One of these falls into the "Ridiculous Public Frenzy" category, the other into "Media Stupidity."

The Boston Globe reports that charges were dropped today against the two dudes who were hired to install those pesky Aqua Teen Hunger Force ad devices a few months back, causing a huge hulabaloo here in the Boston area. Thank goodness. Does anyone really think the stoners who were just trying to make $300 for doing a job should have received jail time because of the massive generation gap between the Boston PD and anyone who's heard of the Cartoon Network? I don't think so. The guy that approved the ad campaign already resigned, and Turner Broadcasting paid up a cool $2M. Case closed.

Meanwhile, Boston's Weekly Dig, an alterna-weekly that doesn't exactly practice hard journalism but serves more as a resource for what's happening in town, "dug" (haha, get it?" itself a nice little grave by printing an extremely tasteless interview in last week's issue, and has been apologizing it's tail off ever since. Basically, an irresponsible reporter asked some dumb kids, outside a benefit show for a local biker who was hit and killed recently by a truck, if they thought it would suck getting hit by a truck; dumb kids respond dumbly; Dig editors didn't catch the extreme faux pas and let it go to print, angering the masses. Local music message board Lemmingtrail.com was the site of much discussion on the scandal, and the Dig has posted a lengthy apology/attempted explanation, along with a letter putting them right in their place. As someone who bears responsibility for what goes to print at another local publication, I think the Dig's "We were so busy we overlooked it" excuse is paltry, though I respect that they're addressing the situation. But heads should roll, and I for one will take the Weekly Dig even less seriously from here on it.

Imaginary thoughts, anyone?

{P.S. The photo is giant, but I can't figure out how to edit it. Oh, technology. Sorry.}