Berdovsky's Back

Peter Berdovsky--VJ, artist, and one of the men behind last year's "Mooninite Menace"--and the city of Boston better learn to live with each other because Berdovsky isn't going away anytime soon.

The AP interviewed Berdovsky about his post-Aqua Teen life, which Bostonist has covered before. Berdovsky has been working steadily as an artist and was voted a top "VJ" in his chosen art medium. He certainly hasn't been shunned by the art community. However, as some commenters pointed out, having one's name out there as an artist doesn't translate into financial success. Berdovsky is low on funds and living in a crappy Charlestown apartment.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Mooninite image is surfacing in Berdovsky's artwork so he can make some money. And that's what has City Council President Maureen Feeney ("MoFee") upset, the Herald reports. She said that she wants the city to get a cut of whatever artwork he sells that features the "Mooninite" image.

Bostonist has no beef with MoFee, but she should get in line. The owners of the Mooninite image should get a cut first, and besides, it's not as if Berdovsky was the one who had the idea to hang the lite-brites in the first place. If it's money she wants, a starving artist isn't going to be any help. As for Berdovsky, making profit out of scandal is a time-honored tradition.

Maybe Boston should just let go of the "Mooninite Menace." Didn't the Cartoon Network pay enough when it gave the city $2 million? And didn't enough people get punished when the head of the network resigned? For the record, Bostonist thinks Interference, Inc., the "guerilla marketer" behind the Mooninite campaign got off lightly. But Berdovsky is the last guy to go after.

Meanwhile Geoff Edgers at the Globe is underwhelmed with the Herald's story and MoFee's reaction. In his post, he asks, "Is he supposed to stop being an artist?" (via Universal Hub)

Since Boston appears to be so bitter about the Mooninites, no wonder Berdovsky's buddy in the caper, Sean Stevens, is laying low.

The opinions stated in this article belong solely to this Bostonist. Screengrab of Peter Berdovsky, face of a generation - sort of - from WCVB's website, when Berdovsky and Sean Stevens introduced the media to "70s Hair."