner: publicity stunt was "performance art"

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4 February 2007

One of the stars of Turner Broadcasting’s recent “performance art”

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Turner Broadcasting’s recent use of blinking electronic devices resembling characters from Adult Swim’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” animated cartoon series was mistaken by Boston’s dimwitted authorities for bombs. As a result, Boston was brought to a standstill as its terrified populace awaited Armageddon at the hands of the terrorists who were alleged to have put the devices in place throughout the city.

After learning that Turner Broadcasting’s parent company, Time-Warner, would reimburse the city for responding to the supposed terrorist event, Boston authorities changed the estimate of the cost of their response from $50,000 to $750,000. Nevertheless, Time-Warner executives said they would be “happy to pay.” Some reporters contend that the company may deduct the cost from Turner’s paycheck.

Despite the unanticipated panic that his advertising campaign caused in Bean Town, Turner said he considers the publicity stunt “highly successful.” As a result of the panic on the part of Boston’s police, mayor, and city councilors, “Everybody in the country knows about ‘Obscene Bugger Farce,’ or whatever the damned show is called.”

However, Turner denied that the advertising campaign was an advertising campaign, insisting that the publicity stunt was “performance art.” The “art,” he contended was not a matter merely of the blinking electronic devices’ resemblance to the characters on the cartoon series. Rather, according to Turner, “the art was in the local artists’ selections of the locations in which they placed the devices.” Calling selections of these spots “pure genius,” Turner said, “It’s because of where the things were placed--bridges, subway stations, highway overpasses, and the like--that they got the notice they received.”

The broadcasting tycoon said that there are further “performance art projects in the works” for other Turner Broadcasting shows, but he declined to provide further details concerning these projects. “I find it’s more effective to explain things after the public’s been scared out of their wits.”

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• Lotta Lies "To Ted Turner, terrorism is “performance art”" Instant News, 18.88 seconds ago