New Zealand Mall Uses Manilow to Scare Teens

After successful tests in Australia, Barry Manilow's music is being used to disperse unruly youths in New Zealand.

Across the central mall district, hordes of teenagers do what teenagers do best: get wasted, scream at passersby and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So Christchurch is now letting the "man who made the whole world sing" do exactly that, by piping his music through the area. The police feel certain that the constant crooning will send teens packing.

Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale told Associated Press: "The intention is to change the environment in a positive way... so nobody feels threatened or intimidated. I did not say Barry Manilow is a weapon of mass destruction."

An amusing enough plan, but it seems likely that teens will fight back by blasting something even more obnoxious - say, The Jonas Brothers - back at Barry, but that'll just give the Police an excuse to arrest them "somewhere down the road" under the city's anti-noise law.

All together, now! Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...

Source: The Register

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"Hey you little whippersnappers! Get off my lawn!" *starts playing Barry Manilow* "OMG! Run, this old man is crazy!"

Seriously though, there a number of stories that come from New Zealand that have me convinced in many regards, the Kiwis are easily among the best people on Earth. Too bad I hear their internet service providers have poor bandwidth, so connecting to at a good ping to a game's server is unfortunately not likely, that is about the worst thing I can think of the place that comes to mind and that should say a lot.

ahhh, it ruined my mood! I was giving myself a massive headache headbanging to a loop of Everytime we Touch by Cascada.

They also use his songs as a punishment for noisy neighbours in the US. I heard that persistent offenders are taken down to the station and forced to listen to the music. (Talk about Cruel and Unusual Punishment.) And anyone who appears to enjoy it is immediately removed from the room.

gotta love Psychological warfare

Call me crazy, but I can't see how Barry Manilow's music will stop teenagers acting like ididots.

Its a shame they couldn't play something better. And I really wanted to visit New Zealand, but this is definitely going to make me rethink my plans.

You heard it here first folks! "...Barry Manilow is a weapon of mass destruction." And that's sort of cruel to try and force people to leave a place like that, instead of doing the decent thing like asking/telling/pushing them. It's sort of like tricking them, and what if someone's there legitimately?

I have to give them credit for having a unique idea. But Barry Manilow doesn't strike me as something that could scare people.

Well, unless they're not paying attention and music suddenly starts playing.

When I worked at a gas station the owner used to play loud elevator music in the parking lot at night to discourage loiterers.

The only thing that would get on my nerves is non-stop Pussycat Dolls. God, I hate them... Barry Manilow, on the other hand, isn't that bad :D

Well if it works why not use it else where?

Playing music teens don't usually like around the entrances to malls and so on is hardly news. I live in northern Canada, and five years ago one of our malls started playing classical music in the entrance in order to scare off the rats who sat around throwing up and passing around crackpipes.

Haha, oh mercy that's a great idea! We got it all wrong with the mosquito tactic.

Trust Gracie to make me chuckle at the most random times. ;-)

MaxTheReaper:
Playing The Jonas Brothers in public....

You made me shiver.

Personally...what they should do is Rick Roll them...

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

They should play Linkin Park. It would repel me.

DrummerM:
Call me crazy, but I can't see how Barry Manilow's music will stop teenagers acting like ididots.

It won't make them stop acting like idiots, but it will encourage them to act like idiots somewhere else where the nasty geezer music isn't playing. (Starts humming Abba's "The Winner Takes It All".)

-- Steve

DrummerM:
Call me crazy, but I can't see how Barry Manilow's music will stop teenagers acting like ididots.

I... Actually quite like some of Barry Manilow's songs. I'm not sure if I should be amused or embarassed XD

bue519:
Its a shame they couldn't play something better. And I really wanted to visit New Zealand, but this is definitely going to make me rethink my plans.

It could be worse, they could've played Michael fcking Bolton!! You should come to Israel man; get drunk, stoned and laid every MFing day!

meh dont worry about what christchurch the rest of the country doesnt its the test zone for things that are doomed to fail

galletea:
I think that the idea is interesting, although the noise pollution of Manilow may be worse than a bunch of rowdy teenagers.

Ah but you haven't seen our rowdy teenagers.
Christchurch is full of old people anyway, so they wont mind.

Whats worse though, teenagers or Mannilow fans?

I can see the headlines now.

"Mannilow gang terrorizes neighbourhood".
"More Mannilow murders".
"Mannilow massacres continue".

It lends itself nicely to a news story.