Someone at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is apparently a huge fan of Hannibal. Every year, the department puts on a demonstration of why you should be extremely careful when handling fireworks. Usually, the video comes out around July 4, but the CPSC didn’t quite get their shit together in time this year, so it came later in the month. Maybe they were all busy watching Hannibal for inspiration and then circulating online petitions regarding its cancellation, which happened over a year ago, but those CPSC folks are always behind on the times.
The demonstration begins with a boring but informative speech from CPSC chairman Elliot F. Kaye on the dangers of mishandling fireworks. Then things take a turn for the disturbing. The CPSC demonstration turns into an all-out horror movie as various simulations show mannequins losing limbs, eyes, and even being fully decapitated by rogue fireworks. It doesn’t have quite the artfulness of Bryan Fuller’s style, but it’s gory as hell. It’s all very educational. For example, the video instructs people to not aim bottle rockets at other people (apparently, that’s something people need to be told). They make their points a little too well.