May 1, 2001

1:47 PM

Guns for Kids! -- According to a typical piece of journalism from NBC10, this site offers to children a wide range of hard-to-find munitions, including Wehrmacht Flamethrowers: "Climb up on top of a cafeteria table with a tank full of thick, stinking diesel fuel strapped to your back and watch the reactions of classmates and teachers. Outside, sweep right and left to take out SWAT team members and armored police vehicles. Make it all the way to your local shopping mall and be immortalized in the Guns For Kids Hall of Fame."
posted by johnb (16 comments total)

The problem with journalists is that 99% of the time, they don't have the expertise on or know the background on the subject they write on. (Nor do they have the time to study it). Result: pieces about complex matters sound like they were written by a 10 year old.

To aspiring journalists: get a degree in the field you want to report on, we'll all be better off.
posted by Witold at 2:16 PM on May 1, 2001

Is everything allowed to become an internet hype? Or are these individuals actually making a point?


I'll wait and see............




and then forget it.
posted by nonharmful at 2:18 PM on May 1, 2001

Witold: Yes, but on the other hand it doesn't take a rocket scientist (so to speak) to distinguish between parody and reality.
posted by johnb at 2:24 PM on May 1, 2001

johnb: that says alot about the *journalist*who wrote this, doesn't it?
posted by Witold at 2:31 PM on May 1, 2001

The site is obviously a spoof. Is NBC10 in Philadelphia so desperate for content or hype that they have to report on this "shocking website" - complete with quotes from the public?
I tried to order an Uzi with a bogus cc number, and it said it was invalid. I then tried a bogus, but correctly formatted number, and it went through. Seems they are using a script that validates the form of the number, but probably not actually collecting anyone's number. The order page doesn't ask for the expiry date - which is required by most credit card authentication protocols.
posted by sixdifferentways at 2:33 PM on May 1, 2001

Check out their letter to Verizon. It's a hoot.
posted by Loudmax at 2:33 PM on May 1, 2001

Witold: It sure does. Alas, humorlessness appears to be endemic to corporate journalism. (Cf. the Voteauction.com fiasco. etc)
posted by johnb at 2:45 PM on May 1, 2001

Well, I just placed an order as 'Joey Latoya' with my trusty cc# 0000 0000 0000 0000, so I hope that's enough information for them to get me my loot.
posted by Mrmuhnrmuh at 2:57 PM on May 1, 2001

I just ordered up an AR-15 with grenade launcher, an UZI, and two Beretta's/ SUUWWEEEETTTT!!!
The letter to Verizon is definitely funny.
posted by a3matrix at 3:48 PM on May 1, 2001

John, Witold: It is common practice for local TV news journalists to lose all common sense when a story may remotely involve children. The demographic for local news stations is mostly middle-class mothers. They tend to have more, and be more protective of children.

Youth violence is a story line journalists trumped up well out of what should be considered proper. Anything individuals do to add to the sensationalism will be used without remorse by sensationalistic, and therefore unethical, media.

Here’s another very similiar example of the same type of journalistic irresponsibilty.


I love the Toys R Us scare letter. I didn’t know linking to a company requires previous written consent from the target, and that doing so without permission is an infringement.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 4:49 PM on May 1, 2001

Here's NBC10's 2:43 "report". RealMedia, streaming.
posted by pnevares at 7:41 PM on May 1, 2001

The filename for that report contains the text "thesiteguyshouldbeshot". Of course, the owner(s) of GunsForKids picked up on that and added blurb about it as one of the rotating banners at the top of the page. It says:

Are you smarter than NBC?
If NBC is against the promotion of violence, why does the filename of their video end with "thissiteguyshouldbeshot"?

Heh. As a side note, I wonder if this site is run by the guy who did "Bonsai Kitten"?
posted by Potsy at 12:23 AM on May 2, 2001

I'm able to enjoy a joke when I see it, but practical joke or not, I've found the site a bit distressing. I think this goes a long way to explain why there's Jonesboro and Columbine and all the other samples of American society decadence.

But what gives, it all has always been a joke right?
posted by betobeto at 8:44 AM on May 2, 2001

Guess I'm not in the best of my moods.
posted by betobeto at 8:45 AM on May 2, 2001

Here is the latest message on the site...

All weapons, records, equipment, data, media, papers and effects at this location have been seized through a cooperative effort by the FBI, ATF, InterPol and United Nations.
posted by jasonshellen at 10:39 AM on May 3, 2001