First, they reported it on Monday's Stupidity Watch segment of the "Best of the Web".

Then, they published a follow-up titled "Just a Joke" in the next day's "Best of the Web":

Many readers wrote us to suggest that the online petition opposing the name of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," the object of yesterday's Stupidity Watch item, was merely a joke. Certainly a lot of the "signers" (there are now 1,167 of them) took it that way. Some amusing examples (quoted verbatim):

1128. TOLKIEN WAS A PROFIT, HE PREDICTED WTC BOMBING 47 YEARS BEFORE THE FACT, AND THE THIRD MOVIE IS RETURN OF THE KING. JESUS IS COMING BACK YOU HAD BETTER RECOGNIZE

1125. I think they should rename New York too, because every time I hear "New York" it makes me think of that day and it makes me cry. That and the words "world," "trade," and "center" should be removed from our language as well.

1102. they have no sensitivity, i wont even let my two twin kids stand next to each other out of respect for 9/11

1076. Oh thank you so much for this. Those shameless moneymongers care for nothing but themselves. Baby Jesus cries every day because of them. Every single day. Could you please start a petition to stop those fascist police from using 911 as their phone number too? That is also something that bothers me.

Also, many of the early "signatures" merely say "false entry voided."

If you read some of the "signatures", you'll see some pretty harsh comments directed at whomever posted the petition, regardless of whether or not it was a joke.