July 23, 2007
Boston Blotter: Penis for Lunch in Dedham!
--Now that will get your attention for sure! Some prankster hacked into a flashing electronic road sign and changed it to read "PENIS FOR LUNCH" instead of "ROAD CONSTRUCTION AHEAD" on Route 1. Please don't arrest this person. This person is funny. Apparently a lot of other people thought so, too, since the authorities didn't find out until later yesterday afternoon.
One transportation rep said, "Some people might see it as a joke, but this is a road that is traveled on by families and children and there are some people that don't find it funny." Maybe because the sign is next to a Toys 'R' Us. Oops.
All we're saying is that the rep should feel lucky the sign didn't display a Mooninite. News outlets were a little shy when discussing the sign. Fox 25 didn't think the public couldn't handle the word "PENIS," so they blurred it out. Even the Herald, which can be as gory and as naughty as it pleases sometimes, called "PENIS" a "certain part of the male anatomy."
--We just needed something from the lighter side after a rough weekend. The Globe has two intense stories about the lives of the late 21-year-old Samuel DoCanto, who was killed in Dorchester this weekend, and Jose Gurley, the high-school athlete shot to death in Brockton.
Both men had dreams that were cut short because the police can't seem to figure out how to get guns off the street. DoCanto just got a job and was at a party, apparently minding his own business and having a good time, when some idiot started shooting and hit him. As for Gurley, not only was he an amazing athlete, but he was going to be the first in his family to attend college. Unfortunately, now he is the second member of his family to die of gun violence.
--More trouble with guns and knives. The BPD blotter shows a 23-year-old arrested for firing three or four shots in Mattapan; someone got shot in the rear end in Dubois Street (two 18-year-olds arrested for that one); and someone was stabbed in the back on Lamartine.
Thank you to the anonymous commenter for the pointer to this picture from Rob Larsen, which we won't censor since we're not Victorian-era shrinking violets like the folks at Fox25.
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Really, I'm far from what you'd call a conservative, but I find penis jokes and other kinds of "taboo subject" jokes rather stupid. Not because it's disgusting, but it's just become a huge cliche to make any kind of sexual reference.
It's like saying "poopy" and getting a laugh. It's not funny, it's not sick or disgusting or gross, it's plain childish, and something any half-wit can do (well, not the hacking part, obviously). What is wrong with these people?
There's a difference between smart humor (Stephen Colbert, John Stewart) and brain-dead humor (this example, shock DJs). Why do I see so much of the latter in society?
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In a similar lack of class, Channel 7 LED their news with this item last night. I guess nothing else important happened. Maybe if the highway dept. (or whoever) would lock the control panel, these things wouldn't happen. This story, however, is hilarious:
http://tinyurl.com/nwlhd
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"Poopy" and all other scatological humor will *always* be funny. I read the first guest's comment and giggled as soon as the word. How could you not, especially in the context of such an otherwise serious post? Does that make me a half-wit for enjoying it?
I think it takes more than a half-wit to write good humor, sex-related or otherwise. It takes the ability to manipulate the elements of surprise (and its sister expectation), incongruity, conflict and repetitiveness.
In this case, the hacker uses surprise very effectively. Sure, it could've been better, but the exercise is kind of like correcting grammar on graffiti.
SPEAKING OF BETTER (and putting aside the even more obvious objection that this was a dangerous act and should've been done to a sign that was not in front of an active construction zone) how about a contest here on what SHOULD'VE been written on the sign?
My suggestions:
* HONK IF YOU LOVE ... CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
* CALL YOUR OFFICE ... YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE
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"Poopy" and all other scatological humor will *always* be funny. I read the first guest's comment and giggled as soon as [I read] the word.
I tend to find "always" arguments suspect in arguments. If I said "poopy" a thousand times, it'd be bound to lose steam.
How could you not, especially in the context of such an otherwise serious post?
Trivial point, but: What context? Just because they were in the same post?
I think it takes more than a half-wit to write good humor, sex-related or otherwise. It takes the ability to manipulate the elements of surprise (and its sister expectation), incongruity, conflict and repetitiveness.
Right, but all that should be a given in humor anyway. That's like saying it takes a genius to know how to walk because of all the mechanisms going on in the body.
Anyway, the point is that scatological/sexual humor is overdone and by now tiresome, left for bored high schoolers. Yawn. Anyone can laugh all they want. Me, I can only roll my eyes...
BTW:
this article seems to be exactly a parody of this kind of low-brow humor. While not funny per se, it does speak about the groan-inducing nature of some people's sense of "humor"
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2007/4/11kershner.html
Oh, and thanks second guest, that was an interesting read
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oops, not second guest, i mean eighthman in my last line. sorry for the mixup
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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1346/871702292_b355ee0027.jpg?v=0
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That looks like the "providence highway" that goes from West Roxbury to Dedham and ultimately Route 128/I-95. If so, then this road is not Route 1 and hasn't been so since 1990, when it was re-routed along 128. Yes, I know I'm nitpicking (and that Fox25 got it wrong).
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Best thing I saw all day!
To the news stations that are too afraid to say "penis"... It's a bloody scientific word... not a crude euphamism or curse word... You! Mr. Reporter Man! You have a penis! Get over it!
As for the families, I'm sure you're 4 year old has probably found he too has a penis. If not... your sheltering of your children will only cause them trauma when they DO find out that boys have penises and girls have vaginas.
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Could you be more obsessed with guns? I'm not thinking I'm convinced that you dislike guns yet. Nicely unrelated to the sign article, at that.
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It was so awesome! I caught the sign on video!!!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRb8fCOaEtY
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OMG someone said penis, quick, cover the childrens' eyes the devil is coming!
Seriously people, if you don't want your children exposed to words like "penis," stop having kids or learn how to be a parent. The world doesn't revolve around you and your crotch droppings, so STFU about a word like "penis." How about parents start acting like adults and teaching their children what words like "penis" mean instead of censoring every little word they decide they don't like (as if they rule the world in the first place).
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Hey, just a note, the image provided by the anonymous commenter is actually mine, cropped. I'm completely happy with you folks using it, I just want credit "rob larsen" and a link "http://www.drunkenfist.com/" (as per the flickr photo page it's licensed under the creative commons "attribution license." Meaning I want people to be able to share and use it, I just want a shout out.)
here's">http://www.drunkenfist.com/304/2007/07/22/penis-for-lunch-as-seen-on-a-sign-on-rte-1-in-dedham-ma/">here's my original blog post
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wow, that link got mangled
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I fixed it to give you credit; thanks, Rob!