When good toys go bad IV: explicit CD player triggered during mass

While we've seen quite a few toys pulling stunts that they should definitely be ashamed of, the latest edition ups the ante by doing its dirty deed in a Roman Catholic cathedral. Following the "if it blinks, obliterate it" mentality so well exemplified at various Boston transit arteries, a team of Santa Fe bomb squad experts were called onto the scene after three CD players were triggered to start blasting "sexually explicit language in the middle of an Ash Wednesday Mass" at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Reportedly, the players were "duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews," apparently causing the innocent church dwellers to assume the worse -- you know, like C4 explosives camouflaged as a mid-range driver. Nevertheless, the bomb squad removed the devices, took them outside, and probably had a thrilling experience whilst detonating two of the players as a safety measure. Once the crew realized the only explosive tendencies were captured in the inappropriate lyrics, they salvaged the third unit to comb for fingerprints and hopefully arrest the perpetrator(s). Now, which cop is going to cave in and post the fireworks on YouTube?

[Via BoingBoing]

[Jason @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:21AM]

Man I love the Geto Boyz.

[andy @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:33PM]

JON BLAST

Only intelligent post.

Man I love Office Space.

[Ben Swain @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:11AM]

Another article I read said that they removed the CD players and took them to the basement, then the bomb squad came and took them outside. If they were suspected of being an explosive, why did someone even touch them.

I think the bomb squads just enjoy blowing things up.

[Adam @ Feb 23rd 2007 5:20PM]

who doesn't ?

[strider_mt2k @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:24AM]

I guess that covers pointless and stupid pretty well.

[Scabies @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:35AM]

For practice? Or some insatiable desire to destroy?

[grable @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:49AM]

Ahahahahaha.. sweet!

[Kev50027 @ Feb 23rd 2007 11:52AM]

That's pretty cool. I can see anyone being scared about CD players in a Catholic church. With all of the hate crimes going on over-seas, it could have been anything.

Whoever did this is a very sick individual, if they can't even let Catholics worship in peace.

[Andrew Jones @ Feb 23rd 2007 12:29PM]

There's always one, Kev50027. By the same logic, I should have been scared to death this morning to see that our regular security guard had been replaced by a white guy - he could have killed the other guard and stolen his uniform!
Whoever decided to listen to the radio with their windows down must have been a sick individual - they can't even let me sleep in peace.
I think the person that did this was very immature, sure. Sick? Probably not. Do they deserve to be punished? Sure, but not by the mass media and public officials! Just 20 years ago, this would have been taken care of swiftly by the children's parents and/or the father.
When did our culture become so terrified that CD players blasting dirty music during worship services makes national headlines? (hint: 9-11)

[Razor @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:54PM]

"When did our culture become so terrified that CD players blasting dirty music during worship services makes national headlines?"

I kind of agree with you Andrew, but I have to ask when did our culture get to the point to which some one would tape CD players under church pews?

I'll add had this, had it been a mosque I think it would have generated a lot more media attention as a "hate crime" than it did.

[Bill @ Feb 23rd 2007 12:59PM]

It couldn't have been easy to duct tape 3 ghetto boxes to the bottom of pews. It would have been easier to attach bombs. The effect would have been less desirable though. If they had been bombs and detonated the ensuing death and chaos would eventually coagulate into anger and people would come together over it. This way everyone is running around paranoid and scared. Terrified if you will. No victims just suspects and suspicion. Plays right into the current mentality of many Christians.

[Paul @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:03PM]

And now we will sing: "In the Garden of Eden" by I. Ron Butterfly

[Anthony @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:29PM]

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, I think.

Also, the police weren't blowing them up. They just didn't realize how "unboxing"s worked.

[mastershake @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:22PM]

better question, when did being religious become such a bad thing?? If I did this at an ACLU meeting, a democratic convention, Steve Jobs key note at CES, a Mosque, or a Green peace Rally. I would be destroyed, for my HATE PRANK. These people were not bothering anyone, they were in thier church.

[Grant @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:24PM]

first blowing up the neon ATHF signs, now blowing up CD players.
Face it, the police are bored and they are revolting. if they can blow it up, they will.

[Matt B @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:30PM]

When did our culture come to accept gangsta rap as an acceptable for of "music"?

[der Wiskinator @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:49PM]

Why did the bomb squad blow them up?

If it was your job to blow stuff up, but you didn't get to do it that often, wouldn't you take EVERY opprotunity to do so?

[nike @ Feb 25th 2007 12:04AM]

none ever mention gangsta rap.....

[gball @ Feb 25th 2007 1:08AM]

Having grown up in Santa Fe, gone to St. Francis Elementary school (where we went to mass at this church every week,) and had my high school graduation ceremony in the same church; I think this is hilarious.

Santa Fe is a small town where big things, like terrorism, don't happen. All they have is lots of domestic violence, alcoholism, repression of their youth and poor, and depression. But the skiing is good.

Go Horsemen!

[Nietzschewasright @ Feb 25th 2007 1:17PM]

Yeah, those poor Catholics ... ?

dumb prank, sure - but you gotta love all those idio- er, people ... walking around with smudges on their foreheads all day...

this is your brain on religion... (sizzle, sizzle...)