WMBF NEWS presents NO WAY! NEWS, stories of the weird, the wacky and the just plain wrong from news sources around the world.
MCLEAN, VA (Telegraph) - A Snickers candy bar ad campaign featuring 80's star Mr. T has been pulled after complaints that the newest ad in the series promotes violence against homosexuals. The commercial (shown below) features Mr. T, real name Laurence Tureaud, using a vulcan-like machine gun to fire Snickers bars at a speedwalker in tight shorts after calling him a "disgrace to the man-race" and demanding that he "run like a real man". The Mars, Inc. ad campaign, featuring the tagline "Get Some Nuts", ran with only two complaints nationwide in the UK, but the company decided to pull the campaign worldwide after complaints by US human rights groups, despite the commercial never airing on American TV.
TOKYO, JAPAN (Associated Press via Yahoo! News) - Japan's first-ever eel-flavored soft drink has been released on the market, according to the AP. "Unagi Nobori, or "Surging Eel", is an energy supplement made from extracts of eel heads & bones, and contains vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. According to manufacturer Japan Tobacco, Inc., the drink is intended to increase stamina during the hot summer months.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (The Smoking Gun) - A Salt Lake City man is behind bars after pulling a gun on a jokester at an intersection. 22-year-old Vitaly Kovtun was sitting in traffic when a car pulled up alongside his SUV. The passenger, Stephen Cox, motioned for Kovtun to roll down his window, and then asked, "Excuse me, sir, do you have any Grey Poupon?" Kovtun allegedly responded by pulling out a semiautomatic pistol, racking the slide, and pointing it at Cox. Kovtun is charged with felony aggravated assault.
ROSWELL, GA (UPI) - A Fulton County magistrate is at a loss to explain why his friend received a $600 economic stimulus check from the IRS, since the man died in 2007. The check, made out to George A. Coker DECD (which stands for "Deceased"), was part of a program launched early this year by Congress and President Bush to stimulate a weakening economy. Magistrate Richard Hicks filed a 1040 form for his friend after his passing last year. The IRS told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it doesn't know how many checks were sent to deceased individuals.
FRESNO, CA (Toronto Sun) - A gambler at Fresno's Casino 1 casino is in hot water after placing a bet with marijuana. In a video that began circulating among news agencies and on the internet, the man can be seen at one of the casino's blackjack tables when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bag of what appears to be pot. He later spreads some on the casino table. He was taken away by police and charged with possession.
NEW YORK, NY (National Post) - The latest mental illness causing a stir in the world of psychiatry? TDS -- "Truman Show Delusion". The syndrome, diagnosed by a pair of Montreal psychiatrist brothers, involves the belief that one's entire life is a reality TV show as presented in the plot of the 1998 hit film starring Jim Carrey. The Golds -- Joel, a staff member at New York's Bellvue Hospital, and Ian, a Canada Research Chair at McGill University -- believe the condition differs from other delusions of persecution because it involves the entire outside world rather than just a single person or small, familiar group.
That's all for this week! Be sure and check back with us soon here at wmbfnews.com, and thanks for watching WMBF News - Live, Local and Latebreaking!
Kenny Hitt | khitt@wmbf.com
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